As Territory Q celebrates this, our 50th edition, we are proud to have shared many of their success stories. 

An impressive 96% of all Territory businesses are categorised as small – only 4% employ more than 20 workers. More than 50% are sole traders and partnerships. Most are lean, hands-on operations. 

Small businesses employ tens of thousands of Territorians. They strengthen communities. They are innovative. They are resilient. They are the backbone of the Northern Territory. 

For all of these reasons, the NT Government is focusing on supporting small business to grow by reducing administrative red tape, creating an environment for growth and adopting digital pathways. 

The Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations (DTBAR) is spearheading the renewed attention on small business. As the Chief Executive Officer of DTBAR, Hayley Richards is overseeing the work. 

Appointed as CEO in September 2024, the work Hayley and her agency do to support small business is significant. 

“Each initiative, program and policy is designed to support businesses to grow, thrive and become a success,” she said. 

“Support for grassroots business development through programs like October Business Month is critical, as is shaping our regional supports to ensure our businesses are ready for supply chain opportunities. 

“We’re delivering new and innovative programs like the Territory Growth Initiative – a financial support program for eligible, high-growth potential businesses to establish or expand operations and for projects that may not otherwise be able to readily access capital right here in the Northern Territory.” 

Removing barriers to doing business is equally important. The Approvals Fast- Tract Taskforce found over-regulation was one of the greatest obstacles to the growth of small Territory businesses. The Taskforce identified overly-complex and inconsistent regulatory processes that added costs and delayed outcomes to the detriment of small businesses. The NT Government is now progressing 60 of the 70 Taskforce recommendations. The remaining 10 recommendations have been accepted in principle. 

“Additionally, procurement reforms to win government work are underway. The aim is to streamline and make the process quicker and easier for commonly used goods and services,” Hayley said. 

“A new position of Territory Procurement Champion was created specifically to support small businesses, drive more local contracts and resolve complaints independently.” 

Hayley said the NT workforce generally, is being bolstered by the establishment of the Office of Workforce Development to coordinate planning across sectors for a capable and readily available workforce. 

“This initiative complements the WorkerConnect platform which has a pool of more than 16,000 workers and 690 Territory employees,” she said. 

DTBAR further supports small business owners through free advice from the Territory Business Advisors team. 

Underpinning all successful small businesses is physical and digital connectivity. The NT Government has partnerships with Telstra, Google and NEXTDC to strengthen digital networks while the Territory Aviation Attraction Scheme is promoting new flight routes. 

Hayley is proud of the work the DTBAR team has progressed over the past 18 months. 

“Our mission is for buoyant business, strong investment and the workforce we need,” she said. 

“We are well on track to make the Territory the best place to do business.” TQ