When a small business owner hits real financial trouble in this country, the system doesn't help them up — it shuts them out. After more than 35 years working alongside business owners, and having lost a business myself, that's the part I can't accept.
Let's start with what's at stake.
Small business is the engine room of the economy
Small business accounts for almost half of all private-sector jobs in Australia — around 4.8 million people out of 10.5 million — and roughly a third of private-sector value. Strip small business out of the picture and the country stops working.
So why do we turn on small business owners the moment they hit financial trouble?
In more than 35 years working alongside them, I have rarely met an owner who didn't throw everything they had at saving their business. They borrow against their assets. They sign personal guarantees. They mortgage the family home. They tip in money and assets they've spent a lifetime building — all to stay afloat, pay their creditors and do the right thing.
I'm not talking from the sidelines. I lost a business myself in 1988. I know exactly what that pressure feels like, and what it does to a person and to their family.
When they fall over, the system shuts them out
Here's what bothers me. Business owners carry an enormous load for this country. And when they fall over, they're demonised, discouraged, and treated with no dignity at all. That isn't just unfair — it's shameful.
Now look at how we treat the unemployed. And to be clear — that treatment is right. People out of work are met with dignity and respect. Their self-esteem is protected. We're expected to be understanding and encouraging of their circumstances. Good. That is how it should be.
So why don't we hold the same standard for business owners?
Instead, we go the other way. Governments pile on with director penalty notices, intimidating tactics and bullying letters. Credit ratings get torched. Someone who took a risk and had a go gets treated like they've done something wrong.
Is that the punishment for being ambitious?
Remember this: without the courage, grit and drive of business owners, Australia looks like a very different place — and nothing like the lucky country.
We should be encouraging these people, not discouraging them. Helping them, not shutting them out. Valuing them, not writing them off. Teaching them the skills so they're better prepared next time. Backing them — because they back us, every single day.
Small business owners do far more than prop up the economy. They show us what strength, struggle, hard work and real success actually look like. Government should be fostering that, not crushing it.
Because a nation's economic success isn't handed down by governments. It is built by the ambition and determination of its people.
If your business is under pressure right now
Don't wait until the options run out. The earlier you get a clear, straight read on where you stand, the more choices you have — and the more of them are good ones. If you're already seeing the early warning signs, that's the time to act, not after.
That's the work I do — helping owners understand their position and lining them up with the right people to deal with it. No judgement, no sales pitch — a straight conversation.
Talk to Doug Constable — 0499 499 009 — for a straight, confidential conversation about where your business stands.
Common questions
What help is available for a small business owner in financial trouble?
More than most people realise — and the earlier you look, the more there is. Options range from informal creditor negotiations and payment arrangements through to formal restructuring. The worst move is doing nothing until the choices are made for you.
Is losing a business the end of the road?
No. I lost one in 1988 and have spent the 35 years since helping others through it. A business ending is a hard chapter — it is not a verdict on you, and for many owners it's the reset that leads to something better.