According to new research from the 2021 Family Business Survey** 83 per cent of all Australian family businesses have experienced some sort of business family conflict during the last 12 months.

In fact, the survey found the most common source of conflict – experienced by one-third of family businesses – was the difficult task of balancing the needs of the family with the needs of the business. Planning for the future was the second major source of conflict.

According to the 2021 Survey, the average Australian Family Business turns over $22 million in annual revenue and employs over 60 people. The industry’s peak body, Family Business Australia, has found the family business sector worth approximately A$4.3 trillion. Family businesses account for 70 per cent of all businesses, and they employ around half of the country’s workforce.

Family businesses operate under unique circumstances where managerial decisions are often made based on responsibilities toward relatives. These common sources of conflict should be resolved in order to provide effective business management and identify growth opportunities, as well as security for employees.

Top 5 Sources of Conflict experienced in Australian Family Businesses:

1. Balancing the needs of the family vs the needs of the business (31 per cent)
2. Future vision, goals and strategy of the business (26 per cent)
3. Family member communication style (24 per cent)
4. Succession-related issues (24 per cent)
5. Managing growth (20 per cent)

Kirsten Taylor-Martin, Partner Private Business, Tax & Advisory at Grant Thornton said: “Guided by years of experience and the knowledge of countless family businesses, an independent facilitator can help to establish the structures and forums to address conflict, but more importantly enables families to have open and honest conversations about the direction of the business – generally preventing conflict and resulting in profits. At Grant Thornton we absolutely work with all family members within the business to make sure everyone’s wants and needs are met, and outcomes are aligned with each of the family member’s objectives to the benefit of the whole family.

“As family member communication style is an issue for a quarter of all Australian family businesses, the introduction of independent facilitation eliminates this concern as each member of the family is heard and understood. In addition, professional management can provide expert guidance on succession planning, managing growth and financial stress.”

Other conflict issues that were high on the list include business survival (16 per cent), remuneration of family members (15 per cent), and competence of family members working in the business (15 per cent). Surprisingly – and despite what popular culture portrays – sibling rivalry was ranked the lowest as a source of conflict at only 5 percent, and this low ranking is consistent with the Family Business Survey findings from previous years. Fortunately, 17 per cent of family businesses experienced little or no conflict during the last 12 months, which is heartening considering the constraints felt by the Covid-19 pandemic.

** The Family Business Survey 2021 was produced by Grant Thornton in partnership with Family Business Australia and Family Business New Zealand (FBANZ), and highlights the advantage transition-ready family businesses have as the economy moves toward COVID recovery. Learn more about the Family Business Survey. 

Also read the Small Business Answers guide to shareholdings and partnerships.

Propps and Settle Easy have partnered up to make house buying easier with a new online Make an offer solution.

At Settle Easy, we’re celebrating our latest partnership with Propps, an exciting new digital offer management solution for the real estate industry.

It’s exciting because we’re huge fans of any business that streamlines the process of buying and selling property and makes things easier for customers and agents.

Propps, the latest independent venture out of 1835i Ventures, the innovation and investment partner of ANZ Banking Group – helps real estate agents manage the process of buyers making offers and alleviates a common headache along the way.

Agents constantly receive offers from buyers in different ways – in person, hardcopy, via phone, email, SMS and even on social media – but these offers are all in different formats. It’s really difficult comparing apples with oranges and keeping track of them all.

The Propps white-labelled ‘Make an Offer’ solution helps agents manage that process and standardise the way offers are submitted so that agents can have transparent conversations with their vendors and properly compare all offers on the table.

Fully integrated with agents’ websites, this proptech solution is really simple and allows agents to include a ‘Make an Offer’ button on their listings and accept legally binding or non-binding offers for that property.

As buyers make their offer through Propps, if they don’t have a conveyancer appointed and would like one, Propps can quickly connect them to a conveyancer via Settle Easy. Of course, agents can opt-out of conveyancing referrals via Propps if they so choose.

Settle Easy and Propps have a lot in common. We both help customers and real estate agents:

● Save time

● Streamline processes

● Take the stress out of buying property

● Provide a secure online environment

● Are available 24/7 – whenever and wherever it suits them.

This new partnership will mean that more customers have access to Settle Easy’s simple online conveyancing – and more Australians will be able to achieve their property goals easier than ever before.

