in Small Business
Issue No. 31 - October/November 2006
If small business prospers, so does SA
While our big employers might get the majority of the headlines, in reality it’s the small business sector which forms the backbone of this state’s economy.
Small businesses - which employ less than 20 people - make up more than 96% of SA firms and employ 235,000 people, more than half the state’s workforce. Many of SA’s 80,000 small businesses also have growth potential.
These simple facts are the reason behind the State Government’s continued push to increase the size and efficiency of the small business sector.
Small business has a key role to play in the State Government’s overall Strategic Plan for SA. Many of the Plan's targets can’t be met or sustained by big one-off projects; they need a strong and growing small business sector.
To help reach these goals, the State Government has taken several initiatives.
A primary example is SA Small Business Month which runs throughout October, and aims to help small business owners improve their knowledge, share their experience and sharpen the tools needed to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.
The Government is funding Small Business Month with $250,000 per year for the next four years, to help business people access information and resources that can help make running a small business easier.
During October a series of informative events will help owners and potential owners improve their knowledge and skills in a range of areas including record keeping, advertising campaigns, developing export markets, industrial relations, human resources, exporting, Occupational Health and Safety, marketing and sales.
Some 50 workshops, seminars and events will be rolled-out across the state targeting a wide range of industry sectors including food, retail, manufacturing, services, building, transport, primary industry and business services.
At the heart of SA Small Business Month is the two-day Conference and Expo...
