More power and increased recognition for Australian Small Business people.
The Australian Council of Professions and the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia are pleased and excited to announce the creation of a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding.
These two organisations between them have over one million small businesses within their member organisations. This partnership provides a much greater reach to the small business community and provides both organisations with access to superior information from which to inform policy and comment.
The Australian Council of Professions (ACoP) is the unifying alliance of Professional Associations that represents more than 800,000 Australian professionals including engineers, healthcare and computer professionals, veterinarians and accountants. A not‐for‐profit organisation, they are acknowledged by the community, industry and government as the thought leaders advocating for the professions, professionals and professionalism since 1971. Their members are professional associations and supporting organisations that share the mission of building and maintaining community confidence in all professionals.
The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) is Australia’s only peak body that exclusively represents the interests of small businesses and consultancies. COSBOA fosters an increased awareness and understanding of the role of the people who are sole traders or run small businesses in Australia and works with all parts of society as well as the business and policy sectors to achieve that aim. Through its member organisations COSBOA has a reach to over 500,000 small businesses.
Both councils and their member organisations undertake activities in the areas of advocacy, policy development, education, professional development, information dissemination, communication, resource development and member support. In the MOU both councils agree to identify and collaborate on opportunities, initiatives and projects, either existing or planned.
The President of the Australian Council of Professions, A/Prof Klaus Veil FACHI FH7, stated “It is in crisis times like the COVID-19 pandemic that we discover how many things are interconnected. As we worked more intensively with COSBOA on strategies to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, we realised that many of their members serve a similar constituency as do our professional association members, but from a different angle. So it seemed natural to formalise our collaboration so that both councils can even more effectively contribute to maintaining and enhancing Australia's well-being and prosperity."
The Chairman of COSBOA, Mark McKenzie, stated "the connection between all small businesses in Australian communities is a key part of the fabric of our society. The connection between professional and non-professional businesses is an everyday event that must be recognised. Professionals will need a haircut or a hairdo, they’ll need newspapers and magazines, petrol and fuel as well as everyday products and specialist products which they will often obtain from small businesses; and small business people will need expert advice on a whole range of complex matters which is when we go and see an expert, a professional. This partnership is empowering for COSBOA and now gives us a reach to over one million small businesses.
Picture: COSBOA Chairman, Mark McKenzie, and ACoP President/ Chair, Klaus Veil.