Small businesses want action now, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and Business SA say AUSTRALIAN small to medium enterprise owners are imploring the government to reduce the costs of doing business, ahead of Tuesday's Federal Budget and September's Federal election. A pre-election survey - conducted by The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) - shows lessening operation costs and providing tax relief is the main priority for SME owners. Business SA chief executive Nigel McBride said the results highlighted the considerable scope for reform of an incoming government. "The survey results have confirmed that the high cost of doing business is the number one issue for small business owners throughout Australia," he said. (They) reinforce the fact that any rigorous debate on public policy must engage the small business sector and the needs of the wider business community. Last month, ACCI launched the Too Big to Ignore Campaign, aimed at highlighting the critical role small businesses play in Australia's economy. There are more than 2 million SMEs in Australia, employing in excess of 7 million people. A Too Big to Ignore website was set up to encourage SME owners to share their feedback via posts, images and videos.