A new online portal is pushing a 'buy local' message ahead of Small Business Day this Saturday.
Subiaco-based Small Business Matters launched the website last weekend, hoping to encourage Western Australian shoppers to support local retailers and producers.
Small Business Matters co-founder Nicolle Jenkins said the aim was for the portal to feature about 200 local businesses by the end of the year, including some from regional areas.
She said she wanted consumers to think of small businesses when shopping ahead of Christmas.
“One of the biggest challenges small businesses face is attracting new customers on a small budget,” Ms Jenkins said.
“We hope that by providing this free small business locator it will give small businesses another way of reaching a new audience.
“We also hope that customers will now be able to have greater visibility in identifying the small businesses in their community so they can (shop with them).
“At the end of the day, if we don’t support small businesses we will lose a vital element in our communities that provide diversity of products, employment and competition.
“By (shopping with small businesses) we are actively choosing the kind of world we want to live in.”
The locator is backed by Bankwest, while Small Business Day is supported by the Small Business Development Corporation, Real Estate Institute of WA, Housing Idustry Association and a number of regional chambers of commerce.
Ms Jenkins said small businesses played a vital role in the state’s economy.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Western Australia,” she said.
“As at 2015, WA small businesses employ more than 512,000 people (41 per cent) of private sector employment.
“Nearly half of all jobs in WA are provided by small businesses.”
Bankwest head of small business sales Sarah Guagliardo said small businesss needed collective support, and encouraged customers to be involved in the day.
Ms Guagliardo said small businesses contributed about $40 billion to the state's economy annually.
