Help for FNQ owners to adapt and recover
UP TO $25 million in government grants are still available for regional Queensland businesses to adapt and rebuild their operations in the wake of coronavirus.
The funds are available through the Small Business COVID-19 Adaptation Grant Program.
Baker Dale Jackley took advantage of the grants when coronavirus forced him to rethink his online sales presence.
“The virus forced us to think outside the box,” Mr Jackley said. “It has been an opportunity for our business.”
So far 2663 applications for the grant have been submitted and the coffers are still half full.
Up to $10,000 is available for successful applicants.
The grants, offered under Business Queensland, are intended to help small business prepare for the safe resumption of trade in the post coronavirus recovery, access digital technologies to rebuild operations and transition to a new way of doing business, to sustain employment and maintain potential for longer-term growth, upskill and re-skill owners and staff.
“Adversity forced us to get more savvy about online sales, we were just plugging along,” Mr Jackley said.
Bang Media’s Angelo Saliba has assisted small businesses to apply for the grant and pivot to online models when traditional foot traffic withered during the COVID-19 shutdown.
“The basic requirement is that a business has shown a 30 per cent decline since March 23 and want to take their business online,” Mr Saliba said.
He said the first round of grants, offered to the south east corner of the state, was filled within 30 hours.
“It’s great to see the second round is segregated with half specified for regional Queensland, to allow us to have a fair go,” Mr Saliba said.
“We have helped with over 60 applications now, we have not had a knock back yet.”
He said the first step for businesses was to obtain a statement from their accountant to verify the 30 per cent decline.
“We can sit down and analyse where their business is or see what the best fit is.”