Lord Mayor helps small business start, run, and grow
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is backing small business in Brisbane, announcing three new initiatives to help them tackle the challenges of starting, running and growing their ventures.
Cr Schrinner said he was committed to making Brisbane Australia’s most small business-friendly city by providing more support to local small businesses.
“Small businesses are the backbone of Brisbane’s economy and I want to see them succeed, which is why we are introducing three new initiatives to help small business owners feel less isolated and more ready to tackle the challenges of starting, running and growing their ventures in Brisbane,” he said.
“The new programs will include targeted training, free monthly networking events and empty space activation guidelines.
“There are more than 124,000 small businesses providing local services across Brisbane, accounting for 97% of all registered businesses in Brisbane and this raft of initiatives will provide more opportunities for businesses to grow and stay in Brisbane.”
Cr Schrinner said he had been speaking with small businesses across Brisbane and had heard they were facing challenges around finding suitable spaces and receiving support.
“I’ve heard the feedback, I know these businesses want to feel more connected to the local business community, have more life in the suburbs and access training that is focused on their needs,” he said.
“With the right support, small businesses can thrive in our smart and prosperous city, and we want to provide these opportunities so small businesses succeed in Brisbane.”
New small-business initiatives:
Free monthly small business networking events – To be held across Brisbane suburbs each month to help build regular local business connections. These are in addition to the existing Lord Mayor’s Small Business Forums.
Free skills workshops – A series of free intensive business training sessions aimed to help small business owners enhance their skills and build capability. Several to be held across Brisbane each year. These are in addition to the Lord Mayor’s Business Excellence Workshops.
Empty space activation guidelines – Council is developing a set of guidelines for a pilot program to encourage property owners with vacant space in suburban retail precincts to allow temporary pop-up usage between long-term tenancies.
Cr Schrinner said the new small business workshop programs were in addition to the $2 million cuts in fees and charges which was announced in the 2019-20 Brisbane City Council Budget.
