By Karen Mckeown OAM, Member for Penrith 

THIS October, Small Business Month is about more than celebration – it’s about action. Small businesses in Penrith consistently tell us that red tape is one of their biggest barriers to growth, limiting productivity, innovation and capacity to thrive.

That’s why, alongside a month of events to celebrate and support small business, the NSW Small Business Commission is launching a targeted red tape initiative.

Small business owners and their representative bodies are invited to share their experiences with compliance and compliance burden through a short survey or interview.

These insights will help identify pain points and shape practical reforms to make it easier to do business in NSW.

Coinciding with Small Business Month, the survey will run from Wednesday 1 October until Friday 31 October 2025.

In addition to sharing your red tape experiences, Small Business Month provides opportunity for small business owners in Penrith to learn new skills, develop a business idea, build networks, or access support.

The month-long event features a dynamic calendar of online and face-to-face events, including workshops, webinars, and networking sessions across NSW. Aligned to individual business interests, the events cover a diverse range of topics such as social media, consumer behaviour, mental health, business growth, cyber security, workplace health and safety, and more.

To share your experiences with red tape and compliance burden, please complete the survey at: www.smallbusiness.nsw.gov.au/consultation-red-tape

To explore and register to attend Small Business Month events, please visit: https://nsw.gov.au/nsw-small-business-month