For more than 40 years the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) has supported the small business sector in Western Australia by helping them start well, survive and thrive.

The Small Business Development Corporation exists to help small businesses start well, survive and thrive.

We understand the challenges of starting and running a business. To provide you with the highest level of support possible, our team is guided by four key principles that make up our customer promise.

SBDC customer promise

  We empower you to make the big decisions

  We’re here at every stage of your journey

  We listen to you

  It’s easy to get our help

Supporting our customer promise are our vision, mission, values and purpose as a State Government agency.

Our vision

For a strong and enterprising small business sector in Western Australia.

Our mission

Deliver and facilitate relevant, practical support to small businesses and advocate on their behalf.

Our values

• Enterprise — we value a solution-focused and inventive culture.
• Collaboration — we actively work with others to achieve shared goals.
• Integrity — we act with courage, honesty and respect.

Our purpose

Unleashing Western Australians’ enterprising business spirit.

Download a summary of our purpose and promises.

Share your experience

Whether it’s a compliment or an area for improvement, we’re always keen to receive feedback from our clients.

Use our contact form to let us know about your experience with the SBDC.

Note: If you are a current user of our business advisory, workshops or dispute resolution services, we will contact you directly by email to learn about your experience.

Complaints

Complaints are managed promptly and in strict confidence. You can raise your complaint with any member of staff or, if preferred, lodge directly with our Director of Corporate Services. View more information on how to lodge a complaint.

Small business in Western Australia at a glance

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Notes on statistics

• Statistics as of 30 June 2023. 
• Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics - Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits.
• In relation to the statistics, the SBDC uses the standard Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) definition of small business, which is any non-employing business or a business employing fewer than 20 people. However, for legal purposes, the definition of a small business is as stated in the Small Business Development Corporation Act 1983.
• As with any analysis based on data sets it is subject to a degree of error. Individual numbers or percentages should not be used as absolutes.
• Statistics include only those businesses actively remitting Goods and Services Tax (GST). As such, small businesses not registered for GST are not captured in this data. 

As the SBDC’s governing body, the Board has responsibility for performing the functions set out in the Small Business Development Corporation Act 1983.

The SBDC Board has four strategic roles:

• setting the direction of the agency
• determination of standards
• coordination of planning, policies, and decision-making framework
• acting in an advisory capacity to the Minister, the government and other agencies.

Operational roles of the Board include:

• setting strategies
• focusing on client service and customer needs
• striving for organisational best practice and compliance with standards
• delegation of operational decision-making to officers within the SBDC.

Grant Cucel - chair

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Grant Cucel is self-employed and Pilbara born and raised. He initially joined the Board in October 2017 and was appointed Chair in May 2022. Mr Cucel has an extensive business background having run his own recruitment business for 10 years and was the 2012 inductee into the Western Australian Regional Small Business Hall of Fame and recognised as the 2013 City of Karratha Citizen of the Year.

For nine years, Mr Cucel held the role of chair of the Small Business Centre West Pilbara and strongly advocated for small and medium enterprises in regional Western Australia. He is a former Deputy Mayor for the City of Karratha where he promoted economic development and diversification.

Having sold his recruitment business to a publicly listed company, Mr Cucel now has a strong focus on assisting a cross section of organisations in a voluntary capacity,  including as Chair of the Waja Guma Aboriginal Early Learning Program Working Group.

Mr Cucel has a Bachelor of Business Degree (First Class Honours) from Curtin University, a Diploma of Local Government (Elected Member) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
 

Danelle Cross

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Danelle Cross was appointed to the Board in July 2019. Ms Cross is co-owner/director of a small business, Gourmet and More, a food wholesaler and distributor.

An experienced and respected leader in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship and learning and development, Ms Cross is currently the Director of Entrepreneurship at Curtin University, where she leads the strategy, programs, pathways and community for local and global entrepreneurs. Prior to this, Ms Cross was the Director of Discovery at St Hilda's Anglican School, leading a whole-of-school approach to in-curriculum entrepreneurship.

Ms Cross holds a Bachelor of Commerce, double major in marketing and PR from Curtin University. She is a mentor and connector for a number of WA business founders, and is currently an Innovation Advisory Board member. 

Gillian Nathan

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Gillian Nathan was appointed to the Board in October 2021. Ms Nathan is the founder and owner of a tax and accounting practice, Simple Solutions Accounting Services. 

Ms Nathan has extensive experience in taxation, financial and management reporting and works daily with small business owners. Prior to starting her own business, she gained experience in the public and private sector working across a range of accounting and tax practices.

Ms Nathan is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, with a Masters in Taxation and International Tax. She is a Tax Agent, a South African tax practitioner and a qualified secondary school teacher, registered to teach in Western Australia. 

Ms Nathan is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee for Your Toolkit/Financial Toolbox, a not for profit organisation which aims to build the financial knowledge and skills of Western Australian women exposed to domestic violence and financial abuse. She also volunteers on several school and sporting committees.

Eliza Carbines

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Eliza Carbines was appointed to the Board in October 2021. Ms Carbines is Karratha-based and is the founder and CEO of Tender Relief which offers tailored support, training and consulting services to businesses, primarily in regional Western Australia.

