Festival launches for small business in Victoria

The annual month-long Small Business Festival in Victoria is helping empower entrepreneurs in establishing their business. Among those are migrant and refugee women at SisterWorks.

The Small Business Festival is underway for the month of August. Source: Supplied

Victoria’s Small Business Festival is underway, with more than 500 events providing information, ideas and inspiration to those looking to start or grow a business.

State Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis, said small business is the backbone of the economy with the event celebrating people’s drive to succeed.

“It’s a great opportunity to celebrate what they do, what they give back to the community and of course what they give back to the economy,” Minister Dalidakis said.

Philip Dalidakis (centre) introduces representatives from nine small businesses chosen to be festival ambassadors. (Supplied.) Source: Supplied

In addition to the annual festival encouraging small businesses, the state government ensures initiatives such as mentoring, mediation and assistance programs provide industries with greater support.

“We’re also moving into the world of the digital economy,” he said.

Nine small businesses have been chosen to be ambassadors for the festival.

Among them is social enterprise SisterWorks, which works to help migrant and refugee women establish themselves.

SisterWorks board member Sonya Davies said the women usually do not have any business connections.

“What SisterWorks does is provide a business lab environment where they can come, learn skills, and often learn skills by creating products that are SisterWorks branded,” Ms Davies said.

Sonya Davies and Alia Sultana are grateful for the opportunities small businesses such as SisterWorks' give to community members. (Supplied.) Source: Supplied

“They then understand how the process works and they can take those skills and start their own business.”

Alia Sultana is testament to the benefits SisterWorks has had on the community.

“I feel happy and never thought that I would be a caterer and now I am a caterer and have my own business and feel proud,” she said.

Ms Davies said it’s crucial for SisterWorks to have an event such as the festival, which not only focuses on metropolitan areas, but regional areas too.

SisterWorks is a social enterprise mainly helping women who arrived as regufees or migrants. (Supplied.) Source: Supplied

“This demonstrates to them that their business is important and that it’s recognised with other businesses, and I think that’s really important for these women to see themselves as business entrepreneurs,” she said.

“These women have come from all different backgrounds and they are coming to make money so that they can be contributing members of society and pay their taxes.”

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