❓ The Minister for Small Business provides a positive update on the Business Local program, highlighting its client-focused approach, increased number of business advisors, and positive economic impact in both metropolitan and regional WA.
AnsweredQoN 721Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUSINESS LOCAL PROGRAM
721. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the Minister for
Small Business:
Can the minister please update the
house on how the Business Local program is improving services for small
businesses in metropolitan and regional Western Australia?
721. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the Minister for
Small Business:
Can the minister please update the
house on how the Business Local program is improving services for small
businesses in metropolitan and regional Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bateman for
the question. The Liberal–National government is not a government that
just sits still on its programs and policies.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am
getting the wall of noise.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
It is a Liberal–National government that is continuously looking to
self-improve its programs and processes to broaden the economy, support small
businesses, build jobs and grow this great state. The Small Business
Development Corporation's Business Local service is an outstanding
example of just that. It was commenced in July 2015, and replaced the previous
small business centre network. It was put out to tender, so that the private
sector could tender to get the best advisers available to support small
businesses in the regions and in metropolitan Perth.
Mr
J.M. Francis : It is an outstanding idea.
Mr
S.K. L'ESTRANGE : Yes, minister, it is an outstanding idea. The
former Minister for Small Business had a fair bit to do with it—and well
done.
It provides a service to nine
regional areas and three metropolitan areas throughout Western Australia. The
real improvement has been that it is client focused. Being client focused means
that we get the best advisers who are truly mobile. They are armed with their
mobile phones, laptops, software programs et cetera that help them go to the
small businesses that need support, get out into the regions and sit down in a place
that is comfortable for that small business proprietor to understand how to go
about improving or setting up their business. This has meant that approximately
90 per cent of the funds now go directly to providing small business advice.
That is because we no longer have to allocate those funds to overheads and
administration costs, which are borne by the provider, not the government. It
is a huge improvement.
Getting around the state in my two
portfolios of mines and petroleum and small business has enabled me to meet up
with these business advisers, and has enabled them to show me around the
different businesses that they have been supporting. I have gone to Kalgoorlie,
Busselton, Geraldton, Moora and Kununurra, just to name a few, and of course
throughout metropolitan Perth. I must say that I have been extremely impressed
with the professionalism and enthusiasm of these business advisers, who
actually take in the business proprietors themselves. The business advisers
have a really close, bonded relationship with these people and they genuinely
want to help. It is about not only providing them with some pro formas and
advice as under the old system, but also engaging, supporting and helping. It
is an outstanding service and the businesses that I visited in those regions
very recently were very impressed with it.
Some great statistics have come out.
As a result of this business local service, it now employs 66 per cent more
business advisers than did the previous service model. That is a massive
improvement. In the first year of the program, there were 33 000 client
engagements and 12 810 action plans created. This contributed to a reported
$96.9 million of net economic impact, comprising $53 million of increased
business turnover, $28.8 million of capital investment and $15.1 million in
newly created jobs. This new service provision approach that we have taken as
the Liberal–National government has demonstrated the improvement to the
economy. It is an outstanding achievement. This job-creating, small business–supporting
Liberal–National government should be proud of its achievements in the
first year of this new program.
the question. The Liberal–National government is not a government that
just sits still on its programs and policies.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am
getting the wall of noise.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
It is a Liberal–National government that is continuously looking to
self-improve its programs and processes to broaden the economy, support small
businesses, build jobs and grow this great state. The Small Business
Development Corporation's Business Local service is an outstanding
example of just that. It was commenced in July 2015, and replaced the previous
small business centre network. It was put out to tender, so that the private
sector could tender to get the best advisers available to support small
businesses in the regions and in metropolitan Perth.
Mr
J.M. Francis : It is an outstanding idea.
Mr
S.K. L'ESTRANGE : Yes, minister, it is an outstanding idea. The
former Minister for Small Business had a fair bit to do with it—and well
done.
It provides a service to nine
regional areas and three metropolitan areas throughout Western Australia. The
real improvement has been that it is client focused. Being client focused means
that we get the best advisers who are truly mobile. They are armed with their
mobile phones, laptops, software programs et cetera that help them go to the
small businesses that need support, get out into the regions and sit down in a place
that is comfortable for that small business proprietor to understand how to go
about improving or setting up their business. This has meant that approximately
90 per cent of the funds now go directly to providing small business advice.
That is because we no longer have to allocate those funds to overheads and
administration costs, which are borne by the provider, not the government. It
is a huge improvement.
Getting around the state in my two
portfolios of mines and petroleum and small business has enabled me to meet up
with these business advisers, and has enabled them to show me around the
different businesses that they have been supporting. I have gone to Kalgoorlie,
Busselton, Geraldton, Moora and Kununurra, just to name a few, and of course
throughout metropolitan Perth. I must say that I have been extremely impressed
with the professionalism and enthusiasm of these business advisers, who
actually take in the business proprietors themselves. The business advisers
have a really close, bonded relationship with these people and they genuinely
want to help. It is about not only providing them with some pro formas and
advice as under the old system, but also engaging, supporting and helping. It
is an outstanding service and the businesses that I visited in those regions
very recently were very impressed with it.
Some great statistics have come out.
As a result of this business local service, it now employs 66 per cent more
business advisers than did the previous service model. That is a massive
improvement. In the first year of the program, there were 33 000 client
engagements and 12 810 action plans created. This contributed to a reported
$96.9 million of net economic impact, comprising $53 million of increased
business turnover, $28.8 million of capital investment and $15.1 million in
newly created jobs. This new service provision approach that we have taken as
the Liberal–National government has demonstrated the improvement to the
economy. It is an outstanding achievement. This job-creating, small business–supporting
Liberal–National government should be proud of its achievements in the
first year of this new program.
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