Small businesses across the state will benefit from a program designed to boost their skills in business fundamentals as part of our $14.25 million Small Business Strategy.

The Small Business Fundamentals Program will be delivered by 10 partner organisations across South Australia to increase the skills, capability and capacity of small businesses and their workforces.

Expected outcomes include improved profitability and competitiveness, more South Australians employed in small and family businesses, and greater diversity in the state’s business sector.

The program is one of 20 initiatives in South Australia’s Small Business Strategy, launched last week by Premier Peter Malinauskas.

The Strategy outlines the policies and programs to support small businesses until 2030, informed by one of the largest engagement exercises ever undertaken by government with the business community.

There are 10 partner organisations which will commence delivering business fundamentals programs across regional and metropolitan South Australia:

*Business SA – Business Fundamentals Program
*City of Salisbury – The Polaris Small Business Fundamentals Program
*South Australian Wine Industry Association – Wine Industry Small Business Growth and Resilience Program
*Creative Plus Business Group – Creative Small Business Incubator and Accelerator
*Regional Development Australia (RDA) Limestone Coast – Limestone Coast Small Business Support
*RDA Eyre Peninsula – Eyre Peninsula Small Business First Program
*City of Marion – Southern Business Mentoring Program Extension Service
*RDA Yorke and Mid North – Small Business Fundamentals – Business 2 Business Advisory Program
*RDA Far North – Business Planning for Success Program
*Social Traders – Business for Good: SA Social Enterprise Sector Development Program

Programs will include mentoring and business coaching as well as training in legal and financial management, human resources, workforce development and planning, transition or succession planning, digital literacy, strategic planning, marketing and becoming an employer of choice.

Delivery partners will prioritise support for regional businesses and underrepresented cohorts including First Nations people, women, business owners living with disability, and culturally and linguistically diverse business owners.

For more information visit: www.business.sa.gov.au/fundamentals


Quotes

Attributable to Andrea Michaels MP

During our engagement process last year, the small business community told us their biggest challenges are a lack of time and resources to focus on strategy or growth as well as cashflow and lack of access to capital, attracting and retaining staff, digital literacy and other foundational skills.

The Small Business Fundamentals Program responds directly to these challenges, providing the tools and tailored support for small and family businesses to build their business know-how and capability in areas critical to long-term sustainability and growth.

Our delivery partners have been selected to ensure a balance of support for small businesses, across industry sectors and throughout metropolitan and regional South Australia.

Attributable to Andrew Kay, CEO of Business SA

Small business owners are often so entrenched in working in their business, they don’t take the time to step back and work on the areas that are critical to their longevity.

Business SA’s Business Fundamentals program will encourage businesses to better understand how to set themselves up for success.

The issues faced by small businesses looking to grow are consistent in their themes and the Business Fundamentals program has been shaped to address these in a framework that is comprehensive, yet easily accessed and implemented.

The Business Fundamentals Program will help South Australian businesses by providing them with access to essential knowledge, assisting them to sustainably grow their businesses.

Business SA has a rich history in delivering such programs and looks forward to partnering with the Malinauskas Government to deliver the Small Business Strategy.