Women shaping the future of small business

JUST over a third of small businesses in NSW are run by women. That breakdown holds true on the North Coast.

When it comes to women in business, we still have a long road to parity, but the statistics paint a hopeful picture. Overall, the number of women in business across Australia has risen over the past two decades, from 31 per cent in 2006 to 35 per cent in 2025.

My role as Minister has allowed me to draw on my own experience in small business, having owned and managed my own legal practice and pub. As a woman, I know that the path isn’t always straightforward. In many ways, we need to be our own biggest advocate in a world where our place isn’t necessarily assumed.

However, if we can draw a narrative from the statistics, women are feeling more and more confident in taking that step of opening and running a small business, and that’s a wonderful thing.

But we all know that statistics don’t tell the full story.

There are countless small businesses that aren’t necessarily captured in Census data. This might be particularly true of businesses that, for all intents and purposes, are managed by women. Farm businesses are a great example of this.

To successfully run a farm business, one must wear many hats. And many farming women do – from agronomy and bookwork to maintaining the social networks that are so important for keeping farmers connected and well. And yet, when it comes to Census time, so many farming women would not identify themselves as small business owners.

Perhaps it is a downplaying of their contribution, but it could also be that small businesses are too narrowly defined – in data and in our own minds. There are various ways to define a small business. In NSW, it is the number of full-time equivalent employees and annual turnover. But to me, it’s not that clear cut. It’s the spirit of having a go, of giving back to the community, and of finding innovative ways to succeed with limited resources that typically characterise small businesses.

The cafes, clothing stores, boutiques and pubs that line our main streets have an undeniable role in shaping the character and social amenity of a town or city, but we mustn’t forget the various other small businesses that give life to regional communities – and women are often a key part of this mix.

That’s why it’s so important that small businesses are championed in government. I feel very privileged to be Minister for Small Business, and a big part of this is working with my colleagues to ensure small businesses are always a consideration in policy and legislative decisions. Whether it’s concerning red tape, workers compensation or procurement changes, small businesses need to be at the forefront of decision-makers’ minds.

Going into business is a path that is so worthwhile. The small business community across the state is that much richer for the greater participation of women in it.

Janelle Saffin is the NSW Minister for Small Business and member for Lismore.