GLOSSARY
Australian Business Number (ABN) unit
The statistical unit used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to represent businesses, and for which statistics are reported. The ABN unit is the business unit which has registered for an ABN, and appears on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) administered portion of the Australian Business Register. In most cases, the ABN unit represents the legal entity, which is suitable for ABS statistical needs when the business is simple in structure (as are all businesses on the Business Longitudinal Database (BLD) Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF)).
Business
A business is generally considered to be a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in business or commerce. In the BLD CURF, the term business is interchangeable with the ABN unit.
Business Activity Statement (BAS) data items
- Total sales - the gross amount of income for the business from the sales of goods or services. (Item G1 on the Business Activity Statement).
- Export sales - the free on board value of exported goods that meet the Goods and Sales Tax (GST)- free export rules. (Item G2 on the Business Activity Statement). All amounts reported at G2 should also have been reported at G1.
- Other GST-free sales - the value of supplies that do not attract GST. GST credits are able to be claimed for goods purchased in producing these supplies. (Item G3 on the Business Activity Statement). Amounts reported at G3 should also have been reported at G1.
- Capital expenditure - the value of capital items purchased. This figure should include capital purchases that are imports. (Item G10 on the Business Activity Statement).
- Non-capital expenditure - the values of other purchases and expenses made in the supply of goods and services. Non-capital purchases include trading stock and normal running expenses. (Item G11 on the Business Activity Statement).
- Wages and Salaries - includes gross payments from which businesses are usually required to withhold tax, such as payments to employees; payments made by labour hire firms to individual workers under a labour hire arrangement; and payments made under a voluntary agreement and gross attributed to personal services income of an individual. (Item W1 on the Business Activity Statement).
Broadband
Defined by the ABS as an 'always on' internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256kbps.
Collaboration
Active joint participation with other organisations which involves some sharing of technical or commercial risk. Straight fee-for-service arrangements are not deemed to be collaborative and are therefore excluded.
Number of persons working for the business during the last pay period
Includes working proprietors and partners, employees absent on paid or prepaid leave, employees on workers' compensation who continue to be paid through the payroll, and contract workers paid through the payroll. Excludes persons paid by commission only, non-salaried directors, volunteers and self-employed persons such as consultants and contractors.
Innovation
An innovation is the introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service
, operational process
, organisational/managerial process or marketing method
.
Internet
A world-wide public computer network. Organisations and individuals can connect their computers to this network and exchange information across a country and/or across the world. The internet provides access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries email, news, entertainment and data files.
Measures of business innovation
Two measures of business innovation can be calculated from data in this release:
- Innovating businesses - businesses that introduced any type of innovation during the reference period.
- Innovation-active businesses - businesses that had undertaken any innovative activity during the reference period including: introduction of any type of innovation; and/or the development or introduction either still in progress or abandoned.
Further information about how to calculate these data items can be found in the Data Item section on the
Summary tab.
Status of innovation
Three statuses of innovation are included in this release:
- Introduced - the business successfully introduced an innovation during the reference period (although the innovation does not need to have been commercially successful).
- Still in development - the business was in the process of developing or introducing an innovation during the reference period but work on the innovation was still in progress at the end of the period.
- Abandoned - the business abandoned the development and/or introduction of an innovation during the reference period (i.e. work on the innovation ceased without full introduction occurring).
Type of innovation
Four types of innovation are included in this release:
- Goods or services - Any good or service or combination of these which is new to a business (or significantly improved). It's characteristics or intended uses differ significantly from those previously produced/offered.
- Operational processes - New or significantly improved methods of producing or delivering goods or services of a business (including significant change in techniques, equipment and/or software).
- Organisational/managerial processes - New or significantly improved strategies, structures or routines of a business which aim to improve performance.
- Marketing methods - New or significantly improved design, packaging or sales methods aimed to increase the appeal of goods or services of a business or to enter new markets.
Web presence
Web presence includes a website, home page or, in the case of a presence on another entity's website, is included providing the business has substantial control over the content. A website or home page is an electronic document that is accessed via a unique address on the World Wide Web. The document provides information in a textual, graphical or multimedia format. Web presence excludes on-line listings, directories, or a social media presence.
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