The “little Aussie battler” is a term often thrown around about those ordinary Australians that end up triumphing despite having the odds against them. It could be the sporting hero or it could be a celebrity that has made it onto the silver screen. But more often than not, it is those ordinary Australians that work from 9 to 5 on Mondays til Fridays, trying to ‘earn a crust’.

The Australian economy thrives on job creation, but businesses and organizations face steep challenges in terms of updated regulations to improve working conditions, wealth and to help the environment. The intention is good, but there’s a lot of pressure on small to medium sized businesses to respond to the changes.

For Australians’ quality of life to improve, they need businesses that will create jobs. And those businesses need to have the support that will enable them to meet and exceed the operational expectations set by the government. Below are a few of schemes and programs that businesses can take advantage of to improve their operations and meet government regulations.

Energy savings schemes

The government has committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere. State governments across Australia have rolled out their own individual programs, so that local businesses can invest or upgrade their facility to a more eco-friendly one. For example, businesses that are located in New South Wales can access the Energy Saving Scheme (ESS). Businesses operating in Victoria can take advantage of the Victorian Energy Efficient Target scheme.

Savewise is helping Australian businesses secure funding or discounts through the schemes available in their state.

Cartridges for Planet Ark

In a bid to minimize the amount of ink cartridges that end up in landfill, Cartridges for Planet Ark offers businesses a solution where they can send back used ink cartridges, which will then be distributed to ethical recyclers. For businesses that want to improve their corporate responsibility, this partnership is an easy and inexpensive way to get involved.

More information can be seen here. They also partner with an ethical printer cartridge supplier, which can be seen here.

Workers compensation

This is a big challenge for small businesses that work with tight profit and operational margins. The Australian Government Business website can offer guidance for the right type of insurance and workers compensation plans.

There’s also a wider list of support services available here, which can offer support for issues such as disputes, tax, intellectual property and more.

Aussie businesses shouldn’t feel like they are fighting an uphill battle. There is support available and they can take advantage of it in 2017.