Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims today launched a report on small business activities at the National Small Business Summit in Melbourne.
The bi-annual report reveals that between January and June 2012, the ACCC received more than 3,000 contacts from small businesses, franchisees and franchisors.
Small business related complaints mostly related to misleading conduct and false representations, consumer guarantees and misuse of market power.
Franchising related complaints were also primarily focused on misleading conduct and false representations as well as disclosure requirements.
For most categories the number of complaints is down on the previous six months.
In addressing the summit, Mr Sims also spoke about carbon price claims and the response from small business.
"The ACCC is engaging with businesses and their industry associations and, for the most part, is confident businesses understand their obligations when making claims about price increases attributed to the carbon price."
Mr Sims provided small businesses with an update on the ACCC's priority areas including scrutiny of competition issues such as concentrated markets and separately online trading.
Drawing on examples in the report, Mr Sims highlighted the ACCC's efforts to protect small businesses from unfair practices. This includes enforcement action on premium claims and moves to protect small businesses against misleading and deceptive workplace safety products.
Key statistics
- 3,022 – contacts to the ACCC from small businesses, franchisees and franchisors
- 29,000 – hard copy publications distributed to small businesses and associations
- 16,514 – hits to the ACCC small business homepage
- 68 – expos and field days that the ACCC attended
- 2,800 – registrants who have signed up to the ACCC-funded free online franchising education program.
- $600,000 – reported loss by small businesses to false billing scams. Approximately one in six small businesses that report this scam lost money.