Bizweek 2021

By Business SA, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive, Martin Haese.

Published in The Advertiser SA Business Journal on Tuesday 27 April 2021.

After the 12 months that many small business owners have had, it’s timely to get together and embrace the week that for many will assist in building focus for the year ahead.

It’s Bizweek, and this year the primary focus is all around small business and the critical role that SMEs play in South Australia’s economic and jobs recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In South Australia, according to the SA Business Information Hub, small business accounts for 98% of all businesses in South Australia, employing 36% of the state’s workforce and delivering a $35 billion contribution to the local economy every year.

This year, Bizweek is delivered by the South Australian Government’s Department for Innovation and Skills in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank and supported by Business SA, and is running a series of workshops from April 27 to 30 across Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, the Adelaide Hills and Port Pirie, with many of the events streamed through their virtual hub.

Small businesses, or ‘SMEs’ account for most of Business SA’s membership, and our products and services are tailored to support these vitally important enterprises, so our contribution to Bizweek’s program of events is highly relevant.

With Business SA’s strong focus on enabling business growth for our members, and for all South Australian businesses, I am looking forward to Business SA’s presentation at our Greenhill Road headquarters, by board member Joel Abraham, ‘Turning Around and Scaling your Business’. Joel will present a masterclass on his story of turning around his small family business, into the powerhouse that is the Australian Institute of Business, one of the most dominate online providers of the MBA (Master of Business Administration) qualifications and how he transformed it into a globally recognised institution. I encourage you to contact Business SA to register for this event.

Although this masterclass is important, I equally encourage business owners to engage in additional sessions available this week. This is an opportunity for business owners and managers to engage with government to find out ways in which they are supporting small businesses to tackle the current challenges. It has been a difficult 12 months for many, so it’s timely to receive up to date information that will assist in the road to recovery.

Business owners have shown great resilience through the COVID-19 pandemic, finding creative ways to operate under ever changing circumstances. Many have done so quite autonomously. With face-to-face networking now back in full swing, I have a feeling that Bizweek will energise the small business community and drive our economy further out of the pandemic.