Small business stories
Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and as a business owner it is often hard to keep on top of everything. It can be difficult to find the right support and even more challenging finding the time to work through any issues.
Help is available! Our team, our small business friendly partners and a range of support services are able to assist you – whatever the challenge.
The Small Business Commissioner considers a small business to be a business that identifies as a small business and would reasonably be considered small regardless of structure1.
1This is the Small Business Commissioner’s operational policy in relation to the definition of a small business.
Small businesses 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.
As of 30 June 2021
459,094
small businesses in Queensland
99.7%
of all businesses in the state are small businesses
59%
of small businesses are non-employing
More small businesses are in regional Queensland than in the greater Brisbane area.
The 459,094 small businesses in Queensland accounts for 13% of all Australian small businesses1, compared to 20% of Australia’s population that live in the state2.
Of those:
- 59% of small businesses are non-employing
- 29% have 1-4 employees
- 9% have 5-19 employees
- 2% have 20-99 employees
The top 10 industries for small businesses
- Construction (17%)
- Professional, scientific and technical services (12%)
- Rental, hiring and real estate services (12%)
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing (9%)
- Transport, postal and warehousing (8%)
- Health care and social assistance (7%)
- Retail trade (6%)
- Other services (5%)
- Administrative and support services (4%)
- Financial and insurance services (4%)
1 For the purpose of this data, small businesses are defined as those employing fewer than 100 people in line with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Act 2015 definition of small businesses. These 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.
Assistance stories
The following stories are about Queensland small businesses that we have helped navigate challenges and find solutions. We hope you find their case studies helpful in resolving your issues.
How a retail and commercial tenant advocate can help you
Decision makers in a dispute
Connecting businesses with appropriate information / agencies
Small Business Friendly stories
Members of the Small Business Friendly (SBF) program are committed to enhancing the operating environment for small businesses. The following stories showcase the work SBF Program members have done to help small businesses.
How a retail and commercial tenant advocate can help you
Celebrating these female-led small businesses on IWD
From the Commissioner – February 2023
QSBC 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
