FAQs

Small Business FAQs

• What does Internet Banking allow me to do as a small business owner?
• What does Phone Banking allow me to do on my business accounts?
• What are Business SMS and Email Alerts?
• What is the Enterprise Small Business Microsite?
• What sort of information can I obtain from Business Guides?
• What advice and information is available to business customers?

What does Internet Banking allow me to do as a small business owner?

Internet Banking has a range of features and functionality to help you save time and efficiently manage your day-to-day business transactions.

• Account EnquiriesCheck account balances, view transaction histories, receive SMS and email alerts for transaction details and account balances
• Transfer fundsTransfer money between business and personal accounts or to anyone in Australia. Make overseas telegraphic transfers (subject to approval).
• Pay bills onlinePay over 13,000 bills via BPAY.
• Cheque servicesSearch for presented cheques, request to stop cheques, deposit cheques online and order Bank cheques.
• Make group paymentsSet up staff salary payments.
• Schedule paymentsSet up automatic payments up to 24 months in advance.

What does Phone Banking allow me to do on my business accounts?

St.George Phone Banking gives you even more flexible access to your accounts at any time of the day. It allows you to:

• Check your account balances
• Check recent deposits and withdrawals
• Transfer money
• Pay bills via BPAY
• Check our Term Deposit rates
• Find out how much interest you’ve earned
• Check foreign exchange rates

What are Business SMS and Email Alerts?

St.George Business SMS1 and Email Alerts help you take care of your business finances, even while you’re taking care of business.

With Email Alerts, we’ll send you a short email notice to advise you of key events that affect your accounts and, potentially, your cash position.

Or, if you are out and about, we can send an SMS Alert direct to your mobile phone, so you can stay in touch from anywhere.

You can mange your accounts by obtaining:

• Balance updates – Receive a balance update every day, week, fortnight or month
• Low Balance warning – Know whether your balance falls below a certain amount
• High Balance notice – Know when you’re in a position to pay invoices or transfer funds
• Deposit notice – Be notified when a deposit is received in your account
• Withdrawal Alerts – know when your balance goes down due to a cheque being banked or a direct debit being paid

¹SMS Alerts cost 25 cents per alert

What is the Enterprise Small Business Microsite?

The Microsite is a one stop-shop offering a range of solutions, advice, value-add services and resources for people who are looking to start a business, or are currently running a business. It provides financial advice plus the opportunity to apply for products in an interactive environment that is easy to navigate.

Visit the small business site that makes starting your business easy at www.stgeorge.com.au/smallbus/openforbusiness

What sort of information can I obtain from Business Guides?

The business guides act as an information tool that assist businesses to better understand their business by offering tips and advice on the basic matters of running a successful business. The guides cover issues ranging from registering a business name, writing a successful business plan, planning and strategy, money matters, managing challenges to taxation and legal matters and establishing an e-business.

• How to start a successful business
  The guide will fill you in on preparations, options for naming and registering your business, planning, managing money, meeting the legal requirements and more. Because the more you know up front the closer you’ll be to success.
• How to run a successful business
  Get ready to take the next steps with your business. From a helpful business health check to see where you’re at, this guide will give you information and practical tips for managing planning, people, cashflow, growth, investments and expanding into e-business.
• Business Matters Business Matters is our exclusive quarterly newsletter just for our business banking customers. It includes news and useful information from St George, the economy and a range of small business experts. So it’s a great help for keeping on top of your finances and your business.

What advice and information is available to business customers?

We provide all our business customers with complimentary legal and taxation advice. It means you can get straightforward answers to simple questions and then get back to business.

You’ll be able to send your question to a panel of skilled lawyers or accountant, and get back the answers you need all via confidential email.

Its as easy as 1,2,3

1. Visit www.stgeorge.com.au/small-business
2. Select Small Business Solutions
3. Click Legal and Taxation Advice

Feel free to ask about as many issues as you like. This service gives you up three free contacts on any issue.