Page 971 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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accomplishment for the family in achieving success. Lifestyle choices also play a part, as family-owned businesses give the family the opportunity to work flexible hours. This allows people greater control when trying to balance leisure time, work and family.
The ACT government is an advocate of family-owned businesses as we are, indeed, of all small and medium businesses. We have put our money where our mouth is. The Gallagher Labor government is proud of its achievements in supporting small and microbusinesses in the territory and the pathways and networks we have created to assist small and microbusinesses to tap into support and advice.
We are particularly proud of the Canberra BusinessPoint business advisory service and the high levels of access by the small and microbusiness community in that program. Canberra BusinessPoint is a gateway to practical advice and support for both existing businesses and those intending to start a business in Canberra. It is a unique model in Australia, a small business advisory service based in the business community but funded by government.
Currently over 700 small and microbusinesses, and intenders, are accessing the services and support under the program. Last year more than 200 people attended business 101 and business fundamentals workshops. More than 80 participants attended master classes on sales, HR issues, insurance and marketing. There were 320 participants in various networking events and more than 140 clients have made use of one-on-one business mentoring sessions.
The ACT government’s support of Canberra BusinessPoint also funds specialist programs delivered by the Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre that closely works with the early stage technology businesses and entrepreneurs that are commercialising innovative ideas and research and development. Around 180 clients accessed these specialist services last year.
As an aside, I am pleased to note that Lighthouse also runs the highly successful women and microcredit program for the government, a great initiative to give women in challenged circumstances the opportunity for financial independence through a business venture. Canberra BusinessPoint is just part of a suite of programs and services that are supported by the government that can be accessed by small and microbusinesses in the territory.
Other examples include the ACT InnovationConnect grant program, which assists local entrepreneurs and innovators with the step-up assistance needed to start out on the commercialisation pathway; the ACT TradeConnect grant program, which provides financial support through small grants to assist ACT SMEs to diversify their market base by developing export opportunities; the ACT Exporters Network and export awards, which help to clear a path for Canberra companies looking to access international markets; CollabIT, which connects local SMEs to larger technology companies to help them grow through collaboration and participation in larger procurement projects; and ScreenACT, which, amongst other things, works closely with aspiring filmmakers, screen producers and scriptwriters to help them build their dreams into start-up businesses and self-sustaining projects. We also have a range of venture capital involvements in partnership with the private sector.
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