What does 'Small Business First' mean

By putting Small Business First, the Queensland Government is prioritising an approach that seeks to address the economic and broader challenges faced by small and family business.

A supportive business environment, with a reduced regulatory burden, reduced operating costs, improved access to workforce and skills, easier access to improved services and supports, and higher rates of productivity and innovation, is critical to Queensland's future success.

The core principle underpinning this approach is ensuring government applies a 'small business friendly' lens to its activities—keeping the needs of small and family business front and centre.

This includes:

  • Greater consideration by government of the impacts of regulation on small and family business as a distinct stakeholder group. Small businesses have distinct characteristics that set them apart from larger enterprises. This means the impact of regulation may have more significant impacts than on larger corporations.
  • Queensland Government agencies working together deliver a 'concierge approach' to responding to the needs of small and family business.

We are committed to improving the experience of small business in dealing with government and using the levers we control to make positive changes.

We are driving a culture across government of better awareness and consideration of the impacts of government decisions on small business, including regulatory and economic policy settings.

As a first step, this Small and Family Business First Action Statement outlines the government's immediate priority areas for action, with new investment in excess of $100 million over 4 years to deliver outcomes across 4 action areas:

  1. Make it easier to access government services
  2. Tailored support to start, grow and thrive
  3. Identify and respond to red tape and other pain points
  4. Boost procurement opportunities

Critical to developing services and programs to meet the needs of small and family business, is implementing a consultative approach that places these stakeholders at the heart.

New mechanisms to better connect to their insights and perspectives include the establishment of the Small Business Reference Group and a monthly Small Business Survey. These methods will build on the services provided regionally as part of the Business Concierge and feedback and evaluation of programs to support tailored policies and research to provide practical and tailored support to small businesses across the state.