Policies, procedures and processes

Policies, procedures and processes

As part of risk management, it’s important to have clear policies, procedures and processes in place. These create standards and help everyone to know how to operate. Here are some tips on getting your policies, procedures and processes right.

Tips for better policies and processes in your business


By having policies and processes in place, you create standards and values for your business. They can also improve the way your customers and staff deal with your business.

  • Identify key processes and tasks in your business, and develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each.
  • Allow your staff to contribute to the SOPs and regularly review your processes.
  • Ensure your policies are documented and accessible.
  • Make important procedures such as first-aid and emergency exits clearly visible.
  • Communicate your policies to your staff. Help them to understand them and why they are important.
  • Educate staff on procedures that are specific to a certain role.

Types of policies for your business


Consider having policies for:

  • selling goods and services 
  • good customer service and staff clothing
  • managing stress and mental health 
  • conflict of interest 
  • workplace health and safety, including what to do in an emergency 
  • appropriate use of resources such as computers, internet and social media
  • recruitment  

Assess and manage risk

Assess and manage risk

Assess and manage risk

Risk management helps you to make decisions and protect your business from negative events. Learn how to develop a risk management plan to prepare and protect your business.

All businesses face risk. It’s important to understand the risks to your business and find ways to minimise them. A risk management plan helps you to do this by detailing how you deal with risks to your business. By spending time and resources developing your strategy for managing risk, you’ll provide a safe workplace and reduce the chances of negative impacts on your business.

Consider these steps to help identify, analyse and evaluate risks in your business.

1. Decide what matters most


Before you create a risk management plan, think about which areas of your business it will refer to. For example, you might only be interested in hazard-based risks. Some of the internal and external things to think about when creating your plan are:

  • social, cultural, political and regional issues
  • economic, technology and competitive trends
  • government policies and law
  • your business aims, policies and strategies.

2. Consult with stakeholders


Your risk management plan will be more specific and useful if you ask for feedback from the people, businesses or organisations you deal with.

Stakeholders can include:

  • employees, contractors and sub-contractors
  • clients, customers and suppliers
  • business financiers, investors and insurers
  • your local communities and local media
  • government agencies.

Consulting with stakeholders will help you to:

  • work out what your business considers as high and low risk
  • get support for your risk management plan
  • bring together different views and areas of expertise
  • keep your risk framework up to date
  • respond to unexpected risks.

3. Identify the risks


Working out the risks to your business could be as easy as thinking about what could go wrong, and how and why it could happen. You might also need to do some research into:

  • past events and risks
  • possible future changes to your business environment, such as changes in economic trends
  • social and community issues that could affect your business
  • find out how to conduct market research.

To identify risks, you can also:

  • look at hazard logs, incident reports, customer feedback and complaints, and survey reports
  • review audit reports such as financial audit reports or workplace safety reports
  • do a strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) check for your business
  • discuss business issues with your staff, customers, suppliers and advisers.

4. Analyse the risks


After identifying the risks to your business, it’s time to work out which ones are urgent. Our risk analysis template helps you to do this.

To analyse the risks of an event, you should first look at the:

  • likelihood of the risk happening
  • consequence/damage if the risk happened.

Work out a rating system for likelihood and consequence. For example, you could have ratings of:

  • 1 to 4 for likelihood (1 for highly unlikely and 4 for highly likely)
  • 1 to 4 for consequence (1 for low and 4 for severe).

Use these ratings to work out the risk level.

Calculate risk level

To work out the level of risk for an event, use this formula:

Risk level = likelihood x consequence

Based on our example above, the lowest risk level you could get is 1 (1 x 1), and the highest risk level you could get is 16 (4 x 4). You can use the risk levels to rank your risks from least urgent to most urgent.

5. Evaluate the risk


Risk criteria set a standard to assess risks to your business. To set your risk criteria, state the level and nature of risks that are acceptable or unacceptable in your workplace. Our risk assessment template provides an example of a risk level guide to help you evaluate risks.

To evaluate risk, compare the level of risk for various events against your risk criteria. You should also check if your existing risk management methods are enough to accept the risk.

