5 Reasons to Support Small Business (and why it matters)

Updated October 2026

October is NSW Small Business Month, a time to celebrate the local businesses that keep our towns thriving. Supporting small business means your money stays in your community, you get personal service from people who know your name, and you help keep your main street alive for the next generation.

Small business by the numbers

Small business isn’t a small part of Australia, it’s most of it.

• About 97% of Australian businesses are small businesses.
• Small businesses employ around 5.2 million Australians, about 39% of the private sector workforce (ASBFEO, 2023–24 data).

As Small Business Ombudsman Bruce Billson has put it, the spirit that drives people to run a small business also makes them great contributors to their community, and they’re more likely than the general population to volunteer.

Running a small business isn’t always as glamorous as it looks. Margins are tight, costs keep rising, and many owners work long hours for modest returns. That’s exactly why every local purchase counts.

5 Reasons to Support your local Small Businesses

1. Your Money stays local

When you spend at a small business, your dollars don’t disappear to a head office somewhere else. They pay local wages, and those wages get spent at the café next door, the hardware store and the bakery. Small business owners also buy from other local businesses: printers, tradies, accountants and more.

It’s a cycle that keeps the whole town going, and it starts with where you choose to shop.

2. Personal service you don't find everywhere

Small businesses know their customers. At Stewart’s Menswear, we’ve fitted school uniforms for kids who now bring in their own children. We remember who likes a longer short, and whose dad always wore a particular brand of work shirt.

That personal touch carries online too. Every order is packed by hand by Sue or Gerard, with a handwritten note and small gift. As one customer put it: “I’ve been everywhere… I didn’t think to start here.”

3. Better for the Planet

Shopping local means fewer kilometres in the car and fewer parcels criss-crossing the country. But there’s more to it than that.

Small business owners buy carefully. We choose stock for our customers and our climate rather than ordering mountains of everything, which means less waste. And because we stock quality, long-lasting brands, you buy less and wear it longer. As one customer joked recently, the quality is so good he doesn’t get to drop in as often! 😄

Every online order from Stewart’s Menswear also supports plastic recovery through our partnership with Greenspark.

4. Caring for Community

Small business owners don’t just work in your town. They live here, and their families are part of local schools, sporting clubs and community groups.

For us, that looks like:

• Giving one of our shopfront windows to the Mullumbimby Museum since 2004, for their rotating community displays.
• Serving on the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce committee and as treasurer of the Mullumbimby Agricultural Society.
• Supporting the Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre, which is there for so many people in our community in floods, lockdowns and ordinary hard weeks. (Keep an eye out next month for more on how you can help to support them instead of following the Black Friday trend 💚)

A busy, vibrant main street isn’t just good for business owners. It gives everyone access to essential goods and services, and it gives our town its character and sense of place.

5. Wealth of Knowledge, Free of charge

Specialty store owners have a wealth of knowledge you can tap into absolutely free!! They are more than happy to offer advice so that you are purchasing exactly what you need. And if they don't have it, chances are they can order it in for you! That kind of honest, no-pressure advice is hard to find in a chain store.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to this: your dollars spent at small businesses directly benefit your community. 

How to support small business (without spending a cent)

Support doesn’t always mean buying something. Here are a few easy ways to help your favourite local businesses:

• Leave a review. It takes two minutes and makes a huge difference.
• Like, comment on and share their posts. Engagement helps small businesses reach more people.
• Recommend them to friends, family and visitors.
• Sign up to their newsletter so you hear about new stock first.
• Shop local first. Pop in before heading to the shopping centre. You might find what you need in less than ten minutes.

Frequently asked questions

When is NSW Small Business Month?
NSW Small Business Month runs throughout October each year, celebrating and supporting the state’s small businesses.

Why should I shop local in the Byron Shire?
Shopping local keeps money circulating in our community, supports local jobs, reduces travel and gives you personal service from people who know the area and its lifestyle.

Where can I find a family-owned menswear store near Byron Bay?
Stewart’s Menswear is at 52 Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby, a short drive from Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores. We’ve been family-owned and dressing Mullumbimby since 1929.

Can I support a small business if I don’t live nearby?
Absolutely. Many small businesses, including Stewart’s Menswear, have online stores with Australia-wide delivery. We’ve sent orders to every state in Australia, all packed by hand in Mullumbimby.

Do small businesses offer Click & Collect?
Many do. At Stewart’s Menswear, you can shop online and use our free Click & Collect service to pick up in store.

Every purchase is a vote for your town

When you choose to shop small, you’re not just buying something. You’re backing the people, jobs and character that make your community what it is.

Call in and see us on Burringbar Street, or have a browse online. Either way, thank you for supporting our local family business.

References

• Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO)
• ASBFEO: Contribution to Australian Employment (July 2025)
• NSW Small Business Commissioner: Key Dates