As a business owner, finding the time in your already busy day to resolve disputes is stressful and frustrating. We understand and we can help. The Small Business Commission SA (SBC) team is here to listen and guide you through your options. We can help you with issues such as unpaid invoices, retail and commercial leasing concerns, warranty and contractual disputes, disagreements relating to the provision of goods and services, plus a range of other business-related disputes. There's no need to navigate your challenges alone.

The type of issues we can assist with is wide and varied. Generally speaking, there is no type of matter that we are not able to help with. It might be that you don’t know where to start after being denied repairs under warranty, you may need help understanding your rights and responsibilities under your retail shop lease or you may have outstanding invoices banking up with a particular contractor. In fact, a report published recently on Inside Small Business identified that 39% of small and medium businesses spend up to 12 hours a month chasing late invoices. Who has time for that?!

If you find yourself needing small business help, we encourage you to call us and speak directly with one of our expert Dispute Advisors who are there to listen and actively help you find a resolution – and get back to business faster.

Seeking small business help from SBC will save you stress, time and money

Save time – instead of spending hours researching your legal obligations and communicating back and forth with other parties, we can do that work for you. Simply lodge the details of the issue or disagreement you have and we will work with you and the other party to try to find a resolution that all parties can agree on.

Save stress – conflict can get heated, especially when you and the other party don’t see eye-to-eye. Letting our team assist provides you and the other party with someone who is there to listen, stay impartial and remain focused on negotiating a resolution to your matter as quickly as possible.

Save money – court fees can quickly add up and become prohibitively expensive. Whilst obtaining legal advice is important and encouraged by our team, we provide options to resolve your matter outside of the formal court process through providing free dispute resolution and subsidised mediation. If we can’t reach a resolution for you, we can connect you with the right people for further support.

Examples of small business help we have provided

Our office delivers small business help across all industry sectors. Here's a small snapshot of some of the business owners we’ve helped resolve issues, getting them back to business faster.

Mark

Mark runs a cable and satellite business and contracts out to other companies. One company had not paid their invoices and, after six months of trying to recoup the debt, Mark submitted an online form to the Small Business Commission. A Dispute and Regulation Advisor then contacted Mark to discuss his situation further and outline a uniquely tailored plan for recovery.

“… it was really surprising how straightforward and time effective it was for us.” – Mark.

Zoe

Zoe bought her hairdressing business at the start of COVID. Two years into her lease, she was approached by the landlord and property management with the news that her rent was to be increased by over 100%. Unsure of her options, Zoe reached out to the Small Business Commission and explained her situation. A Dispute and Regulation Advisor then liaised between Zoe and property management to reach an arrangement with which all parties were happy.

“I couldn't have done it without (SBC)…Your friends and family don't really understand what you're going through. But as soon as I contacted (SBC), they knew exactly what was going on.” – Zoe.

Steve

Steve has a handyman business and was subcontracted by a company to complete maintenance work in a major store. He completed the work and submitted an invoice which remained unpaid for several months. Steve reached out to the Small Business Commission and explained the situation to a Dispute and Regulation Advisor, who contacted the other party on his behalf. The next time Steve received a phone call from his Advisor, it was to let him know that the company had paid his invoice.

“I was on a roof doing a job and I get a phone call and they're like, ‘The money's in your bank’. I'm like, pardon? … I never thought the money was going to come to me. I just thought it was a lost cause. I couldn't believe what they actually did!” – Steve.

Laura

Laura moved her retail business into a new two-storey building with plans to share with another business but, within three months of opening together, the other business went bankrupt. Unsure of how to proceed, Laura submitted an online enquiry form and received a phone call from a Dispute and Resolution Advisor, who outlined a way forward.

“(SBC) was really helpful by going back and forth between myself and the landlords and the property manager to come to an agreement that was going to be beneficial for everyone involved. I just felt really supported in that sense, from the information and the advice they were giving me, to be able to move forward.” – Laura.

We can help

We understand that every small business is complex and that your issues are unique to your particular business situation. Even if you're not sure if we can help, contact us today and discuss your small business issue with one of our experienced team. There is no problem too big or too small!

The team at SBC is here to assist you in reaching a resolution for your business dispute as best we can, so you can get back to business faster. Even if you're not sure if business mediation is right for your small business problem, contact us today to find out how we can help: Free Call 1800 072 722 or Apply for help | SA Small Business Commissioner (sasbc.sa.gov.au)