When to accept risk

Your strategy for managing risk may be more than just deciding whether to accept the risk or not. If your business is part of a bigger supply chain that involves retailers, distributors or primary producers, you can spread the risk across a number of areas.

Sometimes businesses choose to accept risks and not spend any resources on avoiding them. You might decide to accept a level of risk for the following reasons:

  • The cost of treatment is much higher than the potential results of the risk.
  • The risk level works out to be very low.
  • The benefits of taking the risk greatly outweighs the possible damage.

6. Treat risks to your business


Your evaluation will have helped you to identify any risks that need to be treated. Develop a plan to treat risks, so you can:

  •  identify each risk type and the level of risk to your business
  •  suggest strategies to treat each risk
  •  create timeframes for each strategy
  •  decide who’s responsible for specific parts of the plan
  •  work out resources required such as money, staff and external help
  •  schedule future action such as regular checking and updating of risks, if needed.

7. Commit to reducing risk


Committing to quality risk management can help you create a stable business that prepares for unexpected events.

As a business owner, it’s a good idea to:

  • make sure your business aims link to your risk management plan
  • clearly describe your risk management plan to everyone in your business
  • show support for risk management
  • set up a way of measuring the success of your risk management plan
  • regularly check that your way of measuring is giving you useful information
  • make it clear who’s responsible for what
  • provide enough resources at all levels of your business
  • ask for feedback from everyone in your business, including customers and suppliers
  • use feedback to update your plan
  • explain risk management to new employees and in training programs.

Download Business risk analysis template

Use our risk analysis template to identify the potential risks your business might face and how you can control or minimise these risks.

Business risks

Business risks

There is a risk to every business decision you make. So, instead of relying on gut instinct, it’s a good idea to use risk management to guide your business decisions. Understand what risk management is and the types of risk that could affect your business.

What is risk management?


Risk management helps you make better business decisions. It involves reducing the things that could have a negative effect on your business. For example, the reducing the risk of injury by through safety procedures. You can also look for opportunities that could have a positive impact on your business.

How you can manage risk in your business


Begin by finding out about risk management practices and how you can use them. You should also talk to others involved in your business (including your employees and customers) to decide on the best way to manage risk in your business.

Before you decide what to do, you’ll need to work out what your risks are and which ones are most urgent:

  1. Identify – work out what risks your business could face.  
  2. Analyse – find the level of the risks and which ones are most urgent.
  3. Evaluate – compare the risk against set risk criteria to decide what to do.  

Why manage risk?


By managing risk, you can reduce the impact of unexpected events on your business.

Managing risk can also help you to:

  • improve your relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and the community, by understanding and managing their expectations
  • improve staff confidence in a safe work environment, through workplace health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation insurance
  • keep your business open during natural or economic disasters, by having an emergency management plan
  • reduce your compliance and insurance costs, by having a lower risk of damages.

You won’t always have enough information or the resources to manage every risk. A good risk management plan will allow you to change your approach if it isn’t working, or when unexpected risk happens.

Risks that you must manage


You’re required by law to manage some risks. For example, you must manage or reduce the risk of:

  • accidents and injury by making your workplace safe under work health and safety (WHS) laws
  • customer complaints by treating customers fairly under  Consumer Law
  • injury or harm to employees by having workers’ compensation insurance
  • damaging the environment by meeting the environmental laws that apply to you.

Types of risk


It’s a good idea to understand the different types of risks your business may face so you can recognise and plan ahead for them.

Risks can be:

  • opportunity-based risk from choosing one option over other options (such as buying a new property)
  • uncertainty-based risk from uncertain or unknown events (such as natural disasters or loss of suppliers)
  • hazard-based risk from dangerous materials or actions (such as using hazardous chemicals or working at heights).

Opportunity-based risks

This type of risk comes from taking one opportunity over others. By deciding to commit your resources to one opportunity, you risk:

  • missing a better opportunity
  • getting unexpected result.

Opportunity-based risks for a business include moving a business to a different location, buying a new property, or selling a new product or service.

Uncertainty-based risks

This type of risk is from uncertainty around unknown or unexpected events. It’s hard to predict these events and the damage they can cause. It’s also hard to control the damage once they occur.

