MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO – AUGUST 2018

DEMISE OF SMALL BUSINESS VOICE: It is with profound concern that small business organisations, traditionally the voice of small business, in particular, business associations, chambers of commerce and industry associations are experiencing a demise in their membership numbers, while more significantly recently some have ceased to exist.

Conversely, at the same time new networking organisations, that are not voices for small business, have been established, which are reported to be allegedly proselytizing the members of traditional small business organisations.

This demise is not limited to small business organisations, in that, The West Australian, 5 August 2018 reported. “The bells are tolling for private members clubs that don’t meet the changing expectations of younger generations. The financial failure of Perth’s 125-year-old Western Australian Club is seen as a warning for traditional-format clubs perceived as irrelevant or a throwback to generations past by many of the Gen X and millennials now dominating professional ranks. “They’ve had their day,” one well-connected male observer told WestBusiness.”

The demise reported above seems to be indicative of the demise of traditional small business organisations, in that they “don’t meet the changing expectations of younger generations” and that thetraditional-format clubs perceived as irrelevant or a throwback to generations past.” Whatever the cause it is a tragedy for small business in that it represents a significant demise in a strong small business voice advocating its needs and aspirations, which, as history clearly demonstrates, is not represented by orgaisations that represent the big end of town, nor any Government agency that represents the dictates of the government of the day.

COMMENT: “. . . corporate Australia has to be convinced of the role it needs to play if it doesn’t want to suffer under the most union-dominated government in our history, headed by someone who has made it clear he regards business as class enemies.” Paul Murray, The West Australian, 4 August 2018.