In a move set to drive payments competition in Australia’s Digital Economy, eftpos today announced that the latest stage of its next-generation eftpos online security technology has gone live with several Australian banks, FinTechs and merchants, including Till Payments, Fat Zebra and EFTEX, set to roll out the capability over the next 12 months.

The new eftpos online security capability is a crucial milestone in evolving Australia’s digital payments ecosystem. It brings to life features designed to keep Australians safe in the Digital Economy including two-factor authentication capability for merchants and their customers.

eftpos’ new sovereign debit scheme online follows the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision in October that Australian banks are expected to offer and promote Least Cost Routing (LCR) online by the end of 2022.

eftpos chief executive Stephen Benton said the support of banks, FinTechs and payments providers like Till Payments, Fat Zebra and EFTEX will help the solution scale quickly in the Australian market next year and provide benefits for merchants and consumers, including LCR.

Mr Benton said eftpos’ extension further into online payments will quickly drive much needed large-scale competition and should place downward pressure on transaction costs.

“This is a tipping point for eftpos, online Australian businesses and the Digital Economy and it is great to have partners like Till Payments, Fat Zebra and EFTEX onboard,” Mr Benton said.  “This is a game-changer for eftpos and Australian retailers because retail is quickly transforming to become an increasingly digital marketplace, accelerated by COVID.  Big economic benefits could flow from increased competition in addition to enhanced payments security.

“Our suite of world-class eCommerce products and services are part of a $100m eftpos funded digital upgrade to deliver the next generation of secure payments technology.”

Before today’s announcement, eftpos was already available online for some Card On File payments where banks have implemented the service for their merchant customers, and Deposits and Withdrawal payments via the Beem It mobile wallet. Since launching the eftpos digital service that enables LCR last year, it has been subject to zero fraud.

Mr Benton said eftpos’ security kit bag now included two-factor authentication (3DS), tokenisation, automated Disputes and Chargebacks and a digital identity solution, connectID, with a new fraud detection engine going live in the coming weeks.

Fat Zebra CEO, Pred Dragila, said being an early adopter of eftpos digital has allowed Fat Zebra to optimise how our customers accept payments online in Australia. “It’s a great step forward by eftpos which gives online merchants access to a powerful network bundled with potentially great economic benefit,” Mr Dragila said.

EFTEX General Manager, Ian Sanford said eftpos’ move to online payments was very welcome news for the thousands of Australian small businesses supported by EFTEX’s enterprise merchant, payment facilitator and payment gateway clients. “This eftpos extension will allow eCommerce merchants to securely send millions of more online payments through eftpos, resulting in substantial payment acceptance cost savings for their business and their customers,” Mr Sanford said.

Till Payments Chief Revenue Officer, Chris Hicks, said being at the forefront of security innovations for eCommerce is an invaluable asset for the organisation and its customers. “Australian consumers and businesses are inherently becoming more vulnerable to fraud as we transition to an increasingly digital existence. We’re excited to be partnering with eftpos to be among the first to deploy the security innovations that will strengthen the viability of our national Digital Economy,” Mr Hicks said.

Learn more in our Small Business Answers guide to accepting credit cards.

As the nation looks towards borders reopening and exceeding vaccine targets, the Intuit Quickbooks Back to Business research reveals small businesses across the country are hopeful about the future, with 81 per cent reporting a level of confidence that they will be operating at pre-pandemic levels within the next six months. 

But despite the encouraging levels of optimism, one in three do not have a plan in place to ensure future success, and two in five are worried about finding enough suitable staff. The research also shows that small businesses are focused on health over wealth, with vaccines at the forefront of what they want from the government, their employees and their customers.

“Aussie small businesses have done it tough over the course of the pandemic, especially those in Melbourne who endured the longest lockdown in the world. We’re thrilled to see the economy starting to recover, and to hear that small businesses feel hopeful about the future,” Lars Leber, Vice President and Country Manager at Intuit QuickBooks Australia said.

“We’ve seen a notable shift in small businesses prioritising the health and wellbeing of their employees, showing how the pandemic has made everyone reconsider what’s most important. They still need the support of the government and Aussie consumers and want to see continued vaccine uptake.” 

Health over wealth

Mandating vaccines and supporting the vaccination efforts is the number one government requirement according to Australian small businesses, with almost half (47 per cent) saying this is their top priority. Following this, was the opening of domestic and international borders (44 per cent), ongoing grants programs (30 per cent), networking opportunities (22 per cent) and training opportunities (21 per cent). 

