Small Business

The pandemic has boosted business for one furniture maker, who hopes a renewed focus on locally made products will continue to drive the sector.

After decades in construction, Robert Williams is building a new business, piece by piece.

More than 13,000 Western Australian jobs were lost in January, including 9,900 by women, according to new labour market data.

Many of Western Australia’s small businesses carried a high degree of optimism into 2021, according to findings from the new 2020 BCEC Small Business Survey.

The Liberal Party WA has reiterated calls for better support for businesses, following new figures by Treasury indicating that the five-day lockdown cost the state $100 million.

The current health of the Western Australian economy is being reflected through the optimism and confidence reported by the state’s small businesses.

Retail sales were 14 per cent higher in WA in December than the same month in 2019, although they softened by 2 per cent compared to November.

More than a third of WA's small businesses reported a loss in revenue due to the first wave of COVID-19 infections, according to Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre.

In today's COVID-19 wrap, Western Australia has recorded no new local cases of COVID-19, the WA Liberal Party demands a 24-hour testing clinic and businesses seek clarity on lockdown rules.

Western Australia’s sudden descent into a five-day lockdown after the first local case of COVID in 10 months has proven problematic for the state’s hospitality and retail sector.

WA’s peak business body has backed the state government’s snap move for a five day lockdown, but the national retail industry association was less impressed.

Prices in Perth deflated 1 per cent in the December quarter, thanks to the government’s electricity credit, but there’s an underlying upward pressure.

If elected, the state’s Liberal Party will establish a new small business retail theft squad aimed at tackling shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and organised retail theft.

Entities related to seafood vendor The Fish Boss have gone into voluntary liquidation after suffering financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Subiaco-based Hiddlestone Electrics has taken an old-school approach to business during its 100 years.

Small businesses are generally seen as the engine room for growth, but they’re also the engine room for jobs.

There’s reason to be optimistic about the state’s economic recovery in 2021, with a skills shortage looming as a potential challenge.

Western Australian small businesses are far more positive about the future than their eastern counterparts, with new research showing four in five expective revenue growth through to April next year.

West Aussies had a huge boost in purchasing power in the year to June, and the state’s economy grew despite a small national drop.

Perth prices rose 1.8 per cent in the September quarter, the sharpest lift since June 2006, after a big fall during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Western Australians are being encouraged to back local businesses in the lead-up to Christmas, as part of a campaign that launches on Saturday.

The federal government and six major banks have established a fund that will invest equity capital in Australian small-to-medium businesses.

A tyre wholesaler in Malaga has been fined $70,000 after admitting to an unsafe work environment.

From October 1, Western Australians will be able to exchange their used bottles for cash, but how will the scheme operate?

More than 32,000 Western Australians found jobs in August, and the unemployment rate plunged 1.3 percentage points, as the nation posted a big improvement.

Five outlets at Yagan Square have shut their doors in recent months as the COVID-19 recession takes its toll on the precinct.

WA’s domestic economy contracted 6 per cent in the June quarter, slightly better than national figures showing Australia is in recession.

Border closures are having a magnified impact on some WA businesses, with calls for a clear strategy on reopening and possible compensation.

Many small businesses are optimistic after the challenges of recent months, citing the state’s border bubble as a contributing factor.

Unemployment in the Mandurah region rocketed up 11.1 percentage points in five months, making it the highest in Australia.

Consumers in Perth are more confident than any other major capital by some margin, according to the latest ANZ Roy Morgan weekly consumer confidence data.

The state government has announced $2 million in grants under the latest iteration of the Local Capability Fund for Western Australia's small businesses.