Help! What to Do When You're Caught in a Business Dispute!
Do you find yourself in a business dispute and don't know where to turn?
First, don’t panic — we’re here to help you figure out what to do. When things get out of control, there are some resources that can really help.
Secondly, I think it's a good idea to do a bit of info-gathering and research, before you make an angry call or send off that fiery email.
So here are some escalated options for getting a handle on your dispute.
Small Business Ombudsman
Check out your Small Business Ombudsman for some great tools for dispute support and will point you to the right place to go depending on the issue... Just search "Small Business Ombudsman"
If you are in Australia: asbfeo.gov.au/disputes-assistance/dispute-support
From there, you can try your local or state-based small business commission...
NSW Small Business Commission: smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au
Victorian Small Business Commission: vsbc.vic.gov.au
Tribunals
Then another move could be to try dispute tribunals... these are lower cost alternatives to going to court. You fill out online forms and there's lots of helpful information about different options.
In Australia, there are specialist tribunal services to help businesses resolve an issue or dispute fairly and according to the law.
VCAT for Victoria: vcat.vic.gov.au
NCAT for NSW: ncat.nsw.gov.au.
Write a formal letter
Now you have your research, it's letter writing time! Before you go guns blazing, you can try to send one last firm, but fair, letter requesting payment.
This can often make things more formal, as a written request for payment may be taken more seriously than just a follow up email!
Collection agency
If this still doesn't work, you could consider using a collection agency to recover debts. Many business owners have had success with this method, so ask around and get some recommendations.
Here’s to getting paid in the shade in FY24!
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