Editorial policy
How we produce, review, source and correct the content we publish for Australian business owners, and what we will not publish.
Named
Byline on every piece
3 checks
Before anything publishes
1 June 2026
Last updated
Every piece of content on this site is created by, reviewed by, or signed off by a named member of the Valont team. The byline names the person actually accountable for the content’s accuracy.
Who writes our content
Andrew Northcott
Founder & Chairman
Writes on strategy, business architecture, owner experience, and the bigger picture of running an Australian SME.
Nick Lucock
Chief Executive Officer
Writes on the operational and practical side of back-office delivery, customer-perspective topics, and how-to content.
Valont team specialists
Finance, payroll, HR, IT and growth
Contribute deeper technical content within their domains, always reviewed by the senior named author.
How we research and source
- Primary sources where possibleWhen we cite an Award, a regulation, an ATO position, or a Fair Work decision, we cite the source directly, not a third-party summary. Links go to the primary document.
- Disclosure of secondary sourcesWhere we cite secondary sources (research firms, industry analysts, press coverage), we name them and link.
- Disclosure of our own dataWhere we cite Valont’s own data (customer numbers, internal benchmarks), we say so explicitly so readers can weight it appropriately.
- Disclosure of estimates and modellingWhere numbers are estimates rather than measurements, we say so. “Typically”, “approximately”, and “in our experience” mean different things and we use them precisely.
- Current informationRegulatory information has a currency date. Where laws have changed since publication, we update the piece and date the update.
How we review what we publish
Three checkpoints before any substantive content publishes. For pieces involving Valont’s commercial framing, Andrew personally signs off.
Author self-review
The author reads the piece for accuracy, tone, and structural quality.
Senior review
Another senior member of the Valont team reads the piece for accuracy, tone consistency, and brand alignment.
Subject-matter sign-off
Where the piece covers regulated content (Awards, tax, employment law, cybersecurity), the relevant specialist signs off on factual accuracy.
How we correct errors
If we publish something incorrect, we fix it. Report an error via the contact form.
- Acknowledge promptlyUsually within 24 hours of being made aware.
- Correct the substantive contentThe corrected version replaces the incorrect version.
- Note the correction visiblyA “Last updated” date on the piece, and where the correction is material, a note explaining what changed.
- Notify the person who flagged itIf a reader reported the error, we tell them we have fixed it.
What we do not publish
- Content that misrepresents our experience. If we have not worked with a particular industry, business size, or scenario at depth, we say so rather than implying otherwise.
- Case studies without customer consent. Every case study we publish has explicit customer permission. Composite examples are clearly labelled.
- Content that attacks named competitors. Honest comparisons are appropriate; personal attacks on competitor firms or individuals are not.
- Sponsored content disguised as editorial. We do not accept payment for editorial coverage. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be clearly labelled.
How content meets our commercial interests
Most of what we publish aligns with selling Valont’s services, because we believe the integrated model is the right answer for many Australian SMEs. The content still has its own integrity.
Honest fit
We tell readers when Valont is not the right fit. The Valont Alternatives page is a real list of honest alternatives, not a strawman comparison.
Trade-offs named
We acknowledge trade-offs in our own model. The integrated model is not universally right; we say so.
Work that does not sell
We publish content that does not directly drive sales (research, glossary, educational pieces) because building genuine authority is the slow play and we are playing it.
The honest test for any piece: would this read as substantive even to a reader who decides not to engage with Valont? If the answer is no, we do not publish it. See Valont alternatives.
Accessibility, privacy, updates
- AccessibilitySemantic headings, sufficient colour contrast, alt text on substantive images, plain language where the topic permits, and Australian English throughout. We are not perfect on this and continue to improve.
- People in our contentWe get permission before naming. We anonymise where permission is not available. We do not disclose customer financial information beyond what they have explicitly consented to. We never share customer contact information or personal details.
- Updating this policyReviewed at least annually. Material changes are noted with a last-updated date. Last updated 1 June 2026.
Spotted something that needs correcting?
We fix errors promptly and note the correction. Let us know and we will get onto it.