Back

"Cutting This Program Is Economic Suicide": Small Businesses Plead For Lifeline to Stay

UR Digital

“Cutting This Program Is Economic Suicide”: Small Businesses Plead For Lifeline to Stay

Small business owners across NSW are rallying to save the Business Connect program before the government axes it on 30 September 2025.

Dozens of entrepreneurs have joined the My Business, My Voice campaign, saying the program has saved or transformed their businesses – and warning that the loss of tailored advice will cripple businesses and communities.

They represent the state’s broader small-business sector, which makes up 97% of all NSW enterprises and employs 1.8 million people. A NSW Treasury review has already found that Business Connect delivers up to three times its cost back into the economy.

“Cutting this program is economic suicide. My advisor didn’t just give me advice – she gave me the blueprint for success. Every critical decision in my startup came through her guidance,” says James Stewart, CEO of Aero Vanguard, Sydney.

“Starting a business is hard enough as it is, especially when you’re doing it alone. If you want small business to succeed, we NEED programs like these. Please don’t cripple us,” says Zoê Hannah, founder of Zoê Hannah Design and Digital, Central Coast.

“We don’t just need information; we need advisors who understand the realities of running a small business. If we lose that, we risk losing not just businesses, but the jobs and opportunities they sustain in communities like ours,” says Iain Goodway, owner of Deni Golf Resort, Deniliquin.

“Business Connect has been a lifeline for many small businesses, especially in regional areas where access to tailored, face-to-face support is limited. Their personalised guidance gave me the confidence and skills to start and grow my business, which now provides specialised services and employment opportunities in our community,” says Patricia Jones, director of Jones Environmental Consulting, Thurgoona.

A proven model at risk

The $10 million-a-year Business Connect program has supported more than 60,000 small businesses with independent, one-on-one advice across strategy, finance, HR, digital and marketing. For more than eight years, governments on both sides of politics have backed the model, with NSW Treasury finding it delivers up to three times its cost back into the economy.

Under the current changes, the proven system – 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 an expert to refer to, breaking a longstanding structure that delivers real outcomes.

Just over a week ago, Premier Chris Minns admitted the program is effective – but dismissed it as “not absolutely essential.”

Martin Rogers, CEO of Realise Business, a not-for-profit that delivers Business Connect across Sydney and Access to Finance across NSW, disagrees; “You don’t replace business advisors with scripts and websites. Entrepreneurs need tailored, practical advice from experienced locals who understand the challenges of running a small business – not a call-centre referral. Taking away that trusted support puts jobs, growth and innovation at risk.”

Why it matters:

• Small businesses make up 97% of NSW enterprises and employ 1.8 million people.
• Business Connect has helped over 60,000 owners pivot during crises, scale up and keep staff on.
• The program has helped create more 40,000 new jobs.
• Without it, regional towns, startups, migrants, women-led enterprises and sole traders will be hardest hit.
• A NSW Treasury review found the program delivers up to three times its cost back into the economy.

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

-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]

www.urdigital.com.au