Small businesses are the beating heart of Consult Australia’s membership.
We proudly represent more than 58,600 design, advisory and engineering businesses across the Australian economy. While some of these firms rank among Australia’s top 500, an overwhelming 97% are small businesses.
The support small businesses receive today will shape the infrastructure, economy and communities of tomorrow. That’s why I was interested to see the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s federal election policy platform with a clear catchcry to “put business on the agenda”.
Consult Australia is a member of ACCI, and the five core priorities outlined in ACCI’s agenda – boosting productivity, growing skills, fostering global competitiveness, supporting the lowest cost transition to net zero and accelerating digital capabilities – align well with the issues foremost in the minds of our members.
As ACCI chief executive officer Andrew McKellar has said, “only a prosperous business sector can provide the lift in economic growth we need”.
Consult Australia shares the belief that a stronger business sector is central to national prosperity. Our pre-budget submission adds our voice to the call for smart, long-term reforms that support businesses of all sizes. We advocate measures that improve national coordination, workforce mobility and digital integration, and that deliver pipeline certainty so businesses can invest in the future with confidence.
This first edition of Consulting Matters for 2025 reflects our commitment to supporting small businesses. In collaboration with Engineers Australia we have launched a new Business Guide to help our members access the untapped pool of overseas qualified engineers.
The latest educational video in our Empowering Small Business Series with futurist Kim Seeling Smith shares insights to help leaders in smaller businesses harness the potential of AI. We are excited to offer two new Future Leader Program scholarships for small businesses, as well as the networking event of the year to open doors to growth.
We continue to bolster the tools in our Member Resources portal across areas such as contracting, law, ethics, personnel and mental health.
Small businesses are more than the engine of our economy; they are the architects of our nation’s future. Consult Australia will continue to champion policies and programs that give small business leaders the confidence to invest, innovate and grow.