When asked what support small businesses would like to see from their local community, more than half (55 per cent) said their number one ask of Australians was to get vaccinated. Returning to favourite local small businesses was a close second (51 per cent).

When asked about planning for future success, small businesses are again prioritising wellbeing and health, with 58 per cent saying the mental health and wellbeing of employees and work-life balance were their most important focuses.

The research also reveals that female-led small businesses are significantly more likely than male counterparts to view investing in social media as key to future business success (34 per cent vs 22 per cent). They are also more likely to see social media support of their business from consumers as important for future success (30 per cent vs 19 per cent).

Digital adoption trends

More than one in three small businesses pivoted their business to explore new revenue streams during the pandemic (37 per cent), with most (85 per cent) saying these streams will continue to be an essential part of their business.

Among those who have implemented new technologies or plan to do so, the most common focuses are financial processes (43 per cent), e-commerce/marketing (41 per cent), inventory management (21 per cent), contract management (17 per cent) and human resources (15 per cent).

Female-led small businesses are more likely to have implemented or plan to implement new technology to improve business processes than male-led counterparts (49 per cent vs 39 per cent). They are also more likely to have completed training related to their business during the course of the pandemic, or plan to in the next six months (43 per cent vs 31 per cent).

Advisor support critical

Accountants and bookkeepers continue to play a key role in supporting Australian small businesses, with 70 per cent saying their advisor helped them through the pandemic. One in five small businesses said their business would not have survived if it wasn’t for their accountant or bookkeeper. 

Advisors will also play a key role in future business success, with more than eight in ten (84 per cent) small businesses saying their support will be crucial in getting back to pre-pandemic levels.

“With conditions starting to improve as we approach the end of the year, now is the perfect time to seek out the financial guidance small businesses need to ensure a bright future,” Leber said.

The pandemic bred a wave of opportunistic entrepreneurs and as the impact of COVID-19 begins to lift, it is imperative for the economy that small businesses are not just surviving but are thriving. Quality design is one of the most underestimated business investments. Design has the power to enhance customer experience and increase brand loyalty as it is the main differentiator for businesses in a crowded market.

The team at Vista, the new master brand encompassing Vistaprint, 99designs by Vistaprint, and the recently acquired VistaCreate, have seen growing demand for design, e-commerce, and social media solutions amongst small business owners who have realised that perfecting a brand’s aesthetic is integral, as it becomes the framework for everything from products right down to customer experience.

Bhavani Lee, Art Director at Vista Australia, shares her key tips for small business owners to keep in mind when it comes to design.

Have consistent branding

One of the best ways to build your brand and make your business look professional is to present cohesive branding across all customer touchpoints – whether that’s in-store or online. The logo, fonts, colours, and images that appear on your business cards and flyers should be consistent with what people will see on your website, your social media, and physically in store.

Choosing your brand personality

Each brand has its own unique personality; Is your brand modern or traditional? Casual or sophisticated? If you own a sweet shop, you may choose to have a playful brand personality. A legal consulting firm may need to be more formal. Keeping your target audience in mind is key – things like age, gender, wealth, shopping habits, general attitudes, why they buy your products. Once you’ve collected this information you can begin to match the colour palette, font, tone of voice – all aligning with your ideal demographic.

Curated social media feed

Nowadays, small businesses are often discovered by potential customers via social media. While it’s vital to have a solid online presence that includes a website and local search listings, it’s also important to put effort into curating your social media feed. Focusing on your product imagery can give your feed a clean, professional look and attract potential customers.  You don’t have to be a professional – or even hire one – to take appealing images of your items. Choose a simple one-colour background, stick to your brand’s colour palette, use natural light instead of camera flash and explore some low-cost editing options. You’d be surprised how much you can do with just your smartphone. Remember to also post consistently and mix up your content – using pre-designed templates is a great way to communicate with your customers, whilst maintaining your feed’s aesthetic.

Find design tools that work for your business

Business owners often wear numerous hats in an effort to run their businesses smoothly. So why not take one off and outsource? There are so many options in the design space and it is important to find the service that suits you best. You can find a local graphic designer or use various services on offer such as VistaCreate, a DIY design service that creates professional yet unique branded content. You don’t have to be a whiz at design, you just need to choose the right tool.

Also read Small Business Answers guide to how to get graphic design done.

