Then and now: Small business trends over the past decade

The past ten years have brought major shifts in the Australian small business landscape. Some sectors have boomed, while others have evolved, reflecting changes in technology, consumer habits and the environment.

And of course, no recap of the past decade would be complete without mentioning COVID-19, which reshaped how Australian small businesses operate almost overnight.

Back in 2015, we were debating whether online grocery shopping would really take off, celebrating Australia’s Cricket World Cup win, TikTok didn’t exist, and ‘working from home’ was something only a handful of businesses did regularly. Fast forward just a few years and lockdowns later, supply chain disruptions and rapid digital adoption accelerated changes that might otherwise have taken over a decade to unfold.

Looking back to business trends from 2015

Ten years ago, the WA economy was experiencing rapid digital adoption, a growing interest in sustainability, and a shift in energy markets. 

If you were starting a small business then, some of the top sectors entrepreneurs were investigating in WA, according to our SBDC Business Licence Finder, were:

1. Coal seam gas extraction
2. Online grocery sales
3. Fast fashion
4. Private equity
5. Hydroponic crop farming
6. Organic farming
7. Online information services
8. Child care services
9. Veterinary services
10. Biotechnology

How does this compare to now?

In 2025, small business trends in WA are shaped by the green energy transition, health conscious agriculture and an ageing population.

Some top industries business owners are investigating now include:

1. Tree nut growing (almonds, macadamias)
2. Gold and non-ferrous metal processing
3. Electric vehicle (EV) wholesaling
4. Battery material mining
5. Aged and disability care
6. Organic crop farming
7. Cloud hosting and data processing
8. Functional beverage production
9. Cleaning and gardening services
10. Telehealth services

Some interesting patterns emerge when comparing 2015 to 2025:

• Health and wellness continue to drive new opportunities: Searches on functional beverages, telehealth and aged care reflect a growing focus on wellbeing and longevity.
• Digital services are essential: Online information services in 2015 have expanded into interest in cloud hosting, data processing and telehealth platforms today.
• Low barrier opportunities still thrive: Explorations of cleaning, gardening and niche agriculture businesses demonstrate that accessible small business ideas continue to generate strong growth.
• Sustainability is big business: Organic farming remains a top performer in licence searches, now with a stronger export focus. Green energy, EVs and battery materials are also high interest sectors.