Recognition honours over five decades of dedication to small business support and economic empowerment
The Belmont Business Enterprise Centre Inc. is delighted to announce that its Founding CEO, Carol Hanlon, has been named the 2025 COSBOA National Small Business Champion by the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia.
The prestigious award, presented at the COSBOA Summit Gala Dinner in Melbourne, recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, advocacy, and practical impact within Australia's small business community.
Since establishing the Belmont Business Enterprise Centre in 1994, Carol has been instrumental in supporting small business growth across Western Australia and beyond. Under her leadership, the centre has directly assisted over 36,500 small businesses and startups through more than 45 major initiatives covering women in business, Indigenous and migrant entrepreneurship, cyber security, sustainability, and international trade.
Carol's commitment extends through her role as Founder and CEO of the Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre WA Inc., launched in 1998, which has supported more than 7,500 designers and creative industry businesses throughout Australia and internationally. Through both organisations' global networks, Carol has established linkages with over 125 countries.
COSBOA Chair Matthew Addison praised Carol's dedication: "Carol has dedicated her life to helping small businesses succeed. She has opened doors for thousands of entrepreneurs, especially women, Indigenous Australians and migrants. She is a true champion for small business and an inspiration to us all."
Carol's innovative programs have created lasting impact across multiple sectors. Her achievements include establishing the Belmont and Western Australian Small Business Awards (celebrating 32 years), launching the Designedge Innovation Festival (now in its 21st year featuring over 135 events), and bringing the first Women Economic Forum to Australia in 2019. Since 2012, she has coordinated annual NGO forums at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, creating vital platforms for women's economic empowerment globally.
Her commitment to diversity and inclusion spans decades, from establishing the Belmont Clothes Library in 1995 to support disadvantaged job seekers, to coordinating humanitarian aid projects including containers of supplies to Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon. Carol currently serves as Australian Chair of G100 Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises and holds national board positions with BEC Australia and the Australasian Institute Business Enterprise Facilitators.
Carol is currently partnering with COSBOA to deliver the Cyber Wardens Foundation Program across Australia, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to national small business support initiatives.
Accepting the award, Carol reflected: "I run two not-for-profit small business support centres to 'make a difference' to entrepreneurs and micro small businesses globally. My passion lies in the economic empowerment of women and supporting creative industries. While today's buzz word is 'Productivity,' my approach is to 'EMPOWER' entrepreneurs to drive economic growth through their innovation, creativity and determination."
Her exceptional contributions have earned numerous accolades, including induction into the WA Women's Hall of Fame and recognition as one of Australia's Top 50 Small Business Leaders.
About us:
Belmont Business Enterprise Centre Inc. Established in 1994, Belmont BEC is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting small business growth and entrepreneurship across Western Australia and beyond.
Belmont BEC is a non-profit community organisation established in 1994, providing training, mentoring, networking, support services and opportunities to over 36,500+ individuals in Belmont, WA, Australia and beyond to start or improve their small business and is a specialist in online business incubation. Belmont BEC has originated a large range of well-known projects and programs for the benefit of its small business clients that have included the annual Belmont & Western Australian Small Business Awards, designedge Innovation FESTIVAL, TCF Resource Centre WA, Multicultural Business Support Services, WA Racing Industry Project, Belmont Clothes Library, BPW Business Incubator for Women in Business, Count Me IN Disability Employer Awareness, MY Business Incubator Cyber Security Project and the BEC NATIONAL EXPORT Training & Mentoring Project. www.belmontbec.com www.belmontbec.com/awards www.becnational.com/export www.belmontbec.com/2025innovation www.bpwbusinessincubator.com www.mybusinessincubator.com.au/1001
TCFWA | TCF Australia | TCF Global is a non-profit industry association established in 1998, assisting over 7,500 designers, creatives, fashion, and textile. clothing footwear (TCF) related industry small business with fashion business skill development including TCF AUSTRALIA EXPORT Training & Mentoring Project, designedge Innovation FESTIVAL, sustainable fashion and circular economy topics, MY Fashion Incubator migrant small business projects, TCF ACCESS ASIA global supply chain, international trade missions and industry networks. www.tcfwa.com www.tcfasia.net www.tcfaustralia.com/export www.tcfwa.com/2025innovation www.tcfglobal.com www.myfashionincubator.com
