The New South Wales Government has launched its new Charter for Small Business, which is set to ensure small business owners have a greater say in the way government supports businesses across the state.
The charter commits to a stronger partnership with small business and sets out the key principles and actions on the way in which the State Government will work on with the sector.
The Charter for Small Business is the first of its kind in Australia and reflects the economic and social value that small businesses bring to New South Wales.
The State Government has undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement with peak industry bodies and community organisations to ensure the Charter for Small Business reflects the needs of businesses.
The charter includes the following six key principles and commitments to support its implementation and application in New South Wales:
- Clear and strong focal point to support small business to start, grow and thrive
- Stronger engagement on new policy and regulation
- Listen and respond to red-tape and other pain points
- Boost government procurement from small businesses
- Introduce and report on metrics and identify opportunities for supporting small business policy, regulatory and economic settings
- Deliver key actions and commitments to timeline
The Charter for Small Business closely follows on from the government’s launch of the Service NSW Business Bureau, which is a key source of advice and personalised support for small business. The Service NSW Business Bureau will oversee the Charter for Small Business, to ensure its commitments and actions benefit the sector.
There are more than 850,000 small businesses in New South Wales which make up 97 per cent of all businesses in the state. New South Wales small businesses employ 1.7 million people, which is around 43 per cent of the state’s private sector workforce.
New South Wales Minister for Small Business, Steve Kamper, said that, having worked in the private sector for more than 30 years, he understands how important it is to work with business owners to make being in business easier.
“The Charter for Small Business is a nation-leading agreement which reflects our commitment to work in lockstep with small businesses across New South Wales to inform our policies and programs,” Minister Kamper said.
“We don’t want businesses getting stuck in the mud with government transactions, red tape and paperwork. Every delay costs time and money, two things small businesses can’t afford.
“People in New South Wales can confidently count on the State Government to support our business environment and help small businesses to navigate compliance obligations.”
Business NSW CEO, Daniel Hunter, said that Business NSW continues to welcome the Minister’s support for small business and positive engagement with SMEs on initiatives like procurement reform, the Service NSW Business Bureau and now the Charter for Small Business.
“Our members often tell us that managing government permitting and form-filling is one of the most challenging tasks for their business,” Mr Hunter said.
“We want government to not just listen but to respond to and address red-tape pain points. We believe the new Charter for Small Business will work towards addressing this issue.
“The aim should be to reduce businesses’ need to access concierge services to navigate processes because the processes themselves are becoming more straightforward.
“The Business Bureau – which Business NSW supported when it was launched in October 2023 – can build on the best-in-class products from Service NSW, which did so much for New South Wales during the tough times of Covid.
