Department of Customer Service Statement on the Charter for Small Business
The Department of Customer Service (DCS) helps put the customer first across NSW Government programs. We aim to create services, policy and regulatory approaches that support all our customers across NSW.
We recognise small businesses are essential to the state’s economy and communities, and we are committed to helping them succeed.
DCS and the NSW Charter for Small Business
The DCS portfolio incorporates regulators that work with small business, including NSW Fair Trading, SafeWork NSW, the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) and Building Commission NSW. Within DCS, the Service NSW Business Bureau oversees the NSW Charter for Small Business.
Part of the DCS portfolio also includes the NSW Small Business Commissioner, an independent statutory officer established to support small businesses through resolving disputes and advocating for a fairer and more supportive business environment.
The Charter includes 6 principles for NSW Government agencies working with small businesses, with an accompanying action plan for implementation. All Departments must publish statements on how they are applying the Charter principles.
This is the Department of Customer Service’s statement.
The Service NSW Business Bureau is dedicated to breaking down the barriers to make doing business easier. The Bureau helps small businesses navigate government requirements and find opportunities for growth. Small businesses can:
- talk to a Business Concierge for personalised support
- get independent business advice and access a range of events, webinars and online resources
- manage government transactions and business licences through free digital tools.
Regulators within DCS also help small businesses with compliance and promoting a fair marketplace. For example, NSW Fair Trading offers resources on cybercrime and scams, and SafeWork NSW provides a range of tailored information aiding compliance and harm prevention, as well as assistance aimed at work health and safety improvements. SafeWork NSW supports small businesses to create a psychologically healthy and safe workplace through free coaching, guidance and training programs and provides access to a free Workplace Wellbeing Assessment tool which allows small businesses to identify how they are performing in areas critical to workplace mental health.
The Building Commission NSW also provides targeted support, and SIRA provides workers’ compensation information through the Recover at Work Assist program for small business.
DCS is committed to giving small businesses a voice in policymaking. We make it easier for them to contribute through Have Your Say surveys. We also engage with small businesses via social media, webinars and other events, and send monthly emails to about 1.4 million business customers.
Through these efforts, we promote an inclusive and collaborative approach to policymaking, benefiting both small businesses and the broader community.
We listen to small businesses' concerns about government policies and regulations. We aim to make it easier for small businesses to understand and comply with regulations, and ensure regulation adds value by managing risks to consumers and businesses.
To make compliance easier, we are finalising the development of Licence NSW and Regulation NSW. These platforms provide an easy and secure digital regulatory experience for customers, including digitised licensing. We also support Aboriginal businesses to meet licensing requirements through the Aboriginal Building and Construction Licensing awareness program. SafeWork NSW’s 'Easy to do WHS’ toolkit helps small businesses understand compliance obligations.
We recognise the importance of government tenders in supporting small businesses. We promote fair opportunities to sell to government agencies by sourcing from Aboriginal businesses, social enterprises and regional small businesses, which supports jobs and long-term sustainability for these businesses. We are also simplifying supplier registration and encouraging engagement with small businesses through buy.nsw.
Through the Test and Buy Innovation initiative, we are making it easier for the NSW Government to find, test and buy innovation from a more diverse range of solutions and suppliers. This will enable NSW agencies to access the latest expertise and most innovative solutions, including emerging technology, much of which comes from small business. This approach provides more opportunities for small businesses to provide ICT goods and services through Digital NSW’s all-of-government ICT Purchasing Framework.
We are also committed to giving local suppliers a full and fair opportunity to compete for government contracts. For projects or contracts with a budget of $7.5 million or more, we will embed upfront local market testing.
DCS is dedicated to continually improving our services. We are delivering this by:
- tracking satisfaction with public services and gathering insights to enhance our offerings
- reporting metrics on support for business customers in Service NSW’s performance dashboard
- establishing performance metrics to track progress on key Business Bureau programs and identify opportunities for further engagement.
The Business Bureau will provide updates for the Charter for Small Business webpage, including progress reports, case studies, program status and performance data to show how the NSW Government supports small businesses.
Contact us
Call us on 13 77 88 or visit the Service NSW Business Bureau website for more information.
Follow the Service NSW Business Bureau on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact us
Call us on 13 77 88 or visit the Service NSW Business Bureau website for more information.
Follow the Service NSW Business Bureau on Facebook and Instagram.