5 years ago
CELEBRATING WOMEN IN SMALL BUSINESS
Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Today is International Women’s Day and Senator MIchaelia Cash, Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education, has acknowledged the importance of women in small business.
“International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise the significant contribution women make to the small business sector,” Minister Cash said.
“Of the 3.3 million small businesses in Australia, around 33 per cent of small businesses are run by women.”
“Their contribution is crucial to our economy and those Australians whom they employ.”
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that over the past two decades, the number of female-run small businesses has grown by 46 per cent – a growth rate almost double that of men starting their own business over the same period of time.
“In my role as Minister for Small and Family Business, I have had fantastic opportunities to meet many of these women running successful small businesses, and they all have great stories to tell.
“Western Australia’s own Lacey Filipich, started the Maker Kids Club and was a finalist at Pitch at Palace in 2018.
“Lacey is a chemical engineer who worked in the mining industry before creating the next generation of WA entrepreneurs – she calls then ‘kidpreneurs’ – through her Maker Kids Club.
“Lacey’s business began by teaching kids how to set up a business, and that turned into her developing a classroom learning toolkit for teachers that easily fits into a middle school curriculum, so teachers can teach entrepreneurialism to students. The ‘kidpreneurs’ learn how to structure a company, marketing, finance basics and establish their own micro-business at the end of the semester.
“Lacey is a great example of when small business prospers and grows, the whole economy thrives and Australians benefit.
“The success of women in small business is evidence of the resourcefulness of everyday Australian women who, through hard work, ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to innovation, help make our economy the envy of the world.”