The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) has been working with State Government agencies and local governments to raise awareness of small business’ role in providing amenity and vitality to the community; and the importance of ensuring practices that minimise the impact of construction on their operations.
We have developed guidelines through the Small Business Friendly Projects (SBFP) initiative to assist agencies to adopt better practice engagement with small businesses located in and around construction zones.
The SBFP initiative includes three publications and supporting digital tools which have been developed to meet the needs of:
- State Government agencies
- Local Government Authorities
- small business owners/operators
Launched by Small Business Minister the Hon Paul Papalia CSC MLA, the objective was to minimise the detrimental impact that infrastructure and essential works could sometimes have on small businesses located in and around construction works.
“The guides will help agencies develop business engagement strategies and be more ‘small business friendly’ when undertaking works projects. It will also assist small business owners to prepare for upcoming construction in their area,” Minister Papalia said.
Small Business Commissioner David Eaton recognised that construction work and infrastructure projects could present significant difficulties for small business operators through disruption to their customers and suppliers.
“Obviously infrastructure projects deliver long-term benefits to the economy and small businesses,” Mr Eaton said.
“Through the SBFP initiative’s focus on forward planning and small business engagement, we believe infrastructure and public works can be delivered effectively, while at the same time limiting the negative impact on neighbouring small businesses during the construction phase.”
During development of the guides, State Government agencies and Local Government Authorities have provided positive feedback for the SBDC initiative.
More information
Read more about the initiative and download the guides and supporting interactive tools .
If you’re a small business owner and construction work is planned near your business, find out how you could deal with these disruptions.
If you need help planning for a disruption to your business, either before or during a construction project, contact our free small business advisory service to speak to one of our experienced business advisers.
