Last week was Queensland Small Business week and we were proud to sponsor a Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry event to Celebrate Small Business. It was great to see over 50 small business owners attend the event to learn more about Leadership from Joe Rea of BSL, gain an insight into a study of the Gladstone economy presented by UHY Haines Norton Gladstone, and to network with each other.
As a small business owner you are often required to be a jack of all trades – of course you must be an expert in your product or service, but you also need to be a leader/supervisor, HR specialist, bookkeeper, marketer and the tea and tidy/maintenance-man! It’s difficult to be across all aspects of business and to keep up with all there is to know and understand. So attending events to increase your knowledge of all things business is a fun and social way of learning.
Attending events with other like-minded people also gives you an invaluable opportunity to talk to other people who are in the same position as you, to gain tips and tricks from those who have been there and done that, and quite simply it reduces the loneliness that can be associated with being in small business. It can also lead to increased business by talking to people about what you can offer!
In our experience, business owners that reach out – either by simply attending events or even better, by seeking advice from professional and qualified business advisors – are more successful. Their businesses often perform better financially, and as business owners they are more resilient and confident. They generally make better business decisions more quickly to grow their business, or in response to changing external conditions. Quite simply, there is a direct connection between support and success.
We all want our community to grow and prosper, and the key to this is not necessarily the “next big thing”, but rather all of us supporting our local small business owners. Buying local has never been more important. If we support them, they will support our community by offering products, services and employment.
If you need support in your small business, call the professional accountants and business advisors at UHY Haines Norton Gladstone on 49721300, we are here for you.