Small Business Connect: November 2022

The monthly Small Business Connect newsletter keeps you up to date with all the latest information for Queensland small businesses. Brought to you by the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.

In this article:

Disability Action Week, which runs 26 November – 2 December, recognises the contributions people with disability make to our families and communities, and to Queensland’s economy.

This year’s theme, ‘Workforce Diversity: open up to opportunity’, celebrates the skills, talents and abilities people that with disability bring to workplaces.

The Disability Action Week 2022 campaign encourages employers to consider the actions they can take to attract skilled and qualified candidates — and reap the benefits of a diverse workforce.

Employers who embrace diversity attract top-tier candidates and enjoy bottom-line benefits, including increased profitability; higher employee retention, reliability, and loyalty; and improved trust and reputation.

Watch this video to learn more about how to harness the benefits of a diverse workforce for your business. Visit qld.gov.au/daw for more information.

Finish the year on a strong note or take a fresh approach to 2023 with Business Queensland‘s newly refreshed topics for growing your business and managing sales.

Follow our 10 steps to a successful sale and maximise your business’ potential by taking the right steps to approach and close transactions.

A thorough understanding of your product or service is key to successfully projecting your knowledge and expertise, as is the ability to tailor your offering to suit the customer.

Both enable you to confidently communicate, build rapport, and negotiate while building your way towards achieving your sales targets.

Visit the improving your sales skills section to learn more on the topic, and to tap into a library of other useful resources to support your business.

Other newly refined topics this month include:

Be sure to keep your business toolkit up to date – visit Business Queensland and see all the other fantastic tools you can start to use immediately – including templates, planning tools, step-by-step guides, calculators, checklists and more!

Registrations of Interest for the Business Basics Grants program are now open. Grants of $5,000 are available to eligible small businesses to build basic capabilities and upgrade skills.
With everything from website upgrades to strategic marketing projects to training and coaching sessions eligible for funding.

Registrations of Interest to apply will close 11.59pm, Monday 5 December 2022.

Read more here: www.business.qld.gov.au/business-basics.

Small business operators often face significant psychological strain arising from high workload, compromised work-life balance and financial pressures.

To inspire their own workers and help others deal with these issues, agribusiness OBE Organic has featured in a new film highlighting its journey to better workplace mental health.

An Australian premium organic meat producer, the company has a strong vision to support farmers and rural producers by forming active partnerships to support its employees and people in their supply chains.

Developed with the support from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the new film reinforces the importance of fostering a culture of health and safety, and designing healthy and safe work – with OBE providing a practical example of how to do it right.

OBE has developed its own tips for a mentally healthy workplace, as well as templates and processes to support individuals. Its efforts have been rewarded with recognition from Mental Health First Aid Australia as a gold mental health first aid skilled workplace.

Business Launchpad (BLP) was recently featured as a key reference tool at the ‘Growing Migrant and Refugee Food Business’ workshop in Townsville which aimed to provide practical information for business-intenders from diverse backgrounds, looking to start their business journey in Queensland.

The six-day event was delivered by major partners Small Business Financial Counselling Service, James Cook University Tax Clinic, Townsville City Council and Services Australia.

On day two, participants from five different nationalities were assisted through a facilitated session to complete their business profiles on BLP. This included working through the questionnaire that builds tailor-made guides specific to each attendees’ business needs.

The event was a fantastic example of BLP streamlining small business requirements from multiple websites and bringing it all to one location. BLP’s functionality makes it an incredibly useful and authoritative reference point for all business-related regulatory information, helping users understand the ‘bigger picture’ as they begin their business journey.

With all business-types, industries and locations now covered, BLP can help all users better understand their industry’s business requirements and feel in control of preparing to start and run their business.

Visit Business Launchpad and see how it can help your business today.

The Back to Work program, in partnership with TAFE Queensland, has developed a range of free, online short courses to provide you with additional skills and build your confidence as a small business employer.

Three of the six available courses cover aspects of building inclusive workplaces that reflect the community:

Communicating effectively with people with disability
Cultural inclusiveness: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the workplace
Cultural responsiveness: Aboriginal: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the workplace
These self-paced courses provide employers with the necessary context, practical skills and knowledge to foster effective communication strategies, respond to cultural needs in the workplace and to support positive working relationships with people with disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Upon the completion, participants will be awarded a digital badge to recognise your learning outcomes which can be displayed in the workplace and on social media. For more information visit Back to Work’s Small Business Short Courses.

Ever wondered how the Queensland Government ensures quality outcomes from its investment in training — worth more than $1.2 billion in 2022-23?

A new online hub highlights the government’s focus on quality, with links to key information, resources and news.

When it comes to quality training, everyone has a role to play. The Queensland Government works with business and industry to fund training that delivers the right skills.Training providers are supported to deliver quality training and assessment services and the national regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority makes sure qualification standards are met.

The hub also links to help for students to make informed decisions so they make the most of any funded training entitlements, including a student guide and support from the Queensland Training Ombudsman to resolve issues.

Quality is also celebrated through training news and the Queensland Training Awards, which has been shining a spotlight on excellence and the power of skills for 61 years.

Be sure to check out focus on quality to learn more.

A sustainable business focus is ‘the right thing for the environment and the right thing for business’ according to B & C Plastics owners Royston and Wendy Kent.

B & C Plastics design, develop and manufacture plastic injection model products. The Meadowbrook business is one of more than 1000 Queensland businesses to benefit from CCIQ’s ecoBiz program.

