Small Business is a Big Deal

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has launched a ‘Small Business is a Big Deal’ campaign to highlight the issues facing small businesses today.

Small businesses make up 98% of Australian businesses. Together they employ five million people employing a third of young working Australians and 40% of apprentices.

The “Small Business is a Big Deal” campaign is calling on the next Federal Government to address three key issues:

1. Workplace Relations: Help employers and employees work better together

Ensure our workplace laws work for small businesses and their employees, with simpler rules to make it easier to create jobs and run businesses well

2. Energy: Deliver affordable, reliable energy with lower emissions

Encourage more investment and more competition so the price of power comes down and stays down, while ensuring the lights stay on and emissions come down

3. Skills: Stop the collapse in skills

Invest more in vocational education and training so in three years there are 350,000 more students being funded

Australian Chamber CEO, James Pearson, said: “Our members represent over 300,000 businesses employing millions of people across the country, in every sector of the economy.”

“This is your newsagent, your butcher, your pharmacist, your dentist, and your local cafe.

“These are the truckies that deliver groceries to your local supermarket, the sparkies that fix your lights, the mechanics that fix your car and the builders that renovate your home.

“These are the men and women running small businesses that give young Australians their first job and train apprentices for rewarding careers.

“This is Small Business – and it is a big deal.”

Last updated: 26th April 2019