Celebrating local legends: This month, the spotlight is on small businesses in NSW

From bustling local cafes to boutique law firms, small businesses are the beating heart of the Australian economy. Some will stay small for their entire existence; others will grow to become household names. Regardless of what they become tomorrow, every small business deserves support today.

It’s why we’re so excited about being involved in NSW Small Business Month in November 2022. The month-long festival acknowledges the role small businesses play in local communities. Considering that there are around 800,000 small businesses in NSW – which collectively employ over 1.8 million people and contribute almost $425 billion to annual sales and service income – it’s a key role, indeed.

What, exactly, is a small business?

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to defining what size qualifies as ‘small’ in the business world. As ASIC says, “This is because different laws define ‘small business’ differently.” Yet if we go by the ABS definition, it’s generally a business that employs less than 20 people.

So it could be a local accounting firm, or a small construction firm, or the sole proprietor of a home-based graphic design business. Regardless of their industry, all these businesses are all dealing with customers on a daily basis, working with suppliers, and negotiating deals. 

And, often, they are the first to experience hardship when challenges arise. Indeed, small businesses bore the brunt of the huge disruptions over recent years, with temporary lockdowns and an economic downturn wreaking havoc on the best-laid business plans.   

Technology helps small businesses thrive

At Docusign, one thing we’ve seen consistently over the past few years is that small businesses that quickly pivoted to digital solutions – or, better still, had previously embraced digital transformation – seemed to weather the pandemic storm better than others. 

During this turbulent time, we proudly helped small businesses get up and running with digital contracts fast, so they could keep moving forward on key business agreements when face-to-face interactions weren’t possible. Not only did our tools help agreements get signed remotely, but they also streamlined operations and gave small businesses valuable ways to save when times were tight.

Ongoing opportunities to support small business

Today, while the pandemic maelstrom has (mostly) passed, it’s still vital for small businesses to build resilience into their operating models; and to find ways to become ever-more efficient, streamlined, and accessible. 

That’s what Docusign is here for. As a proud partner of NSW Small Business Month, we’re helping support small businesses and show you how to operate more quickly, more efficiently, and at lower cost – while delighting customers with a better overall experience. 

By shifting from paper-intensive processes to digital transactions, Docusign increases the speed of transactions, lowers the costs, ensures compliance and provides complete visibility. And it gives business owners and managers more time to focus on running their business. 

This is what Jean-Paul Sutton, owner of Speciality Coffee Trader in North Queensland, discovered when he turned to Docusign. Instead of getting bogged down in paperwork, Jean-Paul Sutton can now focus on delivering that perfect cup of coffee. As he said in this customer success story, “My work-life balance has definitely improved by using Docusign. It’s saved me so much time, even just in wholesale agreements alone.”

How you can get involved

As part of NSW Small Business Month, Docusign is hosting an afternoon of networking at Hotel CBD on November 15. Any small business leader can come along to hear from business leaders that have successfully scaled their business and achieved long term success. But be quick, as numbers are limited. Reserve your seat today.