The Central Coast business community is welcoming the recent launch of the Charter for Small Business.
Fulfilling a pre-election commitment from the NSW Government, the Charter gives small business owners a seat at the table and a genuine say in the way government supports businesses across the state.
It commits to a stronger partnership with small business and sets out the key principles and actions on the way the Government will work 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 it reflects the needs of businesses.
The Charter for Small Business includes six 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; red tape and other pain points; boosting government procurement from small businesses; supporting small business policy, regulatory and economic settings; and delivering key actions and commitments to timeline.
Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper said he had worked in the private sector for more than 30 years and understoood how important it was to work with business owners to make it easier to be in business.
“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,” he said.
“We don’t want businesses getting stuck in the mud with government transactions, red tape and paperwork.
“Every delay costs time and money, two things small businesses can’t afford.”
Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter welcomed the Charter.
“Our members often tell us that managing government permitting and form-filling is one of the most challenging tasks for their business,” he said.
“We want government to not just 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.”
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 per cent of all businesses in the state.
NSW small businesses employ 1.7 million people, which is about 43 per cent of the state’s private sector workforce.
For more information about the Charter for Small Business and the Action Plan, go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/charter-for-small-business