Media release – Sarah Courtney, Minister for Small Business, Hospitality and Events, 16 March 2021
Small business financial counselling support
Tasmania’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is well underway and we are focussed on delivering our clear, long term plan to secure Tasmania’s future.
We will continue to support our 39,000 plus small businesses, the power house of our economy, across all sectors and regions, by providing access to specialist financial counselling through a new COVID-19 Small Business Financial Counselling Support Program.
We will provide $1 million over 12 months to help eligible businesses access the financial advice they need to help them to plan and implement recovery, transition or other strategies to address business impacts due to the pandemic.
This Program builds on our nation leading Small Business Support Package (relative to Gross State Product), which has helped to keep Tasmanian businesses operating and thousands of Tasmanians in jobs.
It will run in parallel with the Government funded mental health support programs, we are delivering through a Tasmanian Lifeline, the Mental Health Council #checkin campaign and sector specific programs delivered through Industry Peak Bodies, providing wrap-around support for businesses doing it tough. It will also complement existing financial support through grant and loan programs delivered by State Growth.
We are proud that our $80 million small business support grant programs have provided more than 20,000 grants to more than 14,000 individual Tasmanian small businesses across the State.
For up to date information on support for small businesses please contact Business Tasmania on 1800 440 026 or visit www.business.tas.gov.au
Media release – Tasmanian Small Business Council, 17 March 2021
Small Business Financial Counselling Support is a win for all Tasmanians
‘The announcement of the $1 million COVID-19 Small Business Financial Counselling Support Program by the Premier in his State of the State address yesterday is a win for all Tasmanians.’
Robert Mallett, CEO of the TSBC said, ‘the TSBC has been concerned for some time that there will be a number of businesses who have been surviving on the public financial support but who well may not be able to continue past 31 March 2021’.
‘In the event that these business fail, sometimes quite catastrophically, this can have a detrimental effect on a huge number of people and organisations downstream. These include employees, suppliers, landlords, the owner’s family the ATO and government service suppliers.’
‘Significant financial hardship (whether through a pandemic or other factors) is a debilitating situation which, if not managed, can lead to significant amounts of third party losses, stress, violence to family and in some cases significant self-harm and suicide.’
‘The announcement by the Premier will go a long way to supporting these small business people to ensure that the opportunity for a business owner to seek specialist advice to move forward or possibly exit their business with dignity and cause least negative effect to themselves and the community, is available.’
‘It is vital that to make this essential program work, business owners must make an early decision to seek advice and assistance.’
Until the final details of the program are announced, small business people seeking to use the service may contact the TSBC or their relevant industry association.
