With the festive season now upon us this is our final newsletter for the year! It feels like time has absolutely flown by as I’ve enjoyed talking with small businesses across the state. This month has been action-packed with award season kicking off, and I’ve had the honour of participating in award events at the Sunshine Coast, Mt Isa and Toowoomba.
I’m blown away by the talented small business owners in Queensland and their contributions to our communities across the state. A huge shout out to Kantesha Takai and Tracey and Travis Harbour who participated in our Indigenous Business Month small business interviews. I can’t wait to see where their journeys take them next, and to showcase some more great small businesses!
We all know how important it is to support our local businesses, especially across the festive season – not just with our dollars but also with how we treat and engage with them and their staff. I encourage everyone to show your appreciation for others when you are out and about to help make this season enjoyable for everyone.
If you are one of the lucky ones who will get some down time at the end of the year, I encourage you to check in on your business plan and balance sheet, but most importantly take the time to do something that inspires, excites, and energises you. If you need any assistance with business planning, financial literacy, or general support around policies and procedures, please get in touch.
My office recently released the QSBC Annual Report 2022-23 which outlines what we achieved and highlights our commitment to getting a better outcome for small business.
Our Assistance Team remains busy with enquiries and dispute resolution work. We are seeing a spike in enquiries about sham contracting, business-to-business debt disputes, and missing bond to name a few.
I’m pleased to report that our latest stats show we are providing small businesses with access to alternate dispute resolution within 33 days, for less than $200 with a success rate of 71 per cent! The team work hard to help small businesses understand their situation better and to support parties in a disagreement to find a shared solution they can both live with.
We’re continuing our work with 47 of the 77 councils across Queensland who have committed to be more small business friendly. This includes sharing ideas and supporting various initiatives such as placemaking programs, procurement roadshows, productivity initiatives, streamlining efforts and sharing insights – all to help local small business thrive!
We’re continuing to advocate on matters important to small business including changes to seafood labelling, the franchising code, and unfair trading practices. We’re also contributing to several state and federal committees to ensure the small business experience is discussed and your views are heard to help improve government policies and practices.
Finally, I wish you a wonderful festive season and look forward to getting to know more of Queensland’s small business community next year as we continue our work for you.
Please note, our office is closed for the Christmas and New Year period, finishing at 4:30 pm on Friday, 22 December 2023 and returning recharged on Monday, 2 January 2024.
If you are new to our newsletter or would like to learn more about our services, resources, initiatives, and projects, visit the QSBC website. If you are ever unsure and are looking for more information, give us a call on 1300 312 344 or submit an enquiry.
Photo (from L to R): Luke Forster (QSBC), Cassandra Cazzulino (Smart Hub Burdekin), Commissioner Dominique Lamb (QSBC), and Sarah Tekopua and Ben Smith (Townsville City Council).
Dominique Lamb
Queensland Small Business Commissioner
For more details, read the QSBC newsletter November 2023