Examples of uncertainty-based risks include:

  • damage by fire, flood or other natural disasters
  • unexpected financial loss due to an economic downturn, or bankruptcy of other businesses that owe you money
  • loss of important suppliers or customers
  • decrease in market share because new competitors or products enter the market
  • court action.

To reduce the impact of uncertain events on your business, you can do things like:

  • develop an emergency management plan to reduce the damage to your business in an emergency
  • keep a supplier database to help you manage your stock and equipment
  • seek and use regular feedback from your customers and other people you deal with in your business   
  • check your business environment regularly for risks such as changes in trends and customer expectations
  • seek expert advice every now and then to check the financial health of your business and to get advice on how to improve your business.

Hazard-based risks

These types of risks come from dangerous situations in the workplace.

Some common examples include:

  • physical hazards caused by high noise levels, extreme weather or other environmental factors
  • equipment hazards caused by faulty equipment or poor processes when using equipment such as machinery
  • chemical hazards caused by improper storage or use of flammable, poisonous, toxic or carcinogenic chemicals
  • biological hazards caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or pests
  • ergonomic hazards caused by poor workplace design, layout or equipment use
  • psychological hazards caused by bullying and harassment, discrimination, heavy workload or mismatch of employee skills with job duties.

Risk assessment & planning

Risk assessment & planning

Knowing how to plan and manage risks can help reduce the impact of an unexpected events.

Business risks

There is a risk to every business decision you make. So, instead of relying on gut instinct, it's a good idea to use risk management to guide your business decisions. Understand what risk management is and the types of risk that could affect your business.

Assess and manage risk

Risk management helps you to make decisions and protect your business from negative events. Learn how to develop a risk management plan to prepare and protect your business.

Policies, procedures and processes

As part of risk management, it's important to have clear policies, procedures and processes in place. These create standards and help everyone to know how to operate. Here are some tips on getting your policies, procedures and processes right.

Staff development and training

Staff development and training

Learn how to manage employees’ professional development and understand the ways to help advance their skills and knowledge.

The key to retaining good staff is to make sure that you advance and encourage their professional development and training. If your employees can see advancement in their employment with you, they are likely to have high job satisfaction and increased productivity and quality

You can outsource training or develop your staff internally. You should make an individual plan for each staff member in consultation with them.

Make a plan


As an employer, remember that professional development is to benefit your staff. It is different from business training.

When you start to make a professional development plan with your employee, take some time to understand the skills that your employee wants to learn, or the knowledge they want to gain

After you have identified the skills your employee wants to learn, you both should consider how to develop that skill. This can include:

  • mentoring
  • internal development
  • external courses

Business training

Staff training helps you improve your business functions. Your staff will learn key skills in areas, which can include:

  • finance
  • sales
  • marketing
  • administration
  • staff management

When you identify a business requirement that you need to train your staff to do, consider dedicated training sessions that you conduct or hire a professional to conduct.

Mentoring


Mentoring can be an effective way to develop your skills and your employees’ skills at little or no cost.

This type of development can include:

  • mentoring
  • coaching
  • job shadowing

You can encourage informal mentoring between two co-workers with different levels of experience. It’s a great way to support productive relationships in the workplace and to support one employee’s skill and knowledge development, while you also develop another employee’s teaching skills.

If your team does not have the expertise to help advance your employees, consider helping your employee find an external mentor. A mentor who is not connected to the business can provide your employee with new perspectives and guidance.

External training and courses


You can send staff to external training and courses, or you can get an external provider to present training at your business. These opportunities allow for very specific learning outcomes.

Before you can offer external training and courses to your staff or consider including them in an employee’s professional development plan.

Interview and recruit employees

Interview and recruit employees

Follow our steps to recruit new staff, from creating a position description through to interviewing and selecting the best person for the job.

1. Review your current staff structure


The first step in any recruitment process is to review your current staff structure. One way to do this is to:

  1. list all the tasks currently done in your business
  2. assign only the tasks that employees should do
  3. identify the gap in your staff from the tasks remaining

If you’re replacing an employee, it’s still worthwhile to do this review. It will help you assess whether you need to replace them or change the role for the new employee.

2. Create a position description


A position description is also sometimes called a job description. It gives you a clear understanding of the type of person you’re looking for, as well as their roles and responsibilities.

