Good evening, everyone.
I acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet tonight, the Ngunnawal people.
I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
And I also acknowledge any First Nations people in the room.
Thank you to COSBOA and Square, and particularly Skye and Marco, for inviting me to help launch the fifth state of Small Business Report.
I also acknowledge my parliamentary colleagues and, most importantly, the small business owners here tonight.
Before I entered politics, I was a small business owner myself, and one thing I know is that running a small business is about much more than making a living.
It's about taking a chance, backing an idea and putting in the hard work to make it succeed. Take Natasha Kaiser, who is here representing Wurrumay Collective.
Natasha is a proud Gomeroi woman whose business began in her father's garage.
Today, Wurrumay Collective has grown into a thriving First Nations owned business on Canberra's Lonsdale Street and has turned into a place where First Nations artists can share their work, culture and creativity.
And I think that's something special.
Because it reminds us that small business isn't just about what you sell.
It's about what you create, the opportunities you open, and the people you bring together.
Since becoming Minister for Small Business, I've met hundreds of hardworking and community minded business owners right across Australia.
In the last month I have visited and met restaurateurs, farmers, builders, retailers and entrepreneurs.
We've come together at roundtables, in shops and on farms.
And only last week, I met with my recently established Small Business Consultative Group.
These conversations are vital to my work as Minister.
Because nobody understands the realities of running a small business better than the people doing it every day.
And that's why reports like the one COSBOA and Square are launching tonight are so valuable.
They put evidence and data behind the experiences I hear across the country.
And this year's report tells us something important.
Despite years of disruption and global uncertainty, the typical small business has held its ground.
Square's data shows revenue grew by 3.9 per cent in the year to June, almost exactly in line with inflation.
And where turnover increased, around 2 in 3 owners saw that flow through to profit.
But we know not every business has had the same year.
Two in 5 small business owners are working longer hours than they were a year ago.
And one in 4 is working longer for the same pay, or less.
When something has to give, it's often the owner who fills the gap.
Because when it's your business, the working day doesn't end when you close the doors.
However, I don't want us to lose sight of the extraordinary innovation and ambition that exists across the sector.
Just look at Elly Freer and Patrick Galvin from Gold St. Press here in Canberra.
They've taken their shared love of art, vintage films, food and their hometown and turned it into a creative business.
From birthday cards and their guide to Canberra's delicious food, to murals and even horror‑themed movie nights.
They're not just selling products. They're finding new ways to celebrate the city they love.
And then there's Erika Bruckner from Aryka Art Design.
What started as a creative hobby has grown into a business making beautiful, unique jewellery, with beadwork and individually hand‑painted pieces.
Erika has turned her creativity into a livelihood and become part of Canberra's thriving handmade community.
Different businesses, different stories, but something important in common.
Someone had an idea, believed in it and worked hard to bring it to life.
And our job as government is to back that ambition.
That's why I was particularly interested in what this year's report says about technology and artificial intelligence.
Around 45 per cent of owners surveyed are now using AI in some form, up from 39 per cent last year.
Those using AI estimate it saves them one to 2 hours a week.
Now, one or 2 hours might not sound like much.
But to someone running a café, a retail shop or a family business, those hours are valuable.
They can mean time saved on invoices, rosters, administration or answering customer enquiries.
But here's what I found interesting.
The report shows business owners putting that time straight back into their businesses.
And I think our ambition should be bigger than simply helping people squeeze more work into their day.
Technology should make running a business easier, more efficient, free up time and create new opportunities to grow.
And that includes AI.
But I also know that navigating new technology can be overwhelming.
It's no good having a dozen different apps if they don't talk to each other, or if you don't have the confidence to use them.
That's why the Albanese Labor government wants small businesses to actively benefit for the opportunities created by AI.
Our National AI Plan is about ensuring the benefits of this technology are shared across our economy.
And through our Digital Solutions program and AI Adopt Centres, we're helping small businesses build their digital skills and understand how to use AI responsibly and practically.
Because whether you're running a business in the middle of Canberra or regional Australia, you should have the opportunity to benefit from new technology.
And innovation doesn't always mean doing something entirely new.
Sometimes it's about taking traditional skills and finding new ways to build a business around them.
That's exactly what Alexander Thatcher has done with Little Tree Studio.
Alexander is a Canberra ceramic artist who handmade pieces using 100 per cent Australian clay, fired with 100 per cent renewable energy.
His work celebrates the beauty of imperfection, and every piece is unique.
It's a wonderful example of how creativity, craftsmanship and sustainability can come together in a small business.
And this is why we're supporting Australian small businesses of all shapes and sized to succeed. That's why we're delivering $3.8 billion in new business tax measures, including making the $20,000 instant asset write‑off permanent and introducing a permanent two‑year loss carry‑back.
We're focused on cutting unnecessary red tape, supporting digital capability, and making it easier to do business.
Because small businesses don't just contribute to our economy.
They help shape the places we live, the opportunities we have and the communities we call home.
And that's what I see everywhere I go.
The local business that knows its customers by name.
The family business that gives a young person their first job or takes them on as an apprentice.
The entrepreneur who takes a chance and creates something their whole community comes to love.
These are the stories behind the data.
And they're the reason this report matters.
Thank you to COSBOA and Square for continuing to bring these stories and experiences into our policy discussions.
And to the small business owners here tonight, thank you for your ambition, your resilience and everything you contribute to our communities.
My commitment as Minister is to keep working with you, and to keep delivering practical support.
Because I want small business owner to have the opportunity to grow, to innovate and to enjoy the rewards of everything they've worked so hard to build.
That's the future of small business I want to help deliver.
And that's why the Albanese Labor government will always back small business.
Thank you.
