October update from the Commissioner

We’re only a couple of weeks away from NSW Small Business Month.

This is a great opportunity for small businesses across the State to learn new skills and strategies that will help them build a strong, sustainable future. Small businesses are still facing many challenges - legacies of COVID-19 as well as new ones like rising interest rates - and there are many events on offer to help you manage these issues.

I encourage you to head to the Small Business Month website and browse the many events already available for registration. More events are being added every day.

Childcare and early childhood education is one area where some businesses have struggled due to the stringent rules and regulations, which are often harder for smaller businesses to comply with and navigate. The Commission has published a new report on the sector with a series of recommendations to government to streamline regulations and make it easier for these businesses to operate while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our children.

La Nina is still playing havoc with the weather, unfortunately, with floods returning to regional areas in the past month, so it’s timely to remind small businesses that there is support available for those in impacted Local Government Areas.

Finally, it is pleasing to see the Commission’s work on developing the agritourism sector bear fruit, with the NSW Government announcing the start date for new agritourism planning rules, designed to make it easier for farmers to set up cafes, farmstays and other related businesses.

Chris Lamont