Prior to commencing her own business, Ms Carbines worked in various roles across both the State Government and private sectors. She is a strong advocate for entrepreneurism and economic diversity throughout regional Western Australia and has been a member of a number of not for profit boards, including currently serving  on the Innovation Advisory Board. 

Ms Carbines holds Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) Foundation and Practitioner Certification.

Michael Schaper

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Michael Schaper was appointed to the Board in June 2022. Dr Schaper is an experienced company director, educator, researcher and consultant on small business issues, both in Australia and internationally. 
Dr Schaper served as the inaugural Deputy Chair (small business) of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, where he also founded the national Small Business Commissioners Forum, and was the Small Business Commissioner for the ACT. 

Michael was also the foundation Professor of Small Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Newcastle NSW, and prior to this he was responsible for the small business program at Curtin University.

A former president of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand, Dr Schaper also served as a Director of the International Council for Small Business. His current and recent work includes advising international bodies such as the UN and Asian Development Bank on SME policy issues.

He is currently Chair of the Energy and Water Ombudsman WA, Chair of the ATO’s shadow economy advisory forum, a member of the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal and a member of the national board of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Schaper holds a Doctor of Philosophy in small business management and a Master of Commerce degree from Curtin University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia.

Lisa Smith

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Lisa Smith was appointed to the Board in July 2023. Ms Smith has extensive experience in business development across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and has run her own consultancy business with a primary focus on small business owners.

Ms Smith’s immediate past position was as interim Chief Executive Officer of the Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation. Prior to this she was the CEO of the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Lisa holds a Graduate Certificate in Business  and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is a strong advocate for regional WA and is a member of several not-for-profit boards.

Lucy Hall

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Lucy Hall was appointed to the Board in September 2023. Ms Hall has extensive experience in financial services, business development, marketing and the not-for-profit sector.

Ms Hall owns and operates a farming business with her partner and is involved in all aspects of this broadacre enterprise based in the Wheatbelt region.

Ms Hall is a recent past Chair of Rural Edge Australia, a not for profit organisation that designs and delivers custom training opportunities to support farming businesses become more innovative, competitive and profitable. She is a strong advocate for women in the agriculture sector.

Ms Hall is also a director of her own consulting business where she provides consulting services to a broad range of clients.

OnBoardWA aims to increase diversity on WA Government boards and committees. Find out more and register your interest.

The role of the Small Business Commissioner and CEO of the Small Business Development Corporation was established in January 2012 to advocate for and support Western Australia’s small business community. A new Commissioner is expected to be announced soon, marking the next phase in the organisation’s leadership.

The position of Small Business Commissioner was established by the Western Australian Parliament, through the Small Business Development Corporation Act 1983 (the Act).

In this dual role the Commissioner is dedicated to:

• facilitating access to information and practical support for small businesses
• providing assistance to resolve business-to-business disputes
• investigating complaints about unfair practices impacting small businesses
• advocating to all levels of government for policies and regulation which supports the establishment and growth of small businesses, and
• offering advice to the WA Minister for Small Business

One of the core functions the Commissioner oversees is our dispute resolution service. This is a low-cost way to resolve business-to-business and business-to-government disputes, avoiding court action and preserving business relationships.

The Act was amended in 2020 to clarify and enhance the powers of the Commissioner to investigate behaviours from the private sector, local government or state government that adversely impact the commercial activity of small businesses. The Commissioner can investigate a matter without the need for a formal complaint from a small business based on trends of behaviour observed in the marketplace and insights provided by government and industry. While the impetus for these amendments was the impact of late or non-payment of subcontractors working on government funded construction projects, WA small businesses across all industries stand to benefit from the changes.

The Commissioner works to improve the operating environment by advising public sector bodies on the impact of legislation and policies on the small business sector. He has a particular focus on reducing the burden of unnecessary compliance processes.

The WA Small Business Commissioner is a founding member of the National Forum of Small Business Commissioners. Along with his peers from South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, the Commissioner progresses legislative and policy returns of national significance within the forum.

The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) is an independent statutory authority, established in 1984 under the Small Business Development Corporation Act 1983.

Enabling legislation

The Small Business Development Corporation Act 1983 provides for the establishment of the Small Business Development Corporation and Small Business Commissioner.

Within this Act, small business is defined as a business undertaking -

1. which is wholly owned and operated by an individual person or by individual persons in partnership or by a proprietary company within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 of the Commonwealth and which - 
   1. has a relatively small share of the market in which it competes; and
   2. is managed personally by the owner or owners or directors, as the case requires; and
   3. is not a subsidiary of, or does not form part of, a larger business or enterprise; or
2. which is declared by the Governor by Order in Council pursuant to subsection (2) to be a small business for the purposes of this Act.

Our Minister

The Honourable Jackie Jarvis MLC, Minister for Small Business, has responsibility for the Small Business Development Corporation.

Our structure

We are governed by a Board of Management that meets monthly to discuss the strategic direction of the Corporation.

Our operational functions are overseen by Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Eaton, who is also Western Australia’s Small Business Commissioner.

For more information view our organisational structure.