$10 Million Cut Threatens a $535 Billion Sector

UR Digital

Press Release
For Immediate Release

$10 Million Cut Threatens a $535 Billion Sector

The NSW Government plans to end funding for Business Connect on 30 September – a program independently evaluated by NSW Treasury as returning up to three times its cost to the economy.

Business Connect costs taxpayers $10 million annually and supports a sector that contributes $535 billion in sales and employs 1.8 million people across NSW. Since 2017, it has provided free one-on-one, independent advice to more than 60,000 small businesses and helped create over 40,000 new jobs.

Under the current changes, the proven model – where a Service NSW business concierge triages and then refers clients to a subject-matter expert with local knowledge – will be dismantled. In its place, concierges will be left to triage without any expert to refer to, breaking a longstanding system that delivers real outcomes.

Martin Rogers, CEO of Realise Business – a not-for-profit that delivers Business Connect across Sydney and Access to Finance across NSW – warns this change will leave vulnerable operators without the meaningful support they rely on.

“Just over a week ago, Premier Chris Minns admitted the program is effective – but dismissed it as “not absolutely essential.” For small business owners, that’s simply not true. If jobs, growth, innovation and preventing business failures are truly priorities, then cutting Business Connect makes little sense. Few investments deliver a proven 3:1 return while directly helping businesses to grow, employ and innovate.

“Replacing experienced advisors leaves a significant gap. Running a business is complex, unpredictable and often deeply personal. Entrepreneurs don’t need generic advice – they need someone who understands their industry, their region and the lived reality of keeping a business afloat,” says Rogers.

Jonathan McIlroy, CEO of Enterprise Plus, which delivers Business Connect in regional NSW, added; “In regional NSW, where communities are already recovering from fires, floods and rising costs, Business Connect advisors have often been the difference between survival and closure. Removing that support risks hollowing out main streets that are only just finding their feet again.”

What makes Business Connect unique is its advisor-led model: seasoned business professionals embedded in local communities. They have helped sole traders pivot during COVID, guided start-ups to scale and supported regional operators after bushfires and floods. Migrant and women-led businesses have also benefited from trusted, practical advice that is otherwise out of reach.

Examples of impact include:

Jason Robins Photography – rebuilt from near-collapse during COVID into a thriving employer.
Crescent People – the female owner of this business psychology firm turned it around from near closure after receiving tailored advice in strategy, finance, marketing and digital; the business is now thriving, expanding and employing.
Narooma Bridge Seafood – repositioned from a boatshed into a successful retail deli.
ProSoftHub – a migrant-founded AI start-up that secured new networks and growth pathways.

“These aren’t isolated wins – they are everyday outcomes replicated across NSW,” says Rogers. “Replacing trusted advisors with scripted information and one-size-fits-all referrals is not reform – it’s regression.”

Key facts at a glance:

97% of NSW businesses are small businesses, employing 1.8 million people and contributing $535 billion in sales annually.
Business Connect has supported over 60,000 businesses and helped create more than 40,000 new jobs since 2017.
Independent NSW Treasury review confirms a benefit-cost ratio of up to 3:1.
Regional and vulnerable communities hit hardest if funding is cut.
Proposed replacement model offers scripted advice and generic referrals, removing the trusted, personalised advisor role.

“This isn’t politics – it’s survival,” says Rogers. “Ten million dollars may be a rounding error in the state budget, but for tens of thousands of small businesses it is decisive. We urge the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister to sit down with us before September 30 to find a way to keep Business Connect alive.”

-ENDS-

About us:

About Business Connect

Business Connect is a NSW Government–funded program providing free independent, personalised advice to small businesses and startups. Since 2017 it has supported over 60,000 small businesses to start, survive, grow and employ across the state.

Contact details:

Georgia Madden

[email protected]