Wendy said ecoBiz helped them to cut water and energy use by 10 per cent and waste by 45 per cent within the first year.

“We've saved a lot of money, which obviously is a good thing and we've saved so much waste going into landfill. It's an incredible journey with ecoBiz,” Wendy said.

“By joining the program you’re doing the right thing for the environment but also the right thing for your business.”

With the help of an ecoBiz sustainability expert, businesses are supported to develop an action plan to save money and increase efficiencies on water, waste and energy.

For details visit the ecoBiz website.

The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) has developed a new online guide to help new licensees navigate the requirements of their liquor licence.

The online guide brings everything together in the one place and provides links to further detail if you need it.

There’s a lot to learn when you first start out and a range of obligations to meet with licence conditions or the Liquor Act 1992. The online guide explains licensee responsibilities relating to advertising and signage, safety and amenity and the responsible service of alcohol, in an easy-to-understand format.

New liquor licensees can learn more by:

checking out the online guide
accessing OLGR’s online client portal
following OLGR on Facebook and Instagram
contacting OLGR.

The storm season is upon us again and the Small Business Disaster Hub has created a variety of resources to help you prepare this year.

Preparing your business for disaster is much like preparing your home for disaster, with a few extra steps:

Check your insurances are up to date and adequately cover your business.
Check with your local council for weather updates.
Secure loose equipment and other hazardous materials.
Pack an emergency kit, including portable data storage, spare keys and mobile phone chargers.

Visit the Small Business Disaster Hub to see Top 10 tips to manage a natural disaster or to find out more on how you can prepare your business for this storm season.

Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants extended to 10 March 2023

The Queensland Government continues to show its support for the small business sector by extending the application deadline for the Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants.

South East Queensland primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations impacted by rainfall and flooding between February and April 2022 have more time to apply with the application deadline extended to 10 March 2023.

Grants of up to $75,000 are available for primary producers, and $50,000 for small businesses and not-for-profit organisations. Grants are jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), and are designed to assist with the costs of clean-up, and reinstatement of operations.

The application extension date was in response to feedback from affected communities, acknowledging the severe and ongoing challenges of recent weather events, and to ensure that every eligible Queenslander has access to the support they need.

To apply, visit www.qrida.qld.gov.au or contact QRIDA on 1800 623 946.

Nominations open for the 2023 Queensland Reconciliation Awards

Now is your chance to nominate for the 2023 Queensland Reconciliation Awards, with nominations open across five categories — business, community, education, health and wellbeing, and partnership.

Do you know an initiative or organisation who is going above and beyond their core business to foster reconciliation and pave the way for a better future?

Nominations close 5pm, Friday 3 February 2023 and the 2023 Queensland Reconciliation Award recipients will be announced at a ceremony during reconciliation week (27 May–3 June 2023).

To learn about the online nomination process, visit qld.gov.au/reconciliation.

Celebrating Reconciliation - grants now open

Applications are now open for the Queensland Government’s Celebrating Reconciliation Grants Program for 2023.

The program will support up to 37 Queensland-based reconciliation events and activities held in or around National Reconciliation Week.

Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June 2023) celebrates and builds on respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples.

Eligible organisations can apply for grants of up to $3,000 (exclusive of GST) per event or activity to deliver a range of initiatives that:

promote and facilitate truth-telling, healing, trust and respectful relationships between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Queenslanders
promote inclusion through strengthening relationships between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Queenslanders
raise community awareness of National Reconciliation Week
offer community members opportunities to learn, share and grow — for example, through sharing stories about past events, and showcasing local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, arts and cultural activities.

Applications close 11.59pm, Friday 23 December 2022. For more information visit www.qld.gov.au/recgrants

Nominate now for the Queensland Greats Awards

Do you know an inspirational Queenslander who should be recognised for their significant dedication to Queensland? It could be an industry expert or leader, colleague or a community organisation that has positively influenced our state.

This is your chance to nominate them for the 2023 Queensland Greats Awards, with nominations open across three categories—Individual, Institution and Posthumous.

Nominations close 5pm, Friday 17 February 2023. The 2023 Queensland Greats will be announced at a ceremony in Brisbane in June 2023.

For more about the awards nomination process visit www.qld.gov.au/qldgreats

Let us help you get more out of your business!

The Queensland Government's Mentoring for Growth (M4G) program offers free and confidential mentoring sessions where you are matched with business experts to help you understand business processes, talk through a problem in your business or identify business growth opportunities. We have multiple 45-minute sessions available each day.

Experienced M4G mentors can assist you with anything related to your business and you can register for a mentoring session at any time.

Applications for the Queensland Government’s Community Partnership Innovation Grants are now open, with up to $3 million in funds available for communities across Queensland.

One-off grants up to $300,000 are available for short-term projects that support young people who are or could become offenders, to change their behaviours, improve their connection with community, and increase community safety.

The Queensland Government is seeking to engage local communities, businesses and organisations in trialing new ideas and projects that address the drivers of youth offending and related issues across the state.

Applicants are encouraged to develop proposals that are designed in consultation with the community and can be delivered to meet the needs of the young people, their families, and the broader community.

If you have an innovative solution that could help form lasting, meaningful connections for young people and work to reduce youth offending, please see further information about the grants and how to apply.

Applications close 11.59pm, 30 January 2023 with successful projects to commence from 31 March 2023. Visit www.cyjma.qld.gov.au/yjcommunitypartnershipgrant

In addition to this newsletter, you can receive the latest information from the Queensland and Australian Governments through the Business Queensland website. You can also follow us through the Business Queensland Facebook page.