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Leader in small business support

• The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) has been in operation since 1984 and is the primary provider of small business information and guidance in Western Australia. We facilitate the development and growth of small businesses in Western Australia by providing information, referral and business facilitation services, and deliver programs to address specific needs within the small business sector.

• The SBDC also promotes the small business sector through research, advocacy, liaison and communication activities and supports the 25 Small Business Centres situated throughout metropolitan and regional Western Australia.

• The SBDC is also responsible for the attraction and sponsorship of business migrants on behalf of the state government, through the Business Migration Centre and provides advice and recommendations to the government of the day, on a wide range of small business and business migration matters.

• There are approximately 213,450 businesses operating in Western Australia, with 95 per cent of these being small businesses (202,818). Of these, 71 per cent (143, 787) are metropolitan businesses and 29 per cent(59,031) are based in regional and rural centres. (ABS June 2009.)

• It is estimated that approximately two thirds of all small businesses in WA are home based businesses,and almost one third are sole traders.

• Small business provides almost half of all private sector employment in Western Australia.

• Almost 35 per cent of all small businesses in WA are run by women, almost 50 per cent of home based businesses are operated by women, and 15 per cent of exporting companies in WA are led by women.

• The small business sector plays an integral role in the economic well being of our state. Although large mining and resource companies are credited with the current economic boom, they could not function without the support services provided by the small business sector.

• The SBDC has five small business networks - the Young Business Network (YBN) with 3,575 members; Home Based Business Network (HBBN) with 5,240 members, Women in Business Network (WIBN) with 1,647 members,the Small Business Exporters Network with 1,720 members and the Business Migrant Network (BMN) with 333 members.

• A survey of metropolitan (80%) and regional (20%) small business operators, conducted by the SBDC, indicated that 67 per cent of the respondents read the West Australian at least once a week, and over half of the respondents read their community newspaper every week. A further 18.3 per cent read it "every so often or monthly".

• The SBDC Media Office can provide journalists with introductions and referrals to many small business operators in all regional and metropolitan areas for the purpose of news stories and business profiling. We can also provide stories and photographs ready for publishing.

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Leader in statewide support

• During the year of 2010/11, the SBDC provided guidance, referral and business advisory services to a total of 37,495 small business clients. This includes 14,189 small business clients who were provided with information and publications from the Business Information Centre on a broad range of small business issues. Clients can gather information via personal appointments, on-site visits, telephone, email and website.

• Also during 2010/11, Small Business Centres located around the State, conducted a total of 42,476 client sessions,resulting in 1,375 new business start-ups.

• From these new businesses, it is estimated that over 2,079 new jobs were created.

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