We produced a ‘wish list’ of practical and achievable actions we believed the Federal Parliament should progress in support of the small business sector.
The event was very successful in raising the awareness of key issues, such as small business tax reform, and reflected the IPA’s ongoing commitment to push the envelope until we see results come to fruition.
This year, we turned the day into a month of special activities. The I Love Small Business (ILSB) month ran throughout June and involved every state and the ACT. Our state divisions did a great job in combining events – including masterclasses, discussion groups and morning teas – with the ILSB theme.
The ILSB celebration included the IPA’s first National Small Business Dialogue forum in Canberra. This conference brought together an array of stakeholders to discuss key issues that impact on small business, including the actions identified on last year’s IPA wish list, which we have now turned into a scorecard.
At this roundtable event, the Institute announced the launch of yet another innovation in support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs): the IPA–Deakin University SME Research Partnership.
This partnership is a joint initiative to drive SME research that will directly impact on the development of policy in this area. Deregulation in the SME space will be a primary focus.
The intention is to ensure that IPA policy input – anchored in leading academic research – is at the forefront of thought leadership. The partnership will support dedicated professorial lead researchers and will be governed by a joint steering committee, with
IPA CEO Andrew Conway as the chair.
In the meantime, the IPA continues its schedule of continuing professional development, with masterclasses on the latest developments in SMSFs, preparation for the introduction of the Future of Financial Advice reforms and, of course, taxation.
The IPA has also held symposiums in Tasmania and New South Wales, with the former being held at the beautiful Barnbougle Dunes, on the state’s north-east coast. As always, there was an excellent array of specialists and regulators providing valuable insights and focusing on practical solutions that truly add value for our members.
