Unfair practices by big business, an increasingly difficult regulatory environment, and an exodus of retiring small-business owners are some of the reasons for a decline in the number of small businesses in most Australian states, according to the participants in the BRW Small-Business Roundtable.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that the growth in the number of small businesses (those with fewer than 20 staff) has slowed dramatically. There was only a 1.5% increase between 2001 and 2003, compared with 17.4% between 1999 and 2001 and 17% between 1997 and 1999.
In most states the number of small businesses has fallen or steadied, and there has been an overall fall in the number of small businesses that employ at least one other person. There are also fewer young people setting up their own businesses.
