The Women in Business Hub was a recommendation of the government’s Women’s Economic Opportunities Review to improve women’s financial security through increased workplace participation.
There are an estimated 800,000 small businesses in NSW, accounting for more than 98 per cent of all businesses in the state but just 33 per cent are led by women.
The aim of the hub is to connect women with personalised support, a “women in business” toolkit, opportunities for networking, training, grants, funding and mental health support to enable more women to start and grow their own business.
The 2021–22 NSW Intergenerational Report identified that although women’s participation in business ownership is projected to increase, it is still expected to remain below that of men.
The hub will connect women to trusted resources including the Women’s Financial Toolkit and the Return to Work Toolkit that was designed to help women easily navigate reliable resources.
It will provide female business owners information on grants, funding, training education, networking, mentoring, mental health support as well as links to assistance including:
- Service NSW for Business Concierge, which can help with support and requirements across the NSW government
- Business Connect that provides independent business advice including how to start, grow or relaunch a business
- NSW Small Business Commission that provides support, advocacy and mediation services
- TAFE NSW’s Women in Business initiative, a fully subsidised online program for women who are looking to establish a microbusiness, a small business or who are operating or growing a business
The NSW government has committed $16.5 billion across 10 years as part of the 2022–23 budget to grow economic opportunities for NSW women and to support early childhood education and development.
For more information go to www.service.nsw.gov.au/business/support-womenbusiness
