TikTech Solutions

11/10/2026

Well, this is awkward… 🤔

From 1 October, Australian businesses can no longer pass card surcharges on to customers — part of reforms promoted as easing cost-of-living pressure and saving consumers around $1.6 billion a year.

The card processing costs haven’t magically disappeared, though. Businesses still pay them. We’re simply expected to absorb them, negotiate a better deal, or build them into our prices.

And then this little notification pops up in the ATO Business Portal…

After 30 November, the ATO will stop accepting credit cards as a payment method.

So apparently when card processing costs land on a small business, they’re a cost of doing business.

When they land on a government agency… perhaps it’s time to stop taking credit cards. 😏

Of course, any costs borne by government ultimately have to be funded somewhere — which makes the whole thing just a little ironic.

Maybe the bigger conversation shouldn’t just be about who is allowed to pass the fee on.

Maybe we should keep asking why electronic payments still cost Australian businesses so much in the first place — and who is actually earning that money?

Because shifting a cost around isn’t quite the same thing as making it disappear.

11/10/2026

On today at the Hopetoun Community Resource Centre - Tech Talk!

𝑷𝒐𝒑 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒚. 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝑺𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒚 12𝒕𝒉 𝑶𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓.

Tech Talks - a free, relaxed drop-in session designed to help you build confidence with technology. No bookings, no pressure – just pop in!

🕐 When: Fortnightly at 1pm (starting today!)
📍 Where: At the Hopetoun Library

Our friendly team can help with:
✔️ Device support (phones, tablets, laptops)
✔️ Troubleshooting tech issues
✔️ Digital skills & mentoring
✔️ Online safety & scam awareness
✔️ General tech questions

Whether you’re a beginner or just need a quick fix, we’re here to help. Bring your device and your questions!

💬 Drop in, learn something new, and stay connected.

08/10/2026

For those of you who know me, know that I am a as well as a computer nerd 🤓 and that I love getting involved in my community wherever that may be! My club is now an electronic club rather than belonging to the traditional Rotary club (fitting for me really!)

I do miss the face to face friendship, fun and service being the solo Rotarian in my new town, but I guess that's why I love the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia's annual challenge... this is the third year I have participated with our club and I have a potential new Rotarian here too this year! So exciting! (Hit me up if you would like to know more about E-WA Rotary! No matter where you live! 😉)

But more importantly - jump in and follow my progress this year - I have set myself the absolutely insane target of 250km!! Lucky I have a bike this year! But I noted that I raised over $800 each year before ... I am less than half way to that this year - so help me reach that if you can spare some dollars this year - they're all tax deductible too!

thanks :)

I'm going further this October and I need your help! I've registered for Oceans to Outback, a month-long challenge to raise vital funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I'll be pushing myself to the limit, going a long way and testing my fitness levels, but I'm determined to go further to ensure...

06/10/2026

We’re quite fortunate to have such a variety of small businesses in Hopey and Ravy!

06/10/2026

What a great session this was today in Esperance!
Thanks for having me!

A valuable session on passwords and passkeys today!

Tik took us through the fundamentals of password security, helped attendees audit their current business passwords, and explained how passkeys can provide a simpler and more secure way to protect our online accounts.

It was a great reminder of how important good cyber security practices are for businesses of all sizes, and how a few simple changes can make a real difference.

Tik is also available to provide free one-on-one support via Teams to local businesses.

If you’d like help reviewing your password security, setting up passkeys or improving your cyber security practices, you can book a free session with Tik via our website under SBDC Regional.

Thank you to Tik for sharing your knowledge and practical advice with us today!

01/10/2026

Hey Small Business friends: have you checked your card surcharge settings today?

From today, 1 October 2026, no-surcharge rules apply across Australia - to Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and American Express card payments. This includes debit and prepaid cards on the relevant networks, as well as credit cards.

Here's your quick business check:
✅ Review your payment terminals, online checkout and invoice payment settings.
✅ Remove applicable card surcharges and update any outdated signage.
✅ Check with your payment provider about any exceptions or settings that need attention.

Using Square? Its built-in card surcharge is being switched off automatically, but card fees you’ve added manually need checking too.

Weekend and public holiday surcharges are separate and aren’t removed by this change.

Take a few minutes today to check your settings and keep your team informed.

24/09/2026

You may have heard on the news this morning that Medicare has been accessed by "mis-aligned" AI agentic behaviour ... here's the alert from one of our Australian digital watch dogs the Australian Signals Directorate.

Securing your accounts and making sure you do all of the updates your operating systems offer is critical - don't leave your updates waiting!

❗ ALERT ❗

We are aware of instances of artificial intelligence (AI) misalignment, in which AI agents have undertaken unexpected actions that were not intended or authorised by its operators.

There is no indication that this activity represents a broader threat or malicious targeting against Australia. However, this highlights the importance of secure AI deployment practices and maintaining strong cyber security fundamentals.

We advise organisations to take the following steps:
• Apply strong authentication, access controls and, network segmentation.
• Ensure vulnerabilities are identified and remediated promptly.
• Monitor systems for unusual activity.
• Apply patches as soon as practical.
• Test controls and incident response procedures against AI-enabled threat scenarios.

Organisations that have been impacted or suspect impact should contact 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).

Read the full alert 👉 cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/alerts-and-advisories/risks-of-ai-misalignment-to-australian-organisations

17/09/2026

I am excited to be able to help virtually in Kununurra for again this year! Then I will be there IRL (if you're not too sure what that means, come along to the Get Online Week event mums and dads! ;) in November! Bookings will be opening soon!

💻 DIGITALLY RESILIENT FAMILIES – FREE WORKSHOP 💻

Want to feel more confident helping your kids and teens stay safe online? 🔐📱

Natika Wright will be joining Online from TikTech Solutions for a free, practical workshop covering parental controls, online safety, passwords, passkeys and trusted support resources.

🏠 Can’t make it to the Neighbourhood House? No problem! You can join us online from the comfort of your own home.

There will also be Q&A time at the end of the session, where you can ask questions and get help with troubleshooting your phone, tablet or other devices. 📱💻

📅 Tuesday 20th October
⏰ 5:30pm – 7:30pm
📍 Kununurra Neighbourhood House, 7 Chestnut Ave
💚 FREE – Bookings are essential and places are limited!

👉 Scan the QR code on the poster to book your spot. https://events.humanitix.com/digitally-resilient-families/tickets

Come along in person or join online — whichever works best for you! 🌟