August update from the Commissioner

This month we’ve published an update to our Retail Tenancy Guide, which will be of assistance to anyone who needs advice on managing a retail lease, including tenants, landlords and agents. It’s vital to understand the terms of a lease before you sign and what to do if a problem arises during this lease, and this guide will help you make good decisions that benefit your business.  I also recommend you consider our recently published Mediation Guide which provides assistance to tenants, landlords and indeed any business who may be currently involved in a dispute.  

Rising costs are a real and significant challenge for small business, as our Small Business Momentum Survey shows.  High petrol and diesel prices are clearly a major part of the challenge. I encourage you to listen to our podcast on petrol prices, which discusses some ways you might reduce your fuel bill and the importance of understanding how the fuel market works.

Applications for NSW Small Business Month event grants have now closed, but organisations can still sign up as a Collaboration Partner to provide information and activities to support small businesses. I’m looking forward to an exciting festival in November and helping small businesses “Connect for Success”.

Finally, hospitality businesses should start preparing now for the next phase of the single-use plastics ban in NSW. From 1 November 2022, cafes and other businesses will be banned from serving food and beverages in single-use plastics and these plastics won’t be permitted to be sold. There is plenty you can do now to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Chris Lamont