The two research projects below are seeking assistance from Indigenous Business Owners to provide valuable insights into Indigenous Business Ownership in Australia. Please see information below if you would like to participate.
Project 1 – Financial Inclusion for Indigenous Businesses
PwC’s Indigenous Consulting (PIC) is seeking assistance from Indigenous business owners, across Australia, to participate in a short survey and/or online focus group in relation to financial inclusion for Indigenous businesses.
The extent and impact of Indigenous financial exclusion in Australia has long been acknowledged as an impediment for Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs, but to date there has been limited research to understand the extent of, and quantify, the key trends. PIC has been commissioned to undertake this work with a view to informing the public discussion about the importance of financial inclusion and developing potential products or services to improve financial inclusion for Indigenous businesses.
Survey
The survey will take business owners approximately 5 minutes to complete, and the outcomes will be used to advocate for improved financial inclusion and to improve financial inclusion for Indigenous businesses. The survey which can be accessed here will remain open until 6pm on Friday 18 December 2020.
1 hour focus groups
PIC is also conducting a number of focus groups over the period from Thursday 10 December to Wednesday 16 December to explore in greater detail some of the challenges Indigenous businesses face in accessing finance (debt or equity) and financial support. All participants will receive a $100 e-voucher in acknowledgement of their time. Business owners can register their interest by clicking here.
Please feel free to contact PIC Director Kate Healy on 0417 167 871 or via email – kate.a.healy@pwc.com – with any questions.
Project 2 – Indigenous Small Business Survey
Researchers from Griffith University, the University of the Sunshine Coast and QUT are conducting this important research to improve the success of Indigenous Small Businesses. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council.
The responses from this survey will be used to provide Indigenous businesses with a greater voice at the local, regional and national levels. We will also make recommendations about how to build strong partnerships between small businesses, government, industry, stakeholders and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
We aim to:
- identify the barriers that small businesses face in starting up and operating their businesses, particularly those from remote and regional areas;
- help improve strategies to progress financial and commercial education to Indigenous entrepreneurs; and
- make recommendations to Australian government policy makers on improving access and participation in their initiatives (e.g., Indigenous Business Sector Strategy, Indigenous Procurement Policy and National Financial Literacy Strategy initiatives).
How you can help?
We are asking for your valuable assistance by completing this anonymous survey using this link (here).
As a token of our appreciation, everyone completing the survey by 31 January 2021 will go into a prize draw for a chance to win one (1) of ten (10) $200 Coles vouchers, or the option to donate the prize to a charity of your choice.
Who will be surveyed?
We are seeking responses from Indigenous and non-Indigenous small business owners all across Australia. This will give us feedback from a broad range of people and allow us to compare responses from urban, regional and remote businesses.
For the purpose of this survey, a small business is defined as one that employs fewer than 19 staff (including full-time, part-time and casual employees).
What will you do with my survey responses?
The survey link and your responses are anonymous which means your privacy will be protected. Once we collect enough responses, we will analyse the data and write a report. We are aiming to get the maximum number of responses therefore giving small businesses a chance to have their say and be heard. The report will be used to make recommendations to policy makers and other stakeholders. A copy of the report will be uploaded to the project’s website. Participants who indicate they would like to receive a copy of the report will also be personally emailed a link.
Any more questions?
More information will be provided on the project website (here). Please also feel free to contact Dr Kerry Bodle, Lead Chief Investigator, “Empowering Indigenous Businesses” project (HREC 2018/406) with any questions you may have on