While Small Business Month ended in May, it’s important to keep celebrating and I say “Bring it on”. This month, we travelled to Charleville, Cairns and Beenleigh focusing on nurturing young business leaders. Did you know that less than 8% of small business owners are under the age of 30? We were thrilled to meet over 60 small business owners still attending school who shared their incredible ideas ranging from apps for nonverbal neurodivergent children - giving them the chance to communicate with their families, to boutique baked goods, and social enterprises that deliver fashion-driven mental health initiatives to improve the mental health of young people. Their dedication, courage, grit, and passion are truly inspiring!

At the Tropical Innovation Festival, we partnered to provide small business owners in Cairns and the surrounding regions a deep dive into innovation. It was our first time attending, and we were amazed by the diversity - from quantum physics to photography, consultancy to botany. If you haven’t attended this annual event, mark your calendar! It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect, raise capital, engage with trusted advisers, and shift your mindset, as Lucy Bloom suggests, from “catastrophizing to fantasizing”.

During small business month in May, we released our report “Understanding the Life Cycle of Small Business and the Mindset of Small Businesses in Queensland”. We are proud to announce the report will be presented at the International Council of Small Business World Congress in July. It is also nominated for the best paper award. If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to read the Understanding the life cycle of Queensland small business snapshot and report.

As the financial year ends, we remind you of four new funding streams available from the Department of Small Business Employment and Training. Explore more at Small business grants schedule | Business Queensland.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who participated in our Small Business Roundtables. Our regional members, industry bodies and landlords have worked closely with us over the last 12 months and their insights have been invaluable for small businesses across the state and has helped shape our advocacy! We look forward to reconvening in the next financial year.

Keep celebrating small business with us – there’s so much more to come!

Photo caption: Dominique Lamb, Julia Spicer, Tracy Sheen (The Digital Guide), Kat Lyn (foodie Shots) at Topical Innovation Festival - Cairns.

• 3 July – Logan Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast

• 11 July – Ipswich City Council New Business Breakfast

• 24 July – Boonah Chamber of Commerce Networking Dinner

The new Queensland Small Business Strategy aims to ensure Queensland’s small businesses can continue to be innovative, adapt, grow, and succeed.

Over 3 years, the strategy will deliver 20 actions across 4 focus areas:

• Lowering costs for small businesses.
• Boosting opportunities for small businesses.
• Building business resilience, capability, and workforce.
• Growing diversity.

The Strategy is also designed to help small businesses to seize the procurement and supply chain opportunities available from the Queensland Government's Big Build program over the next 4 years.

Expression of interest (EOI) applications are open for eligible SBF Program council members.

The QSBC has partnered with Renew Australia to offer a do-it-yourself (DIY) Regional Place Activation Program tailored for towns across regional and remote Queensland. Activations are temporary, short-term commercial activities that enable local governments to cultivate more vibrant and active precincts. The program is open to our Small Business Friendly Program council members with a population less than 50,000.

If your town has a retail vacancy problem, is lacking vibrancy AND you want to bolster local small business – check out the Regional Place Activation Program.

Whether you're leasing a retail shop, office space, or industrial property it's crucial to fully understand the terms and conditions before signing any agreement.

Read our new fact sheets covering key questions, important facts, and top tips: Entering a commercial lease, Options to renew, and Ending lease early.

If you cannot find what you need, pleasecontact us for help.

New laws banning the sale of knives and other controlled items to minors comes into effect from 1 September 2024. The law requires retailers to securely store controlled items (such as double-edged knives, machetes, tomahawks, and axes) and display age-restriction signs for certain items.

To assist businesses affected by the change, the Queensland Police Service has partnered with the National Retail Association to provide advice and resources, free weekly online information sessions, and a free hotline 1800 571 146. You can register for updateshere.

Retailers selling knives are encouraged to prepare now ahead of 1 September.

Understanding the available tax deductions and how they work is crucial to ensure you do not miss out on any allowable deductions. Maximising your allowable deductions will help you reduce your tax burden and enable you to reinvest resources in your business. Our top tips:

1. Maintain accurate recordsof all expenses to support your business-related claims.
2. Avoid penalties by making timely superannuation contributions and meeting payroll obligations.
3. If you can, consult a registered tax or BAS agent.
4. Check if you are eligible for a skills and training boostfor employee training delivered by a registered training organisation between 29 March 2022 and 30 June 2024.
5. Explore whether your business is eligible for any tax concessions.
6. If your business carries stock or substantial plant and equipment review and record any adjustments.
7. Collect outstanding customer payments or check whether you can claim a bad debt deduction for unrecoverable income.
8. Protect your personal information to prevent scammers from using your identity to login to ATO online services, steal money and commit fraud in your name. Follow the ATO’s guidance on protecting your personal identifying information.
9. Do a business health check and boost your productivity in 2024-25.
10. Keep up to date with the latest tax and super news through the ATO Small Business Newsroom.

The 3G network is closing soon. The closure will affect all 3G-only devices including phones, tablets, smart watches, some security systems, mobile broadband modems, and in some cases some 3G EFTPOS terminals won’t be able to process transactions.

Some 4G enabled devices have aspects that are powered by 3G and may be impacted by the network switch off including emergency calling. Check with your service provider or device manufacturer to confirm and upgrade your device if you have received notice from them.

• Telstra: Switches off on 31 August 2024 - call 13 22 00 or visit website

• Optus: Switches off on 1 September 2024 - call133 937 or visit website

• Vodaphone/TPG Telecom: 3G network is already off - visit website

Frequently Asked Questions, information, and links to service provider contact details are available on the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association website.

The Business Boost Grants Program offers $10,000 to $20,000 in co-contributions to eligible Queensland small businesses to enhance their efficiency and productivity. Registration of interest close 5pm, Friday 5 July 2024. Learn more


Grants up to $120,000 are available for social enterprises, including Indigenous-owned organisations, through the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) to enhance business and impact capabilities until June 2026. Learn more.


Queensland Government has funded the FREE AI-Ready: Accelerating AI Adoption Course. Leveraging suitable AI-powered tools and applications can help save you time on repetitive activities like data entry, customer support, and inventory management. Learn more

Queensland Small Business Commissioner

Level 12, 53 Albert St, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000
qsbc.qld.gov.au | 1300 312 344