Poly Studio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows are simple to buy and deploy right out of the box. With an optimised room view and speaker tracking and framing technology, Poly Studio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows deliver an equitable and dynamic meeting experience for everyone. Poly’s Microsoft Teams Rooms solutions on Windows can be paired with new Dell or Lenovo conferencing PCs.

“Meetings are happening everywhere – from conference rooms to personal workspaces and everything in between. People crave equitable and consistent video meeting experiences no matter where they are,” said Andy Hurt, MD, Poly ANZ. “Poly DirectorAI technology intelligently frames in-conference room meeting participants so anyone not in the room can easily track the conversation.”

“Today’s workplace needs have changed. Microsoft Teams Rooms introduces inclusive collaboration experiences through concepts like the front row,” says Albert Kooiman, Microsoft Teams Devices Partner Engineering and Certification. “The new line-up of Poly Room Solutions for Teams Rooms brings users to the forefront of the future of meetings with optimised room views, plus speaker tracking and framing for a more equitable and dynamic meeting experience.”

Often, conference room participants appear small and difficult to hear, or the person close to the camera looks fine. At the same time, the person sitting at the far end of the table seems too small. This means other meeting participants finding the experience to be inequitable, uninviting, or disengaging. Poly’s DirectorAI technology overcomes this disparity and delivers a high-performing meeting experience in any size space.

Poly Studio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms come in a variety of configurations and can comfortably equip any meeting room size to deliver an equitable experience for all:

•   Includes Poly Studio P15 and Poly Room PC for Microsoft Teams Room with Dell, or Lenovo
•  Includes Poly Studio USB and Poly Room PC for Microsoft Teams Room with Dell, or Lenovo
• Includes Poly Studio E70, Poly Room PC for Microsoft Teams Room with Dell or Lenovo

Poly has worked alongside Microsoft for over 15 years. It has the broadest portfolio of Teams certified devices available – from its headsets and speakerphone devices to its video conferencing gear.

For more information on Poly’s Solutions for Microsoft Teams, please visit: https://www.poly.com/au/en/solutions/platform/microsoft

For more information on local pricing and availability, please contact certified Poly partners and resellers in Australia.

For more information on Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows, please visit: https://www.poly.com/au/en/solutions/platform/microsoft/video/teams-rooms-windows

A new kitchen and food incubator initiative, the Food Incubator + Network Centre (FoodINC), aims to serve as a launchpad for Melbourne food business startups and entrepreneurs to boost the recovery and help hospitality industry.

Following the detrimental impacts of COVID-19, the organisations behind the initiative – Melbourne Polytechnic, Melbourne Innovation Centre and Melbourne’s North Food Group, with support from the City of Whittlesea – hope FoodINC will help those dreaming of joining Melbourne’s food scene to get their foot in the door. 

Located on Melbourne Polytechnic’s Preston and Epping campuses, the incubators are currently being refurbished to be fit-for-purpose. The launch of the Preston incubator is expected in early 2022, with Epping’s to follow shortly after. 

FoodINC offers users access to the highest food-safety grade commercial kitchen spaces to take their food ventures to the next level. From recipe experimentation to batch food production, the incubators aim to break down the barriers preventing small business owners from accessing premium facilities to expand their skill sets. 

The initiative provides pivotal opportunities for those looking to pilot or grow their food businesses. By receiving the support and guidance they need, small business owners can begin to take steps towards expansion. 

Melbourne Polytechnic will monitor the needs of FoodINC users and offer training opportunities as required across compliance, food safety and occupational health and safety. These specialist short courses and vocational learning will be led by the institute’s industry-expert educators. Melbourne Innovation Centre will also deliver small business and entrepreneurship professional development around strategy, digital solutions and business growth.

Coupled with the training on offer, commercial kitchen access will provide a pathway for new and existing hospitality workers to transition into launching their businesses. All Melburnians, including current and future Melbourne Polytechnic students, will have the opportunity to access FoodINC.

Kerryn Lester-Smith, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Melbourne Polytechnic, explains how the institute is supporting newfound passions coming out of the pandemic:

“We’re seeing a new wave of entrepreneurs as a result of COVID-19, with many Melburnians having that extra time to harbour an idea or consider making a career change.

“After a time of uncertainty, Melburnians are considering their true passions. Now more than ever is the time to invest in brighter career aspirations.

