Business plays a pivotal role in Queensland's economy. That's why the Department places the highest priority on developing and delivering specialised services to help you manage and grow your business:

• The Department runs a variety of workshops and seminars on common business topics to help you improve your business skills. For further information, contact your local regional centre on 13 26 50.
  
  
• Smart Skills allows business owners to complete a number of departmental business and management skills programs in an interactive, online format. Most of the modules are free and cover a range of topics including:
  
  
  • Getting ready for business 
  • Business planning 
  • Marketing and promotions 
  • Selling and sales planning 
  • Negotiation and networking 
  • Running your business 
  • Finance and cash

For business owners particularly interested in management skills the following resources are available:

• Easy Plan can help you develop a basic business plan to help you better manage your business.
  
  
• Think. Plan. Grow. can assist you to develop a comprehensive business plan and monitor your business as it grows.
  
  
• The Department publishes online fact sheets that address a range of business and management topics.
  
  
• The Business Resource Centre has reviewed a range of business books that may be useful for new and existing businesses to enhance your management knowledge and skills.
  
  
• Mentoring for Growth offers mentoring services to clients who wish to discuss challenges or opportunities associated with business growth processes. Mentoring for Growth put innovative business experiencing rapid growth or have the potential to grow in touch with a panel of business mentors who can help address commercial challenges.
  
  
• The Small Business Solutions program provides government subsidised Business Skills Mentors to small business owners, who will receive personalised, one-on-one mentoring on-site from experienced and accredited business professionals. The program is also designed to provide opportunities for small business owners to gain and retain skills through workshops and flexible training to suit the needs of participants.
  
  
• Complete a short quiz to help assess your current knowledge on topic areas such as climate change, dispute resolution, business exit planning, privacy and information management, environmental management, workplace health and safety, and product and service warranties.
  
  
• Business owners interested in formal training (e.g. business degrees, diploma in specialised areas such as human resources) can attend one of the State's tertiary or further education institutions:
  
  
  • TAFE institutes 
  • Queensland universities
    
    
• Business people can often benefit from the information and training services offered by the many business and industry associations. Significant benefits can be obtained from networking with like businesses.
  
  
• Access to departmental services is made easier through a network of regional centres situated throughout Queensland.