Needless to say, 2020 has been a year of disruption, and while we’re all very eager to give it one big, fat “good riddance”, let’s take a quick look at what most caught the attention of our business leaders over the past 12 months.
So, here is a countdown of the 5 most-read MyBusiness articles of 2020:
5. New $10,000 grants up for grabs for small businesses – June
In June, a new grant program was launched for small businesses, offering 67 one-off grants of $10,000 each designed to assist businesses recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cash-strapped businesses, worried by the uncertainty, took interest in this program administered by COSBOA.
“We encourage every eligible small business to get in touch and apply; this money could be essential to getting your business back to work and back to growth,” Peter Strong said at the time.
4. Mandatory code for commercial tenancies agreed, document published – April
In April, the national cabinet agreed on a code for commercial tenancies for small to medium businesses, with the aim to ensure tenancies are maintained throughout the hibernation period.
At this point, small businesses were closing in accordance with governments’ lockdown procedures and many were worried about their rent obligations.
The news that an agreement had been reached was very welcome.
3. JobKeeper rules explained – April
It’s safe to say that JobKeeper dominated the newsfeed in 2020, but also the interests of business owners, sole traders and employees across Australia.
Being the first wage subsidy package any of us had ever seen, JobKeeper became an enigma we took to deciphering together.
2. JobKeeper 2.0 fact sheet: What you need to know – July
Just as the first JobKeeper announcement drew the attention of Aussies across the country, so did the government’s wage subsidy extension in July. As expected, the extension came with a hefty user manual. Unveiled as two-tiered, scaled-down scheme, JobKeeper 2.0 gave rise to many questions.
Unsurprisingly, out fact sheet became the go-to place for business owners looking for the right answers.
1. PM announces $130bn JobKeeper package as businesses head into ‘hibernation’ – March
Given the uncertainty that veiled the first few months of the COVID crisis, it is no surprise that ScoMo’s JobKeeper unveiling was the most-read story of 2020.
Australia had never seen a more generous wage subsidy (heck, a wage subsidy of any kind) and the Prime Minister’s $130 billion promise had every eye glued to the screen.
“Our plan will see our businesses large and small right across our entire economy share the load with our welfare system to deliver these important income supports,” PM Scott Morrison said at the time, reassuring Aussies that the government will support them through this once-in-a-century crisis.