“The FoodINC initiative is tailored to support business owners at multiple stages in their journey to starting or growing a successful business,” comments Kerryn. 

“From those looking to explore an idea but unsure where to begin to people operating small businesses from home and looking to upscale, FoodINC nurtures many facets of small business recovery.

“For many, the option to invest in costly kitchen appliances and hospitality equipment is out of the question, but we don’t want that to stop budding entrepreneurs in their tracks. Access to commercial kitchens on our campuses will help provide the tools businesses need to flourish without breaking budgets,” Kerryn says. 

Lou Zarro, Manager of the Kitchen & Food Incubator from Melbourne Innovation Centre, reiterates the importance of the FoodINC initiative in light of the changing hospitality landscape:

“As the Melbourne hospitality and food manufacturing sectors come to terms with the disruption of COVID-19 – from staffing issues to the rise of food delivery services and the changing tastes of the community – the ability to readjust to industry trends is crucial.

“The collective strength of Melbourne Polytechnic, Melbourne Innovation Centre and Melbourne’s North Food Group will help ensure that aspiring and early phase food startups can access a wealth of training, professional development and industry expertise to fuel their business success,” Lou concludes. 

For more information on the FoodINC initiative and to register interest, visit

Also read Small Business Answers guide to Grants.

CO-FOUNDER of the Behaviour Report, Dan Gregory, has said that face-to-face meetings, company events, and conferences will be critical for business recovery as parts of the country begin to exit prolonged lockdowns.

The human behaviour specialist was a keynote speaker at Australia’s premier corporate industry event, Illuminate 2021, hosted by the Flight Centre Travel Group, and enlightened attendees with what drives beliefs, behaviours and belonging.

“Every generation has a formative experience, whether that be the Second World War or the Cold War, and right now, this global COVID-19 pandemic is ours,” Mr Gregory said.

“What we’ve seen over the past 18 months is a real culture disconnection with teams being split up and the splintering of workforces as most professional activities moved online – even children have suffered from the move to online learning and a real lack of social interaction.

“Businesses and employees are now at a crossroads when it comes to travel, but what I can tell you is people have been desperate for some sense of normality, and there’s a real desire for some form of human interaction and face-to-face meetings again.”

Mr Gregory said COVID-19 safety protocols and responsible travel were the keys to flights returning for businesses and giving employees the confidence to get back on an aircraft again.

“Face-to-face meetings are critical to business recovery because you need to be exposed to real people and their quirks – we don’t get the non-verbal cues via Zoom or Teams and you don’t get to hear the real timber in someone’s voice,” he said.

“Let’s be honest, multi-million-dollar deals aren’t going to be done virtually, people want to be comfortable with knowing who they are getting into business with before signing a contract. That’s where the casual chit-chat aside from official meetings remain crucial.

“Having said that, lockdowns have been long, and people will want to feel safe. That’s where COVID- safe communication and COVID safety protocols come in – they should be front and centre of any business’s plan to return to travel and that will remain the case for some time.

“Humans are resilient and history shows that we’re good at overcoming world-altering events and challenges put before us. If businesses and employees can work together then it won’t be too long before deals are done over handshakes, rather than Zoom, once again.”

FCM General Manager Melissa Elf said the green shoots for a return to business travel were growing by the day and predicted a big year in 2022 for corporate travel.

“I’m lucky enough to be on the phone to our current customers and prospects on a daily basis and the appetite to travel both domestically and internationally for business is clear to see,” Ms Elf said.

“Ensuring our customers and their clients have all the vital information available to them throughout the booking process is something we take genuine pride in and we look forward to providing various responsible travel options to businesses as borders across the country begin to reopen.” Corporate Traveller General Manager Tom Walley said it was an exciting time for SMEs with Sydney and Melbourne emerging from lockdown.

“We’ve seen from the queues outside Kmart in Sydney recently that people can’t wait to get out and about and we believe it will be no different for SMEs and travel,” Mr Walley said.

“Having a Travel Management Company by your side has never been more critical because it’s our job to provide you with the support you need and to undertake the heavy lifting so you can concentrate on getting your business going and growing again.”

Dan Gregory was part of a first-class speaker line-up at Illuminate 2021 on 21 October that also had keynote speeches from Flight Centre CEO Graham “Skroo” Turner, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Virgin Australia CEO and Managing Director Jayne Hrdlicka, and Westpac Chief Economist Bill Evans.