The worst thing in Australia, as anyone who has run a small hospitality business knows, is our labour laws. Consenting adults should be able to form whatever economic and employment relationship they like. Nowhere else in the world has as restrictive labour laws as we do.
Spiraling downhill into the Argentina of the South Pacific… the madness of energy poverty implemented by the Canberra Politburo. You will have nothing, be disappointed, and rejoice every time you pay your murderous power bill.
A sad state of affairs indeed. I’m just starting my first business and have been loving the NSW Business Connect resources. Now I’m going to join BizBuilders.
Well presented Mick and 100% in every aspect HOWEVER how many Liberal politicians would have read and understood this essay? We all know the socialist don't care about small businesses but I haven't seen any bold policies emanating from the Libs. We're the hell are we going as a nation when governments of both colours basically target the very people who pay the taxes that keep the lights on.
Mick, a genuine lament and I sympathise. It would be MUCH more effective if, in addition to the complaints, you were to propose SPECIFICALLY what we should do about it (you said “reform the GST”. Yes, but how?). I’ve got a lot of ideas; I’d be interested to hear yours and all others’ too.
A ‘town’ as we understood the term prior to the advent of the internal combustion engine, where people knew each other and the word ‘community’ meant something, can still be found outside the ‘Greater Perth Area’. A ‘City’, is by definition past the point of no return. It is a place of diminished utility. Developers are happy to comply with this form of ‘non town planning’ because its easier. Consider this: half of the area in a suburb is occupied by roads and footpaths. Roads do not a public place make. Roads are a no go area for pedestrians and children. Look left, look right, don’t fall over as you cross. There is nothing to be seen around the corner apart from more houses. As the transit time to reach a commercial centre, your work, access sport and recreation, to visit aging parents, or to visit a hospital takes up more of your day, your disposable income is diminished. It’s wasted. This is a productivity killer.
Dysfunctional single use, community stifling, treeless, heat sink promoting urban sprawl spreads to the horizon and beyond. So much for ‘planning’ to meet community needs.
‘Mixed use’ to create a tight relatively self-sufficient walkable neighbourhood is the antitheses of current planning practices and developers preferences. In spite of thirty years of advocacy by the Western Australian Planning Commission houses are simply added at the margin. That’s the state of play and it doesn’t look like anything is about to change.
But, when blocks are reduced to 240 square meters in a single use regime and roads take up two thirds of the available space, town planning serves the auto and the oil industry rather than the person behind the wheel who aspires to raise a family amongst supportive neighbours under the shelter of a tree with a cafe, a bakery, a butcher and a grocery store within walking distance.
There is no such thing as “government money”. There is only human productivity. All Resources are the result of this productivity. Improving Productivity relies on taking current ideas as far as possible - maximising the effectiveness, then the efficiency of these ideas. Existing ideas are the domain of the large scale business.
Eventually though new ideas are needed. By definition, this means new ventures, with new approaches and new energy. Whilst it’s not impossible for large businesses to spawn new ideas - many great businesses used to have such divisions, it’s increasingly rare as Wall Street metrics reward lean balance sheets and cost structures.
This leaves only small businesses, those started by genuine entrepreneurial visionaries, with the energy, mindset and risk tolerance to have a crack. Lose these and you lose all the green shoots of the economy.
It doesn’t take a math degree to work out where that will lead.
Oh this article is so true. Unfortunately many small business people don't get it (or don't have time) to understand what is happening. Small business also lacks a true representative to speak on their behalf. It's almost impossible to create such a body.
I am also always surprised how big business think they have to be good buddies was labor. Time they too showed some muscle and told them that its enough.
The worst thing in Australia, as anyone who has run a small hospitality business knows, is our labour laws. Consenting adults should be able to form whatever economic and employment relationship they like. Nowhere else in the world has as restrictive labour laws as we do.
Spiraling downhill into the Argentina of the South Pacific… the madness of energy poverty implemented by the Canberra Politburo. You will have nothing, be disappointed, and rejoice every time you pay your murderous power bill.
A sad state of affairs indeed. I’m just starting my first business and have been loving the NSW Business Connect resources. Now I’m going to join BizBuilders.
Please do, I will connect with you to get you a free trial!
Yep... And it won't change.
Well presented Mick and 100% in every aspect HOWEVER how many Liberal politicians would have read and understood this essay? We all know the socialist don't care about small businesses but I haven't seen any bold policies emanating from the Libs. We're the hell are we going as a nation when governments of both colours basically target the very people who pay the taxes that keep the lights on.
Mick, a genuine lament and I sympathise. It would be MUCH more effective if, in addition to the complaints, you were to propose SPECIFICALLY what we should do about it (you said “reform the GST”. Yes, but how?). I’ve got a lot of ideas; I’d be interested to hear yours and all others’ too.
A ‘town’ as we understood the term prior to the advent of the internal combustion engine, where people knew each other and the word ‘community’ meant something, can still be found outside the ‘Greater Perth Area’. A ‘City’, is by definition past the point of no return. It is a place of diminished utility. Developers are happy to comply with this form of ‘non town planning’ because its easier. Consider this: half of the area in a suburb is occupied by roads and footpaths. Roads do not a public place make. Roads are a no go area for pedestrians and children. Look left, look right, don’t fall over as you cross. There is nothing to be seen around the corner apart from more houses. As the transit time to reach a commercial centre, your work, access sport and recreation, to visit aging parents, or to visit a hospital takes up more of your day, your disposable income is diminished. It’s wasted. This is a productivity killer.
Dysfunctional single use, community stifling, treeless, heat sink promoting urban sprawl spreads to the horizon and beyond. So much for ‘planning’ to meet community needs.
‘Mixed use’ to create a tight relatively self-sufficient walkable neighbourhood is the antitheses of current planning practices and developers preferences. In spite of thirty years of advocacy by the Western Australian Planning Commission houses are simply added at the margin. That’s the state of play and it doesn’t look like anything is about to change.
But, when blocks are reduced to 240 square meters in a single use regime and roads take up two thirds of the available space, town planning serves the auto and the oil industry rather than the person behind the wheel who aspires to raise a family amongst supportive neighbours under the shelter of a tree with a cafe, a bakery, a butcher and a grocery store within walking distance.
The governments work for the corporations, they don't work for the people that elect them, that's our democracy.
There is no such thing as “government money”. There is only human productivity. All Resources are the result of this productivity. Improving Productivity relies on taking current ideas as far as possible - maximising the effectiveness, then the efficiency of these ideas. Existing ideas are the domain of the large scale business.
Eventually though new ideas are needed. By definition, this means new ventures, with new approaches and new energy. Whilst it’s not impossible for large businesses to spawn new ideas - many great businesses used to have such divisions, it’s increasingly rare as Wall Street metrics reward lean balance sheets and cost structures.
This leaves only small businesses, those started by genuine entrepreneurial visionaries, with the energy, mindset and risk tolerance to have a crack. Lose these and you lose all the green shoots of the economy.
It doesn’t take a math degree to work out where that will lead.
Oh this article is so true. Unfortunately many small business people don't get it (or don't have time) to understand what is happening. Small business also lacks a true representative to speak on their behalf. It's almost impossible to create such a body.
I am also always surprised how big business think they have to be good buddies was labor. Time they too showed some muscle and told them that its enough.