Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board

employees"and"grow"their"business"they"are"faced"with"additional"problems"not"
least" around" the" treatment" of" the" employees" themselves," but" also" health" and"
safety,"property"and"other"trading"issues”"(AIA"Research"2010,"p.ii)."
The" research" also" pointed" to" an" important" distinction" between" “more"
everyday”"and"“more"serious"but"very"infrequent”"issues"(p.7).""The"latter"may"
rarely"arise,"“but"can"impact"heavily"on"small"businesses"at"particular"moments"
in" time”" (p.11)." Such" issues" include" business" break]up" and" issues" around"
intellectual"property.
Orima'Research'Study'of'Small'Business'Dispute'Resolution.
The"Australian"Orima"Research"study"of"small"business"dispute"resolution"is"also"
relevant."While"this"study"uncovered"relatively"low"levels"of"business"disputes,"
the"most"common,"by"far,"concerned"“Disagreement"over"payment"for"goods"or"
services”"and"“other"contractual"issues.”"
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Supplementary!Evidence!from!a!Small!Scale!Survey!of!Trade!Bodies!!
As"indicated"above,"a"small]scale"survey"of"trade"bodies"was"conducted"to"inform"
this" report" (n=8). 5 "The" surveyed" organisations" included" over" 50,000" members,"
covering"from"around"20%"to"80%"of"the"7"sectors"from"which"they"were"drawn."
While" not" representative" of" all" trade" bodies," the" survey" results" were" fairly"
consistent" between" respondent" organisations," and" with" those" of" the" above"
surveys.""
When" asked" to" identify" the" justiciable" issues" most" commonly" faced" by"
member" organisations" (from" a" list" of" 11" types" of" justiciable" issues)," regulation"
and"employment"issues"were"identified"as"among"the"three"most"common"types"
of"legal"issue"facing"member"businesses"by"6"of"8"organisations."Trading"issues"
were" mentioned" by" 5" organisations," and" injuries," finance/debt," insurance,"
business"set]up/ownership"and"intellectual"property"were"each"mentioned"once."
Regulation" and" employment" issues" were" never" identified" as" among" the"
least"common"types"of"legal"issue"facing"member"businesses,"along"with"business"
set]up/ownership" issues." Seven" of" the" 8" organisations" mentioned" intellectual"
property"issues"in"this"context,"followed"by"crime,"environmental/nuisance"and"
personal"injury,"highlighting"the"sector"specific"nature"of"some"concerns."
When"asked"to"identify"the"legal"issues"of"most"concern"to"their"members,"
7"of"the"8"organisations"referred"to"regulatory"and"employment"related"issues,"
with" trading," contract" (including" commercial" contracts" and" ‘network"
agreements’" singled" out" for" mention)" and" health" and" safety" issues" also"
mentioned" on" more" than" one" occasion." Other" issues" mentioned" concerned"
business" premises," professional" indemnity" insurance," governance" and"
intellectual"property."
"
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5"Supra,"n.3."
! 16!