Bruce Billson
Bruce Billson commenced his role as Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) in March 2021. The Ombudsman is an independent advocate for small and family businesses. Bruce brings three decades of experience, knowledge, commitment and an understanding of the issues facing small business. Bruce was the Australian Government Cabinet Minister for Small Business from 2013-2015, a founding Director of Judo Bank and has held various board appointments, including the Franchise Council of Australia, Deakin University Business School and Australian Property Institute. He has also owned and operated a number of small businesses, and knows first-hand the joys and challenges this involves.
The mission of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman is to help ensure Australia is the best place to start, grow and transform a small business and family enterprise. ASBFEO understands the challenges facing small and family business and provides advice and research to improve policies, access to dispute resolution services and mental health support should the need arise.
Latest from Bruce Billson
Signs are showing in the ASBFEO Small Business Pulse that 2026 can be a year of renewal, reinvigoration and reinvestment for the sector. The February Pulse increased by 0.1% in the three months to February 2026, marking the fourth consecutive quarterly increase. This rise reflects self-initiated ambitions of enterprising small business owners who continue to…
If you own or run a small business in Australia, chances are you started because you had a passion, a skill, a service, a product, to make a living, pursue a dream, perhaps a sense of contribution to Australia’s economy, doing your bit to add value to your community. You probably didn’t start out dreaming…
Small and family businesses are the engine room of Australia’s economy but too often, they’re tangled in regulatory, compliance and reporting ‘tape’ that stifles their spark and inhibits their enterprise. ASBFEO, Bruce Billson calls for a better way. As we step into 2026, it’s time to cut the clutter, make regulation ‘right-sized’ and fit-for-purpose. Australian…
Australia’s small and family businesses are the engine room of our economy and the lifeblood of our neighbourhoods and towns. These warmer months can be peak season for revenue and vital to viability, just as it can be peak season for natural disasters. The impacts can be devastating to their business, livelihoods and local economies.…
Franchising opens many doors, but with opportunity comes responsibility. A franchise may look great on paper, but if its expectations don’t align with a franchisee’s values, work style, or business goals, it’s unlikely to succeed. This is especially important for those without prior business ownership experience. Australian Small Business Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, shares best practice…
Small businesses make up 97 per cent of all businesses in Australia, generating nearly $600 billion in economic activity. They account for 32 per cent of the nation’s GDP and provide jobs for 5.17 million people – 39 per cent of the private sector workforce. Australian Small Business Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, explains why regulation needs…
Competition laws will work better for small business with a dedicated court list, writes Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson. For small business, effective competition is vital and knowing they can compete on a level playing field, a small business can confidently start an enterprise, invest, take risks and accept the responsibilities…
Last month, ASBFEO released our fourth Small Business Pulse (ASBFEO Small Business Pulse | ASBFEO) – a health check on the small business operating environment. It recorded a microscopic improvement of 0.1% this quarter. This is the first quarterly increase since August 2022 after a significant deterioration that occurred in the post-COVID period. Over the…
As we return to business as usual after the election, I am hopeful that the incoming Government will have a very strong and prominent focus on small and family businesses. It is urgent and necessary. This post-COVID era has been particularly challenging for smaller enterprises. Most recently, increased input costs, profit margin squeeze and customer…
More and more women are creating new businesses that find solutions to everyday problems. About 35 per cent of small businesses are owned or led by women. This is double the rate in the 1970s. These enterprising women are sharing their ideas and building businesses from their ingenuity, life experience and willingness to “have a…
