Small Business Friendly Brisbane initiative

Our commitments

• We will raise the profile and capability of small businesses.
• We will promote and showcase small businesses.

What we've done

Raise profile and capability

• We've hosted the Business in Brisbane Facebook group since 2020 to bring local business owners together to access information and support. The group has more than 5300 members as at June 2024.
• We've delivered 62 support, training and education sessions and 110 workshops at the Brisbane Business Hub and delivered 32 capacity-building training opportunities at the Suburban Business Hub.
• We've established precinct websites for Banyo Village and Rosalie Village through the Growing Precincts Together program.
• We've delivered the 18th Lord Mayor's Business Awards, with 182 businesses and businesspeople honoured to date, as well as hosting the Lord Mayor's Multicultural Business Dinner and Awards.
• We've delivered the Lord Mayor's Women in Business Grants awarding 53 female business owners a share of $250,000 funding.
• We've delivered the Future Food and MedTech accelerators to provide fit-for-purpose development opportunities to assist businesses to scale.
• We've provided Brisbetter Explore promotions to encourage residents to visit local businesses and buy local.
• We've provided training to 40 creators through the Maker Entrepreneurship program to help solo entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

Promote and showcase

• We've included the Business Chamber Queensland Small Business Award in the Lord Mayor's Business Awards to recognise excellence in running a small business in Brisbane.
• We've provided regular email updates to chamber and trader groups, promoted their offerings via custom postcards, Council's website and the Business in Brisbane Facebook group.
• We've featured articles in the regular Business in Brisbane newsletter which also provides information on events, opportunities, business support, grants and more.
• We've recognised longstanding businesses as #localicons in the Business in Brisbane Facebook group to raise their profile and expand their customer reach.
• We are active participants and members in a range of industry groups to gain increased awareness of sectors so we can promote and showcase their activities and members.
• We've delivered the Visit Brisbane and Choose Brisbane websites to promote Brisbane businesses nationally and internationally.
• We've displayed the wares of 28 Brisbane makers in the Local Business Showcase window of the Suburban Business Hub, resulting in sales and increased awareness for these businesses.

Our commitments

• We will actively communicate and engage with small businesses.
• We will develop and promote place-based programs for small businesses.

What we've done

Communicate and engage

• We established the Brisbane Business Hotline in 2012 to provide a dedicated 24/7 phone channel to support business in Brisbane.
• We hosted 6 Small Business Roundtable meetings which provided useful input and feedback to inform Council's programs, and the Queensland Small Business Commissioner is now a member.
• We've engaged with 1591 businesses at the Suburban Business Hub and delivered workshops to 2000 attendees through the Brisbane Business Hub.
• We've provided dedicated Council contacts and regular engagement resulting in stronger links with Brisbane's business networks.

Place-based programs

• We've launched the Better Suburbs - Places and Spaces initiative to revitalise the neighbourhood precinct at the corner of Ryans Road and Robinson Road, Nundah.
• We've launched the Growing Precincts Together initiatives in Wynnum Town Centre and Banyo Village as a place-based program for small business.
• We've funded the establishment of a precinct website for Rosalie Village and a precinct website, Facebook and Instagram pages for Banyo Village.
• We've facilitated business coaching to 12 businesses and support for food businesses to 6 business owners across Wynnum Town Centre and Banyo Village.
• We've sponsored Maker Markets in Racecourse Road, a First Friday event series in Rosalie Village, and the Giddy-up Country Festival in Sandgate.
• We've provided the Precinct Playbook as an online resource providing practical advice and resources to help precincts promote, support, refresh and activate their locations.

Our commitments

• We will simplify administration and regulation for small business (red tape reduction).
• We will ensure fair procurement and prompt payment terms for small businesses.
• We will support small business resilience and recovery.
• We will measure and report on our performance.

What we've done

Simplify administration and regulation

• We've maintained a dedicated complaints page which outlines how to make a complaint and provides transparent information about how Council investigates complaints.
• We regularly conduct cross-Council policy updates to revise Council policy including local laws, planning and procurement policy.
• We've improved the information available about Council's rules for advertising devices and provided fit-for-purpose information for small business signs.

Fair procurement

• We've maintained 7-day payment terms for small business suppliers to Council. 
• We've offered 10 Talk to Procurement drop-in sessions at the Suburban Business Hub.
• We've partnered with SAP Ariba to launch a new platform to manage supplier registrations and upcoming business opportunities.
• We facilitated the Better Brisbane Proposal process to provide a clear pathway for market-led proposals.

Resilience and recovery

• We've supported small business resilience and recovery through co-working opportunities and workshops at the Brisbane Business Hub and Suburban Business Hub.
• We've provided 160 one-on-one mentoring sessions through the Brisbane Business Mentors at the Brisbane Business Hub.
• We've posted #support local messages each month in our Business in Brisbane Facebook group and encouraged members to comment to share information about their business or favourite business.
• We've offered a tailored 'Survive, Sustain, Succeed' workshop at the Suburban Business Hub for businesses to learn how to plan for, and respond to, a range of potential crises.
• We've launched the Vibrantly Vacant art decals program with 7 themes to inspire potential tenants and enhance the visual appeal of vacant shopfronts.

Measure and report

• We've regularly convened the Small Business Roundtable to gain insight and feedback to shape Council's support and programs.
• We've provided a dedicated Council contact to Brisbane's business networks and communicated regularly to achieve productive engagement.
• We've published this page to share our small business commitment and continued dedication.