If you’re replacing an employee, review the previous position description. Based on your analysis of the staff structure, you may need to update the position description to reflect the new role.

A good position description includes:

  • the job title
  • who the new employee reports to
  • who reports to the new employee
  • which section or department the position sits in
  • a summary of the job
  • a summary of the business
  • the employment type (full-time, part-time, casual)
  • the key responsibilities of the role
  • essential and desirable selection criteria the applicant needs to respond to
  • any skills, knowledge, experience or education required for the role
  • desirable personal attributes to fit the business’s culture

You should create your position descriptions from scratch. Other businesses may have roles with the same title, but the person they want may be completely different from your requirements.

3. Find potential staff candidates


Your job advertisement is your potential new employee’s first impression of your business. They may need to impress you, but if you want to attract the best applicants, you also need to impress them.

Key elements to include in your advertisement include:

  • wage details
  • benefits of the job
  • the location
  • start date of the job
  • closing date for applications
  • details of a contact person
  • instructions on how to apply

To distribute your advertisement, consider:

  • job websites
  • your business website and mailing list
  • direct mail to your networks
  • social media
  • business or industry newsletters
  • trade journals
  • newspapers
  • university job boards

4. Evaluate applications


Each application you receive will be different, and you need to assess each one.

One way to achieve this is to create a matrix rating system. For example, you could:

  1. place each candidate’s name across the top of a page
  2. list your requirements for the role down the side
  3. assess each candidate on a scale of 1 to 5 for each role requirement
  4. add up the scores for each candidate

With your candidates’ scores, you’ll be able to quickly identify which candidates you should interview.

Make sure the candidates you choose to interview:

  • have the right qualifications
  • align with your organisation and its culture
  • have goals that match your requirements
  • are able to work in Cambodia

Once you identify your shortlist of candidates, let the unsuccessful applicants know the outcome of their application.

5. Organise interviews


Invite the shortlisted candidates to an interview with you.

When you contact candidates, make sure you tell them:

  • when and where the interview will take place
  • how long the interview will take
  • who they should ask for when they arrive
  • what they should bring
  • who will be on the selection panel
  • what the interview involves

6. Interview candidates


When you interview candidates, try to create a relaxed environment. Your candidates will be nervous.

Prepare questions to ask the candidates. The best questions are open ended. These enable the candidate to talk about their previous experience.

Make notes during the interview, and review your notes and the job applications after all the interviews are complete. Sometimes the best candidate may not be the best at being interviewed.

7. Make an offer


Now that you’ve selected the best candidate, it’s time to let them know.

Often you will still want to check their references, but you can provide the candidate a conditional offer of employment. If you don’t find any issues through your referee checks, it’s time to send a written offer of employment.

You can make a verbal or written offer, but a written offer and employment contract with the employment terms and conditions can help to:

  • manage your employee’s expectations
  • protect your business

Once you secure your ideal employee, email or phone any unsuccessful candidates to let them know the outcome.

Hiring employees checklist

Hiring employees checklist

Are you thinking about hiring staff for your business? Use our checklist for small business owners to help you meet Australian laws when hiring an employee. We’ve also included some tips that might help you through the hiring process.

Assess your business needs

 

Before you start, it’s a good idea to assess your business needs so you can hire the right person for your business. Think about:

  • the tasks you need the employee to do
  • any skills and qualifications they’ll require
  • how busy the job will be
  • how long you think you’ll need someone for

If you are unsure about the skills and qualifications you need, check the relevant award to get an idea about relevant skills and their pay rates.

Decide on the employment type 

Depending on the requirements of the job, you might want a:
  • full-time or part-time employee
  • fixed-term (non-ongoing) employee 
  • casual employee
  • trainee or apprentice

The type of worker you decide on will affect your obligations to your employee and the government.

Know the difference between an employee and contractor

You can also get someone to provide services to your business as a contractor.

You need to consider a range of factors when determining whether someone is an employee or contractor of your business. It’s important that you know the difference and get this right.

