SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
You don’t need to look to the big end of town to have an impact. Cara Jenkin reports
CHOOSING a smaller pond in which to be the bigger fish may be the best career option anyone can take.
Small businesses – defined as employing fewer than 20 people – employ 44 per cent of all workers or 4.7 million people. There are 2.07 million small businesses in Australia, compared with 55,000 medium and large tion for many people.
But business management solutions provider MYOB’s Alla Keogh says this can be a mistake.
Keogh, its People and Performance general manager, says there is a perception big corporates pay staff more, provide great job security and better career progression than smaller companies.
“That’s a perception – whether it’s true or not, it depends on the business,” she says.
“Because there's no hierarchy, people can get much greater access to onthe-job opportunities (in a small business). For people who learn by doing, small business can make a great job.”
She says workers should look to small business to increase their chances of being employed.
“What they really want to see is that passion for their business, not only your interest for the industry and business, but passion for it.” businesses, meaning there are literally millions more places at which people can be employed.
Latest government figures show the number of people employed in small businesses grew by 146,000 in the year to June, 2014.
Working for the big boys can still seem the more popular and secure op-