Author: Mark Fletcher

1. Permitted worker scheme. Any employees travelling to or from workplaces or for work in any part of the Melbourne stage 4 lockdown will need to have a permitted worker permit with them. Click here to access the Victorian Department of Justice page that details this.
2. The Victorian government has expanded its business support grants of $10,000 and $5,000 for stage 4 for Melbourne and stage 3 for regional areas Click here for details and to apply.
3. Workplaces need a Covid Safe plan. Divergent government websites say this but are inconsistent on the detail. In my own situation we created a one pager that we can point to and have this located in the office, which is open. It’s backed by more comprehensive information in the business at appropriate points.
4. Click here for the detailed document outlining what’s in and what’s out.
5. JobKeeper. The government website is open for July data, meaning payments will flow in the next few days.

Speaking personally. Owning a business that remains open in the Melbourne metro stage 4 lockdown can be a good feeling, for a moment, a brief moment, and then you realise all the businesses around you that will close.

Every local retail business is part of a community, an ecosystem, of businesses and people who rely on those businesses. So many colleagues will be home and out of work, with shops close. Some will have prepared and have an online operation through which they can trade. however, I suspect the majority will not.

Right now, I wonder if 6 (or more) weeks on we will see the announcement yesterday as a phyrric victory.

It is odd considering this through the prism of owning businesses that get to remain open. I didn’t expect this to be the case. It is good, but challenging.

Back in the first weeks of March we planned for this. We were frugal with spending, backing only winners, prepping for what might come. That work, back then, has made the path ahead more certain for us and provided the capacity for us to pivot, again, through the new stage 4 situation.

Looking at this more broadly. The rest of Australia is starting to see the role businesses in Victoria play. This is reflected in the detail of the government announcement yesterday.

In our channel, with all major card companies and many major gift, toy, games and plush suppliers supplying through Victorian based warehouses, the impact could have been far worse.

The reduction in warehouse teams will slow supply, but not stop it. I think key will be timing of ordering. retailers are well advised to add a buffer to the order cycle. For example, if you usually order Wednesday for an early the next week delivery, pull that forward by at least two days and include a buffer so you are not left without stock.

In the Melbourne metro area, there are opportunities for retail newsagencies to offer products other local retailers cannot. Toys, games, gifts, homewares all fit within this opportunity space. However, engaging with these opportunities will need respect and care so as to not damage other local relationships. Nimble suppliers will embrace this opportunity for relationships with newsagency businesses, some, maybe, for the first time.

The rest of Australia. Outside of Victoria, I expect that stage 4 in Victoria will impact the psyche of Australians as it offers a more local case study on dealing with the ramifications of people with corona being close to others.

As someone living and working in metro Melbourne, it is an unexpected and weird experience. However, like plenty of 2020, it is something to understand and deal with.

Click here for the detail list of restrictions. Here is the first part of the announcement:

Not all face masks are the same. Be sure to do your research before deciding what face masks you will stock.

Given the use of face marks, the last thing you want is to discover that you sold something not fit for purpose, not safe.

I know of one business that recently purchased KN95 masks where the straps that held them in place were 2cm shorter than usual, making them unsafe for adults to wear.

I know of another business that bought surgical masks that were imported and found to be missing a protective layer.

Beware that there are some pitching face masks, taking money up front, and not delivering. This product niche is ripe for scammers.

This is a whole new product for retailers. if you do decide to play in this space, research is key.

I failed high school and dropped out of university, twice. I’m not an economist and have no accounting training. My only experience is the software company I started and still run and my retail related businesses. I’ve experienced wins and losses, confronting adversity and getting out the other side.

That disclaimer noted, below are my suggestions for boosting the Australian economy and, through that, creating Australian jobs. However, before I get to that, in an overall sense, my suggestions represent a pivot in government support. I think the time is right for such a pivot, to lean into the opportunities presented by corona. Here you go:

1. Maintain job keeper for net new roles created in Australian owned businesses. Do this for a year, maybe longer. It would bring forward decisions by employers about roles they might create. I’d pay it in arrears ti mitigate against businesses hiring if they cannot afford it. However, if this idea was implemented, it would need to be managed with minimal paperwork.
2. Permanently increase unemployment benefits, the age pension, carer’s allowance and more. Giving people with little money more money will see that money spent more so and faster than giving people with plenty of money more money.
3. Support regional communities. Corona has shown that living regionally has considerable benefits. These are expected to linger long after corona. Invest now to support people in making that move. Consider more useful financial incentives for people and businesses to relocate to the regions. While I get the usual focus on tourism, I think more everyday businesses locating to a region could bring economic balance to that region.
4. Promote buy Australian by Australians. All governments should fund a national, clever and engaging ad campaign to promote buy Australian so that Australians understand what this means, what it can achieve for the economy and for people individually. This campaign needs to be so strong that an Amazon box, or similar, is a bad look.
5. Incentivise buy Australian. Consider a reward for buy Australian. Make it more beneficial to Australians to make this choice in situations where there is a choice to be made.
6. Buy Australian at government level. It is frustrating to see governments spend money with overseas companies where there are Australian businesses that can supply. Governments spend too much money with overseas businesses across plenty of business sectors.
7. Review government support that ships offshore. Let’s look at programs like franking credits and situations where money is paid to people living outside Australia and tax breaks given to offshore businesses and individuals. Any government assistance or payments could be of greater use if retained in Australia.
8. Introduce a multi-faceted investment allowance program. To get businesses spacing in areas they have not spent in the past.
   1. For Australian businesses to advertise to Australians.
   2. For Australian businesses to pivot and shift from overseas manufacture to local.
9. Rank Australian. Create an indicator to allow quick and easy understanding that a business is Australian. Something better than the current logos. This could allow for Australian ownership, percentage of Australian materials and labour – so that consumers can make informed decisions.
10. Eliminate payroll tax. This tax is a disincentive to employment.
11. Increase the tax take part 1. No, don’t increase tax rates. Rather, take forceful action against the big businesses that structure their arrangements to minimise tax by offshoring revenue. Independent journalist Michael West writes about this and runs a list of corporate tax dodgers – I urge people to read it.
12. Increase the tax take part 2. Introduce a fractional transaction tax, capturing all money movements and thereby getting for the government revenue before it is manipulated to be tax free.
13. Review employee import programs. My understanding is that we usually have hundreds of thousands of people from overseas working in Australia. The programs that allow this should be reviewed with rules tightened. I’ve heard of situations that sound sketchy.

This list is incomplete, of course.  It’s unstructured and basic. And, yes, I get that it parochial. Corona is driving the need for us to be parochial. I think that is what is needed to create jobs.

In business I have often found the simplest approach to a challenge is the best.