Fresh round of Palaszczuk Government grants giving small businesses a big start

The Palaszczuk Government today (Wednesday) re-affirmed its commitment to the state’s small business sector, opening a second round of Small Business Entrepreneur Grants.

Small Business Minister Leeanne Enoch said the government’s grants program is helping Queensland’s more than 414,000 small businesses start, grow and employ.

“In stark contrast to the cut, sack and sell Newman-Nicholls Government, we are providing small businesses with targeted support and funding that is helping them succeed,” Ms Enoch said.

“Since I launched our Advancing Small Business Queensland Strategy in June last year, we have allocated 743 grants – totalling almost $4.5 million - through various programs to Queensland small businesses.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Queensland’s economy. They represents 97.4% of all businesses in the state, employ around 44 per cent of Queensland’s private sector workforce, and are vital in driving jobs and economic progress.”

Ms Enoch said the first round of Small Business Entrepreneur Grants resulted in 148 businesses sharing in more than $559,000 in matched grant funding. The grants provide matched funding of up to $5000 to help eligible businesses access advice and support during their critical first few years.

“Starting a business not only takes courage but also solid planning. Getting professional advice to help prepare a business plan is vital to ensure a business meets its goals, sales targets and operational milestones,” Ms Enoch said.

“With the help of the Small Business Entrepreneur Grants, small businesses will have funds to develop a business plan, get the right legal, financial or technical advice, engage a mentor, conduct market research, undertake training and build a brand so they can stand out from the crowd.”

Rosa Altadonna, owner of Rosalbah, located south of Brisbane, designs luxury loungewear and sleepwear. She received a Small Business Entrepreneur Grant to work with a business consultant to identify the businesses target market, create brand consistency and develop messaging.

“The demand for luxury loungewear has grown significantly in Australia over the past few years,” Ms Altadonna said.

“Rosalbah’s collection boasts a range of elegant, multi-purpose garments, hand-made from the finest silks. However, launching any new business comes with its own unique challenges, and this grant will give me the support to ensure Rosalbah is well-positioned for continued growth and success.”

EGI Tile Contractors on the Gold Coast also received funding through the first round of the Small Business Entrepreneur Grants. Owner Emanuel Ibrahim is using his grant money to develop a plan to take his business into new areas.

“I started EGI Tile Contractors two years ago because I wanted to give customers a specialised level of service and meet the changing market demand,” Mr Ibrahim said.

“The business has grown each year and I now employ six staff, plus contract other small business owners. One of our major projects is the provision of tiling for the townhouses in the Commonwealth Games Village Parklands. It’s one of about six projects we have going so we are certainly very busy.

“Getting a business plan developed means we have a firm course of action to assist us moving into this high growth phase. These grants are a great program and I’m excited to be part of it.”

Applications for the Small Business Entrepreneur Grants Program close at 5pm on 21 November 2017. To apply and for more information including eligibility, guidelines and terms and conditions, visit the Business Queensland website. (www.business.qld.gov.au/entrepreneur).

ENDS

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