Grant scheme held small business bolster resilience, Davies
Author: Mia Davies
Published on: 24-November-2011
Member for the Agricultural Region, Mia Davies has welcomed the launch of a $350,000 small business resilience support package.
Ms Davies said the State Government’s 2011 Small Business Grant Scheme would assist businesses in the Agricultural Region to recover from the dry season crisis of 2010.
“While much of the Wheatbelt has now received rainfall, for many businesses the ramifications caused by the drought conditions of 2010 remain,” Ms Davies said.
The objective of the grant scheme is to encourage business owners to build resilience in their non-farm, regional businesses.
“By improving their enterprises’ ability to weather the fall-out from unfavourable climatic events, small business owners minimise risk and subsequently, the need for crisis management.”
“In the Agricultural Region, a season of drought conditions impacts as much on the greater business community as it does on the farming sector,” Ms Davies said.
“By using this grant to build resilience, small business owners can not only ensure the continued viability and prosperity of their own businesses, but their communities as a whole.”
To be eligible for the grant business owners will need to identify and develop strategies for areas of their operation within which resilience can be bolstered.
“The $350,000, administered by the Small Business Development Corporation, will be used by businesses that are supplying substantial goods or services to one or more of the areas within the designated region.”
The grant provides a subsidy of up to $1500 to help eligible small businesses cover the cost of a professional service provider (accountant, financial planner, legal practitioner or management consultant).
These contracted services will identify areas of the business that can be improved, and develop strategies that will increase the resilience of the business and its capacity to withstand the impact of future dry seasons.
