While Small Business Month ended in May, it’s important to keep celebrating and I say “Bring it on”. This month, we travelled to Charleville, Cairns and Beenleigh focusing on nurturing young business leaders. Did you know that less than 8% of small business owners are under the age of 30? We were thrilled to meet over 60 small business owners still attending school who shared their incredible ideas ranging from apps for nonverbal neurodivergent children – giving them the chance to communicate with their families, to boutique baked goods, and social enterprises that deliver fashion-driven mental health initiatives to improve the mental health of young people. Their dedication, courage, grit, and passion are truly inspiring!
At the Tropical Innovation Festival, we partnered to provide small business owners in Cairns and the surrounding regions a deep dive into innovation. It was our first time attending, and we were amazed by the diversity – from quantum physics to photography, consultancy to botany. If you haven’t attended this annual event, mark your calendar! It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect, raise capital, engage with trusted advisers, and shift your mindset, as Lucy Bloom suggests, from “catastrophizing to fantasizing”.
During small business month in May, we released our report “Understanding the Life Cycle of Small Business and the Mindset of Small Businesses in Queensland”. We are proud to announce the report will be presented at the International Council of Small Business World Congress in July. It is also nominated for the best paper award. If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to read the Understanding the life cycle of Queensland small business snapshot and report.
As the financial year ends, we remind you of four new funding streams available from the Department of Small Business Employment and Training. Explore more at Small business grants schedule | Business Queensland.
Lastly, thank you to everyone who participated in our Small Business Roundtables. Our regional members, industry bodies and landlords have worked closely with us over the last 12 months and their insights have been invaluable for small businesses across the state and has helped shape our advocacy! We look forward to reconvening in the next financial year.
Keep celebrating small business with us – there’s so much more to come!
Where the Commissioner will be in June:
3 July – Logan Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast
11 July – Ipswich City Council New Business Breakfast
24 July – Boonah Chamber of Commerce Networking Dinner
Connect with us
If you are new to our newsletter or want to learn more about our services, resources, initiatives, and projects, visit the QSBC website. If you need more information, call us on 1300 312 344 or submit an enquiry.
Main photo: Dominique Lamb, Julia Spicer, Tracy Sheen (The Digital Guide) and Kat Lyn (Foodie Shots) at Tropical Innovation Festival Cairns
Dominique Lamb
Queensland Small Business Commissioner
For more details, read the QSBC newsletter June 2024