Grants available to help small businesses get a kickstart

 Visiting the students at Warrigal Road State School today, Minister for Employment and Small Business Shannon Fentiman said the latest round of small business grants will help local businesses to thrive and grow, leading to more jobs for Queenslanders.

"We know the first few years can be tough for a new business and the latest round of grants are about providing business owners with the professional advice and support they need to succeed and reach their goals," Ms Fentiman said.

"Queensland is home to more than 426,000 small businesses and I’m proud that the Palaszczuk Government can assist the increasing number of business owners.

"If 15% of Queensland’s small businesses employed one more person, 23,000 new jobs would be created.

"I encourage small businesses to apply for funding to access advice on tax or financial matters, mentoring and coaching, business and strategic planning, market research and marketing strategies, including branding, social media and digital strategies."

Sarah Middlecoat, founder of It’s Rocket Science, Australia’s only water rocket specialists used funding to access business coaching and professional advice on growing her STEM education business.

"We have a lot of knowledge about science but not about business, we can’t be experts on everything and that’s why we engaged with business professionals," Ms Middlecoat said.

"It has been brilliant, we have seen fantastic growth in our business and have continued to access business coaching.

"We started in November 2016 as a business of one and since receiving the grant we have been able to employ two more people.

"It’s Rocket Science can now reach more schools and educate kids of all ages and abilities in STEM, starting from basic physics right through to complex acceleration."

"This week we took out the award for Most Innovative Company for the Asia Pacific Business Excellence Awards on the Gold Coast."

"The coaching has really pushed us forward, laying the foundation for a successful business and without it we would not be where we are today."

"Since we opened the Office of Small Business in 2016, we have allocated more than 1,400 grants, totalling almost $7.7 million, through various programs to help Queensland small businesses start, grow and employ," Ms Fentiman said.

Applications for the Small Business Entrepreneur Grants Program close at 5pm on 6 June 2018. For more information including how to apply, eligibility criteria, guidelines and terms and conditions, visit the Business Queensland website (www.business.qld.gov.au/entrepreneur).

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Inga Williams 0410 769 711