The NSW Government has delivered on another election commitment for small businesses across the state with the launch of the Charter for Small Business.
The Charter gives small business owners a seat at the table and a genuine 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 which the NSW 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 NSW.
The NSW 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 for Small Business includes 6 key principles and commitments to support its implementation and application in NSW:
- 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 NSW which make up 97% of all businesses in the state. NSW small businesses employ 1.7 million people, which is around 43% of the state’s private sector workforce.
Find out more information about the Charter for Small Business and the Action Plan.
Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper said:
“Having worked in the private sector for more than 30 years, I understand 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 NSW to inform our policies and programs.”
“We don’t want businesses getting stuck in the mud with government transactions, red tape and paperwork. Every delay costs time and money, 2 things small businesses can’t afford.”
“People in NSW can confidently count on the NSW Government to support our business environment and help small businesses to navigate compliance obligations.”
Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter said:
“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.
“We want government to not just to 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 last year – can build on the best-in-class products from Service NSW, which did so much for NSW during the tough times of Covid.”
