Alicia Callary
Economic Development Officer
Send her an email
0439 156 874
Registrations are now open.
The Business 2 Business (B2B) Drought Program is part of South Australia’s Small Business Strategy 2023 – 2030 (Small Business Strategy) created by the Government of South Australia’s Office for Small and Family Business and funded through the State Government’s $73 million Drought Support Package.
The Small Business Strategy sets out 20 separate initiatives will be delivered under these six key themes to support small and family businesses across South Australia to adapt, grow and succeed, help businesses respond to challenges and recover from adversity, and take advantage of new opportunities.
The Small Business Fundamentals Program, and in turn the B2B Drought Program, is part of this strategy, providing direct assistance to small and family businesses and social enterprises to build their fundamental business knowledge and capabilities across a range of key business functions by working with partnering providers to deliver targeted support functions which meet different needs in local areas.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- Increase the skills, capability and capacity of South Australian small and family businesses, and social enterprises, and their workforces
- Support small and family businesses, and social enterprises, to improve profitability and competitiveness and employ more South Australians
- Provide equitable access and support to under-represented business owner groups.
The current B2B Drought Program comprises of:
- Initial consultations between RDA Yorke and Mid North staff and businesses to confirm eligibility for the program and pair them with an appropriate provider(s);
- One-on-one advisory sessions (of up to 6 hours) with specialist providers to assist them in the targeted business advisory functions summarised below, and;
- Ongoing case management support provided by RDA Yorke and Mid North for 12 months.
The business functions being supported through the B2B Drought Program include:
- Financial management, cash flow, budgeting
- Preparing to access capital
- Sales and marketing (including social media and digital)
- Developing new markets and customers
- Increasing business efficiency
- Business and strategic planning
- Attracting, employing and retaining staff
- Succession planning
- Risk Management
- Preparing for natural disasters
One-on-one small business advisory sessions with expert providers
Once paired with a relevant provider(s) participants will have access of up to 6 hours* of support through the program with the relevant provider(s) to work through the specific requirements of their business and a plan for incorporating relevant strategies and practices into their business to achieve improvements across these functions.
The mentoring, advice and support provided to each business is tailored to their specific requirements, leveraging the expertise and experience of providers who are best suited to providing that advice and support. The sessions will provide practical, personalised support, helping businesses develop relevant strategies and functions to drive meaningful outcomes.
Drought affected participants will not be charged for accessing one-on-one advisory sessions, regardless of the time spent.
Businesses accessing one-on-one advisory services will be incorporated into our existing case management list for a 12-month period after their session(s) have concluded. Through this case management program, our staff will engage with the business to support them in implementing strategies and practices developed in the one-on-one advisory sessions.
*The Drought Program coordinator will qualify participants for their session time allowance based on their eligibility, which includes the business’ needs, the impact of drought, and their contribution to the economic viability of their community. The Program Coordinator will negotiate the time allowance with the provider to ensure that the participant’s individual needs are met, in–line with the intended program objectives.
Providers
RDA Yorke and Mid North has worked with an extensive range of specialists and providers across these business functions, and has pre-screened a number of expert providers to help drive improvement within local businesses across these functions. Our team will work with businesses to understand their specific circumstances and requirements before pairing them with the most appropriate provider(s).
Expert advisers working with small businesses through the Program include:
