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Key government websites

  • Business Queensland
  • Business Queensland – Starting a Business
  • Business Queensland – Running a Business
  • Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur

Business health checks

Use the interactive diagnostic tool to:

  • assess the strengths and weaknesses of your new business start-up approach
  • identify opportunities to improve your business start-up plans and processes.

Is your business strong enough to deal with disruptions and emergencies? Take the business health check to identify changes you can make to get your business ready for change and help your business survive and thrive.

Use the interactive diagnostic tool to:

  • assess your current financial situation
  • find out where there may be opportunities for growth in your business.

Use the interactive diagnostic tool to:

  • assess your current digital strengths
  • identify opportunities to add digital capabilities to your business.

Use the interactive diagnostic tool to:

  • assess the strengths and weaknesses of your current marketing approach.
  • identify opportunities to improve your marketing capability and effectiveness.

Take this health check to understand and improve the resilience of your business so you are ready for anything – from loss of key staff to a pandemic or natural disaster.

Employment

Finding staff a problem? Learn how to ‘Recruit for the Role’
Recruitment and workforce planning support and information.

Government contracts

Find out about current government tenders.

Top tips

  • Can’t fulfil the whole contract – consider a partnership with another business
  • Ensure you meet the criteria – get a third person to review your submission
  • Include evidence with your application – e.g., photos of work, customer testimonials etc.

Find out more

Thomas Pollock, author of Winning Government Business: The 6 Rules and 9 Absolutes for Small to Medium Businesses discusses how to win government business.

Grants

Top tips

  • Grants are highly competitive – make sure your project can meet the eligibility criteria
  • Include a budget in your application – ensure it is realistic
  • Go local – list any other local small businesses you will use.

Find out more

Thomas Pollock, author of Winning Government Business: The 6 Rules and 9 Absolutes for Small to Medium Businesses discusses how small businesses can apply for grants.

Grow your business

Business information resources
Free business information resources available online.

Business Planning Course | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia (usc.edu.au)
Business Planning Course for business owners with fewer than 20 staff who have been in operation for 12+.
Course start throughout 2022 and 2023

Mediation

Top tips

  • Mediation is guided by a neutral third person – the mediator
  • Mediation is private – each party is given the opportunity to speak, be heard, and understand each other’s perspective
  • Mediation is your solution – you work together to reach an outcome

Find out more

John Campbell, lawyer and nationally accredited mediator from Mediation Matters, discusses what mediation is and how it can be an effective tool in solving small business conflict.

Top tips

  • Mediators facilitate a process to help both parties
  • They support both parties to make decisions about agreed outcomes
  • They do not take sides or give legal advice.

Find out more

John Campbell, a nationally accredited mediator discusses the role of the mediator.

Top tips

  • Mediation is a collaborative process – you should keep an open mind and be solutions-focused
  • Mediation is not a court hearing – you should have relevant information handy, but you do not need to present evidence to the mediator
  • There are rules about who may attend certain types of mediation – talk to the mediator about what applies to your mediation.

John Campbell, a nationally accredited mediator discusses how to prepare for and participate in mediation.

Business disruption

Read our Works with Small Business good practice guidance to understand how government and large enterprise can make capital works project small business friendly and minimise business disruption.