Why are micro businesses undervalued? – StartupSmart

With an election looming on the weekend, you have to wonder why the 82.4% of Australian businesses – you know, the very, very small operators – get so little attention or recognition.

 

Is it because we don’t have a voice?

 

Is it because we don’t collectively make enough to warrant that voice be heard?

 

No matter the winning political party at the end of the day, the government would be wise to start paying more attention to little businesses, because they’re self-organising their own support networks and they’re growing in number.

 

A recent example of this is the Queensland Business Group on Facebook. More than 3000 Queensland SMEs have joined the group in the past three years and the group has been highly influential, with many businesses improving their bottom line dramatically because of the connections they have made in the group. The group has been so successful it is now being turned into a business.

 

It can take up to five years or more to establish your micro business as a viable business and the government should be doing more to support fledgling niche businesses but they don’t and so we have to organise ourselves and that’s why groups like Queensland Business Group have been so successful.

 

For little businesses, broadband is a big issue. Not only does broadband connect micro business owners to other business owners but the lack of a decent internet connection can have a devastating impact.

 

The sometimes-dodgy internet connection at my home office prevents me from doing things like live-stream events and sometimes even just humble webinars. Anytime more than 10 people sign up for one of my webinars, my internet connection suffers.

 

Little businesses need an effective broadband solution to function and to contribute to the economy, otherwise, how can we grow?

 

Entrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon and it is here to stay. My vote will go to the party that is paying the most attention to the needs of little businesses and the families they sustain.

 

How about yours?