Know what you’re in for

 

Consider whether you can afford the potential costs and impacts on your business, including:

  • recruitment costs
  • wages
  • allowances, overtime, penalty rates and leave
  • tax and superannuation (super)
  • workers’ compensation insurance
  • changes to your workplace to make it accessible and safe
  • changes to the way you operate your business

Advertise and select an employee

 

To hire the right person for your business, take time to:

  • prepare your job description
  • advertise the position
  • evaluate applications and interview candidates
  • make an offer

Induct your new employee

Investing time in a thorough induction will help you get the most from your new employee. An induction helps them get to know your business, your workplace and their role. This is a good time to provide them with things like tax and super forms, information about their employment conditions, and your work health and safety information.

Choose a business name

Choose a business name

Find out what you’ll need to consider when choosing a name for your business. Once you’ve decided on a name, learn what you need to do to ensure you have exclusive use of your name throughout Australia.

Once you’ve decided on your business structure and type, you’ll probably want to choose a business name. A business name is the name your business trades under.

1. What to consider when choosing a business name


Choosing the right name will help create the image you want for your business. It’ll also help to distinguish it from your competitors.

When choosing your business name, consider:

  • how your business differs from competitors
  • what image you want to communicate to customers
  • if any businesses already use the name or have a similar business name
  • if someone has trade marked the name
  • if the name is already registered as a domain name
  • if the name could be misunderstood, especially in other languages or if you’re planning to use it in other countries
  • whether the name could offend people

2. Make it easy to remember


Consider choosing a name that is:

  • easy to remember
  • easy to pronounce and spell
  • short and simple
  • descriptive – so it means something to your customers
  • different – you don’t want to be confused with your competitors

You may use your personal name for your business, for example Jane Smith.

3. Check business name availability


Once you’ve come up with some options for your business name, you’ll need to check whether any other businesses are already using them.

4. Check if you need to register your business name


Once you’ve chosen a business name, you’ll need to register it. There’s no need to register if you or your business partner are trading under your first name and surname.

Develop your business plan

Develop your business plan

Why you need a business plan


Whether you’ve just started out or have been running your business for years, business planning can be the key to your success. Having a business plan:

  • helps you to prioritise – it gives your business direction, defines your objectives, maps out how you’ll achieve your goals and helps you to manage possible bumps in the road
  • gives you control over your business – the planning process helps you learn about the different things that could affect your success. If you’re already in business, it helps you to step back and look at what’s working and what you can improve on
  • helps you seek finance – if you’re seeking finance for your business, you’ll need to show banks and investors why they should invest in your business.

Download a business plan template

Use our Business plan Guide for detailed business planning . 

Use our Business plan template for detailed business planning or seeking finance. 

Choose the Lean business plan template to quickly focus your business and set some goals for the year ahead.

 

Develop your business plan


Our templates step you through the process of developing a business plan with links to extra information if you need it.

If you’re developing a detailed business plan, you may want to check our tips below before you start.

1. Determine what your plan is for

Does your business plan have more than one purpose? Will you use it internally, or will you share it externally, for example with potential investors or banks? 

Deciding what the purpose is, can help you develop your plan for the right audience. If the plan has been developed for third parties, you will need to determine what they’ll be most interested in.

2. Prepare your finances

If you’re looking for finance, lenders and investors will want to know if your finances are in order and your business is in a strong financial position. They’ll want to know how much money you currently have, how much money you need and how much you expect to make in the near future. While a bit of extra funding will help you ensure you’re covered for unexpected costs, be realistic and avoid asking for more than you need.

If you’re starting out and don’t have financial information yet, our business plan template provides resources to help you get your finances ready.

3. Write your summary last

Summarise the main points of your business plan using as few words as possible. You want to get to the point but not overlook important facts. This is your opportunity to sell yourself, but don’t overdo it. The summary should include details about your business, market, goals and what makes you different from other businesses.

4. Get help

Don’t leave your business plan to the last minute. It takes time, research and careful preparation to develop an effective business plan.

If you aren’t confident in completing the plan yourself, consider getting a professional to look over it and provide advice. 

There are a number of government services available to help you plan, start or grow your business. These services can provide general advice, workshops, seminars and networking events, and can even match you with a mentor or business coach.

5. Review your plan regularly

As your business changes, your plan will need to change to ensure your business is still heading in the right direction. Having your plan up-to-date can keep you focused on where you are heading.

