QHA advises there are Queensland Government grants currently available to industry and the support available to tourism businesses who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Business Boost Grants Program
The Business Boost Grants Program will open to applications from eligible businesses for up to $15,000 from 30 July at 9:00am, which can provide support to small businesses seeking to boost turnover, profit, and employment; increase business confidence and skills; and improve business resilience and survivability.
We are expecting these grants to be very popular, so now is the time for tourism businesses to get their paperwork ready! The guidelines, eligibility criteria and FAQs are available at:
www.business.qld.gov.au/business-boost
Free Tourism Business and COVID-19 Small Business Financial Counsellors- now available to help more tourism businesses
The free Tourism Business and COVID-19 Small Business Financial Counsellors are now available to help tourism businesses across Queensland that have experienced any financial impact because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including operators who would like to undertake a confidential and impartial review of their business plans so they can make the best decisions about their future.
The counsellors can assist businesses with:
- Understanding their finances: Not everyone goes into businesses with an accounting background, a financial counsellor can help businesses to better understand their finances and introduce better ways to manage the financial side of their business.
- Business planning: If a business doesn’t know where to start or has outgrown its original plan a financial counsellor can help create a new plan for a business.
- Accessing government assistance: National, State and Local governments offer many programs and grants that are designed to support small business, a financial counsellor can help find these and determine if a business is eligible to apply.
- Identifying risk: Running a business exposes a person to many personal, professional and financial risks. A counsellor can support a business to ensure they have adequate risk management strategies in place.
- Dealing with debt: for businesses having trouble servicing their debts, a financial counsellor can work with them to get control of debts and negotiate or structure a manageable solution before it's too late.
- Succession planning: Time to step into or out of the family business? Financial counsellors can help a business navigate the many and varied ways to transition the family business to the next generation.
- Referrals: when additional expert financial, legal or human resource advice is needed, financial counsellors can refer to the Tourism Business Professional Advice Rebate so a business can receive to receive a rebate of up to $2500 based on matched funding for these additional professional services. Counsellors can also assist to connect people with specialist social and welfare support.
To find out more information on the Queensland Tourism Business Financial Counselling Service please visit: www.dtis.qld.gov.au/our-work/queensland-tourism-business-financial-counselling-service
Or to find your region’s local Financial Counsellor please visit:
Northern Queensland: www.rfcsnq.com.au/small-business/free-financial-counselling-for-small-business
Southern Queensland: www.rfcssq.org.au/small-business-assistance.
Please also find attached Queensland Government Grants Relevant to Tourism Businesses Flyer - July 2021 for tourism businesses seeking support.
The Tourism Response Team is also available to answer questions from tourism businesses about COVID safe planning, checklists and interpreting Public Health Directions relevant to business. The Team can be contacted at: tourismresponse@dtis.qld.gov.au
