Shop local: National Family Business Day

18th September 2020 | Eativity editors

Did you know that around 70 percent of Australian businesses are family-owned and operated? The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says family businesses have been hit hard by the COVID crisis, and is encouraging everyone to buy local this National Family Business Day, Friday, September 18.

Speaking in a Family Business Australia video marking the day, Carnell says the family business sector needs to be supported as it emerges from this difficult period. 

“National Family Business Day is usually a day to celebrate, but 2020 is a year like no other,” she says. “Times are incredibly tough, and so many family businesses that were viable this time last year are now facing enormous challenges after a devastating bushfire season followed by a global pandemic. Family businesses in Victoria also continue to struggle with ongoing heavy restrictions.”

National Family Business Day
Family businesses power our economy: get to know your locals.

The best way you can support family businesses is to spend locally – whether that’s at a mum-and-dad owned bricks and mortar store such as the town butcher, or by shopping online via social media campaigns such as Click for Vic, Buy From the Bush, Empty Esky, Spend With Them and Stay with Them.

“Family businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and key contributors to our economy – accounting for up to 70 percent of Australian businesses and employing as much as half of the workforce,” Carnell says. “Their survival is critical to our economic recovery.”

National Family Business Day
Shop local, shop small, and help your community thrive.

Carnell’s office has produced a comprehensive COVID-19 Recovery Plan, which recommends a suite of reforms to help small and family businesses survive and thrive post-pandemic. The recommendations cover a broad range of areas including taxation, access to justice, industrial relations, government procurement and cutting red tape.

Carnell says her office is also excited to be working in partnership with Family Business Australia to produce a guide to succession planning. “Succession planning is a key issue for family businesses, and this guide will provide a step-by-step process to ensure the next generation is ready to take the reins when the time is right,” she says.

For more on National Family Business Day, head to the website.

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