About 30 small business owners and leaders came together this week for CCIWA’s annual Small Business Summit, sharing insights, challenges and ideas to help shape CCIWA’s future advocacy priorities.
“The Small Business Summit is one of the most important events we run here at CCIWA because it’s another opportunity to connect with you – the businesses that make our economy tick,” he said.
“Small businesses are at the heart of our communities. Hundreds of thousands of West Australians are employed by a small business – and in fact it’s in a small business where many young people get their start in the workforce.”
Golds acknowledged the significant challenges faced by small businesses, including rising costs, workforce shortages, industrial relations changes and complex regulation.
“Rising costs, labour shortages, industrial relations, red tape and regulation are just some of the hurdles faced by small businesses in WA – and on the issue of costs in particular, our surveys tell us it doesn’t seem to be easing, despite the downward pressure on inflation,” he said.
“At CCIWA, we’re advocating loudly on all of these issues. We want a fairer tax system, simpler regulation and a more competitive business environment to keep our economy strong.”
He urged attendees to share their experiences to help guide CCIWA’s advocacy work.
“We want you to tell us about the big challenges you’re facing – what are the pressure points, and what are the opportunities?” Golds said.
Economic backdrop and open discussion
CCIWA Chief Economist Aaron Morey (left), CCIWA Acting CEO Matt Golds (centre) talking with attendees at the Small Business Summit.
Providing an economic overview, CCIWA Chief Economist Aaron Morey said the summit was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from small businesses – a vital part of ensuring their voices were reflected in policy discussions.
“We have more than 7000 members in our membership, and like the broader economy, 98% of them are small to medium enterprises,” he said.
Morey shared data on WA’s economic conditions, showing that while overall activity remained strong – particularly driven by the resources sector – small businesses were experiencing a different reality.
He highlighted rising insolvency rates and business confidence data that revealed a widening gap between large and small operators.
“We can’t allow those macro numbers to prevent us from shining a light on the experiences of all businesses within the economy,” Morey said.
“It’s really important that we peel back the layers and start to see the different experiences of businesses within this economy. There’s a huge volume of activity being generated by large resources companies, which is great, but we also need to understand the challenges faced by SMEs.”
To find out more about what we stand for, visit our Advocacy page and our new Keeping WA Strong advocacy platform.
