Small business leaders do not expect Tuesday's federal budget to funnel cash towards the sector, instead predicting policies designed to shield local enterprises without worsening inflation.
An even greater percentage say they are either dissatisfied or ambivalent about the federal government’s current level of support for businesses like theirs.
Tax tweaks, targeted support, and red tape reduction are headline items in the Council of Small Business Association's latest pre-Budget submission, as the peak industry group prepares for what it calls the "post-COVID-19 climate".