John Garland reappointed chairman of the Small Business Development Corporation

10/8/99
Perth businessman John Garland has been reappointed chairman of the Small Business Development Corporation.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business Hendy Cowan said today Mr Garland would continue his role as chairman of the board of SBDC for a further two years.
"John has been a driving force at SBDC for more than five years and we are confident he will continue to move the organisation forward as the small business sector tackles the many challenges ahead," Mr Cowan said.
"As we enter the next century small businesses are coming to grips with electronic commerce and a new tax system as well as coping with the potential Y2K Millennium bug problem."
The Minister said Mr Garland, the principal of John Garland International real estate and property development company, had enormous experience in the business arena and was a leader in his field.
He was initially appointed in July 1994 and his new term expires on June 30, 2001.
Mr Garland said the timing was critical for small business operators who were entering a period of unprecedented change.
"We are being subjected to major changes through GST, with compliance costs in particular. We are facing key issues such as trading hours and workers' compensation changes and we are looking at an unemployment level which still needs to come down," he said.
"Small business operators need education in management. They need support and a new structure for achieving this.
"Electronic commerce can give them this aspect of training and SBDC is continually highlighting the need for all small businesses to raise their awareness of e-commerce opportunities."
Mr Cowan said that in the past year the SBDC had listed major achievements including:

• the State's first electronic commerce expo, Smart Business '99, attended by around 4500 business people;
• the launch of Smart Start regional business start-up scheme, to assist unemployed people start viable businesses;
• the Business Innovation Development Scheme introduced as an initiative to support small businesses and individuals to commercialise a new invention or technology; and -
• the Small Business Improvement Program designed to encourage small businesses to implement strategic management practices. During 1998/99, 243 small businesses around WA accessed the program. Of these, 91 were regional small businesses.