It’s a good idea to keep a record of each version of your business plan.

6. Protect your plan

Having an understanding with third parties when distributing a plan could be enough protection for some businesses. But if you have innovative business practices, products or services, you may want people to sign a confidentiality agreement to protect your innovations.

It may also be a good idea to include some words in your plan asking the reader not to disclose the details of your plan.

Prepare yourself for business

Prepare yourself for business

Find out how to help set yourself up for success, how to prepare yourself to start a new business, how to set up your business and find advice and support in your state or territory.

Whether you’re about to start a new business, buy an established business or turn your hobby into a business, you’ll need to prepare yourself for any challenges you may face.

Before you start to work in your new venture, we recommend you take some time to consider the following key areas to help develop your business.

The very first step of the process is to do some research and analysis to determine whether your business idea has potential and if you’re the best person to build it.

Some questions to consider include:

  • Is there a need for your product or service?
  • Is there a desire for your product or service?
  • Who will buy the product or service?
  • How hard will it be to develop your idea?
  • Is your idea financially viable?
  • How will you protect your idea?
  • Who are your competitors?

Consider yourself

Operating a business is not just about working for yourself. It also means having the necessary skills to grow and succeed.

It’s important to consider whether you really understand what’s involved and whether you’re suited to running a business. Ask yourself:

  • Why do you want to start a business?
  • Do you have the skills to set-up and run your business or will you need to outsource?
  • What are your business and personal goals?
  • What income do you need to generate for your business to be successful?
  • Do you have the financial capacity and time to start and run your business?

Conduct market research to help you understand your customers, your competition and your market. Research your customer’s habits, needs and where they’re located. Analyse who your competitors are, where they’re located and what they do better than you.

Through this research you’ll understand:

  • who your customers are, their needs and buying patterns
  • who your competitors are, what they sell and for what price
  • how you can improve your business, product or service to become more competitive

When you conduct your research, you may want to consider:

  • What your customer demands and expectations are?
  • Where your customers are located?
  • How and where they receive marketing?
  • Who your competitors are?
  • What are they selling and for what price?
  • How they market their business?

An essential part of starting your business is developing your business plan. This will include the operational, financial and marketing aspects of your business.

A business plan is important if you are looking for a loan, applying for a business grant or pitching to investors. Lenders and investors want to see the true potential of your business idea. The plan can also help you identify your goals and develop strategies for achieving them.

Use our business planning templates to help prepare your plan. to help prepare your plan.

Remember a business plan is a living document. You should review it regularly to remind yourself of your goals and modify it when plans change.

While setting up your business can be an exciting time you should also think about how you can protect your future business in times of crisis or change. Create an emergency management and succession plan, to prepare and protect yourself against potential risks.

Consider what you would do:

  • during a natural disaster
  • if you could no longer run your business
  • if you retire
  • during technological disruption

Now that you have a more of an understanding of your business, your product and your customers, you need to register your business and decide on your business structure.

Pick a business structure that best suits your needs. Your business structure refers to the way you will operate your business. You can also change your business structure as your business grows.

Types of business structures include:

  • Sole trader: an individual trading on their own.
  • Partnership: a group or association of people running a business together and distribute income or losses between themselves.
  • Company: a legal entity run by its directors and owned by shareholders.
  • Trust: an entity that holds property or income for the benefit of others.

Your business name is a name under which you operate your business.

To find out if your business name is available search the business names register on the the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) Connect website.

If your name isn’t available, try altering your choice or keep searching until you find a suitable name that is available.

Cambodian business number

Your company number is a unique number that allows you to identify your business to government and other businesses. 

To complete the online form, you need to provide:

  • your personal details
  • your business information
  • your associate details
  • reasons for your application
  • what you do in your business

Business name

Your business name is only your identification. Registering your business name doesn’t give you full rights over the name. If you want exclusive rights, you need to apply for a trade mark. Find out the difference between a business name and a trade mark.

Your domain name is your website address on the internet. Your domain gives your business an online identity for your customers.

When you pick a website name, remember to pick a name that:

  • represents your business
  • is easy to remember, pronounce and spell
  • is 3 syllables or less

Each province has individual advice to start a business. Nationally, you can access: