Small business insights
Small businesses1 define our identity as a place, a region and a destination. Small businesses create local jobs and provide essential goods and services, both to the community and to larger organisations. They drive regional economic development and make up the backbone of the supply chains of major projects.
1The Small Business Commissioner considers a small business to be any business that a reasonable person would consider to be small regardless of structure, turnover or number of employees (generally equivalent to <20 FTEs). The Queensland Small Business Commissioner provides services for small businesses that are based in Queensland. This is the Small Business Commissioner’s operational policy in relation to the definition of a small business.
Queensland small business data
Data1 current as of 30 June 2022
473,043
small businesses in Queensland
97%
of all businesses in the state are small businesses
61%
of small businesses are non-employing
More small businesses are in regional Queensland than in the greater Brisbane area.
The 473,043 small businesses in Queensland accounts for 19% of all Australian small businesses1, compared to 20% of Australia’s population that live in the state2.
Of those:
-
61% of small businesses are non-employing
-
29% have 1-4 employees
-
10% have 5-19 employees
Queensland's top 10 small business industries
- Construction (17%)
- Professional, scientific and technical services (12%)
- Rental, hiring and real estate services (12%)
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing (9%)
- Transport, postal and warehousing (7%)
- Health care and social assistance (7%)
- Retail trade (6%)
- Other services (6%)
- Administrative and support services (5%)
- Financial and insurance services (4%)
1 Unless otherwise stated, all numbers are from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022), Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, custom request.
2 Calculated using Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021), Regional Population, accessed 22 August 2022.
Reports
The QSBC provides the following reports to help inform Queensland small businesses and raise public awareness.
- A new report is coming soon!
Assistance case studies
The following case studies are about Queensland small businesses that we have helped navigate challenges and find solutions. We hope you find these case studies helpful in resolving your issues.
Resolution through mediation
How a retail and commercial tenant advocate can help you
Decision makers in a dispute
Customer testimonials
LEASING DISPUTE SUPPORT
“QSBC have been helping me navigate a very emotional stressful upheaval in my life…
I just wanted to say thank you to you and your staff at QSBC. I have been treated with kindness, support and empathy.
They are truly the right people for their jobs. Thank you.”
Café owner with a leasing dispute
PROVIDING INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE SUPPORT
“You are amazing at what you do, thank you ever so much! Regardless of the outcome the fact that you are helping me is overwhelming and muchly appreciated.”
Leisure activity small business owner experiencing financial hardship
FEEDBACK FROM MEDIATOR
“Congratulations on having your appointment being made permanent so you can keep up the great work, it’s the best Christmas present the people of Queensland could have hoped for!
Even if they don’t know it yet and the work you and your office does has a direct and positive impact on a huge number of people and that impact naturally flows on to others around them. From the call centre operators up, everyone has been unfailingly helpful, professional, and pleasant to deal with; and the net result is that your office is a pleasure to deal with, and amazingly efficient.”
Mediator
