The Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research at the QUT Business School will host three events to inspire and build business as part of 2014 Queensland Small Business Week. 2014 Queensland Small Business Week from 1-6 September is a Queensland Government initiative supporting and celebrating the important role of small business in the Queensland economy.
You are invited to attend all or any of these events, registration is essential to secure your place:
Small Firm Growth – Lessons from systematic research
Presented by : Professor Per Davidsson, Director, Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research
What is gained and lost when a firm grows larger? Where do “high growth firms” come from; what challenges do they meet – and are they able to sustain their growth over time? What risks and opportunities are associated with different forms of growth, such as domestic vs. international expansion; organic vs. acquisition-based growth; “mere” volume expansion vs. growth through new products and new markets? When should and should not sales growth be accompanied with internal growth in personnel? Last but not least – how are growth and profitability related? Do firms become profitable as a result of their growth, or is it the other way round? During the last 20 years a lot has been learnt from systematic, large-scale research about the drivers, forms, and consequences of growth in small firms. This seminar summarizes some of the highlights in an accessible and entertaining form.
| Date: | Wednesday 3 September 2014 |
| Time: | 1:30 to 2:30 pm |
| Venue: | Gibson Room, Level 10 Z Block, QUT Gardens Point Campus, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000 |
| Cost: | Free Register to attend |
The business creation process: What works and doesn’t work for Australian start-ups?
Presented by: Professor Per Davidsson, Director, Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research, and Dr Scott Gordon, Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research.
This seminar reports some main findings from the Comprehensive Australian Study of Entrepreneurial Emergence, which is the largest study of business start-ups ever undertaken in Australia. Well over a thousand emerging and young firms were followed over a six-year period. Four doctoral dissertations; eight reports to the federal Department of Industry, and a range of other works have been written on the basis of this project. The seminar will cover the dos and don’ts of business planning; low-cost strategies to start a business; the challenges of innovation; more vs. less successful start-up processes, and a number of other topics.
| Date: | Thursday 4 September 2014 |
| Time: | 1:30 to 2:30 pm |
| Venue: | Gibson Room, Level 10 Z Block, QUT Gardens Point Campus, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000 |
| Cost: | Free Register to attend |
Entrepreneurship in Australia: How does our start-up activity hold up against other countries?
Presented by: Associate Professor Paul Steffens, Deputy-Director, Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research
Australia is not Silicon Valley –but neither is 99% of the US! How does Australia’s level of entrepreneurial actually fare in comparison with other countries? What is the rate and quality of new business formation compared to relevant other countries? Are women, immigrants and different ethnic groups over- or under-represented—and how does their representation compare internationally? Looking beyond small, independent start-ups: Is Australia high or low in “producing” self-made billionaires who created their fortunes based on business activities? What about entrepreneurial initiatives among employees in established businesses? Various types of research actually points a rather bright picture of the state of entrepreneurship in Australia, and even if there are things that could be improved we should perhaps think twice about thinking and saying that everything is much better elsewhere.
| Date: | Friday 5 September 2014 |
| Time: | 1:30 to 2:30 pm |
| Venue: | Gibson Room, Level 10 Z Block, QUT Gardens Point Campus, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000 |
| Cost: | Free Register to attend |
These research-informed events hosted by the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research at the QUT Business School are open to business owners, industry, and policy makers interested in the growth of entrepreneurship in Australia. Small business is vital to Queensland’s economy, representing approximately 95 percent of all Queensland businesses and employing almost half of the state’s private sector workforce. These events are designed to provide information that will inspire the entrepreneurial ecosystem and provide networking to build and grow businesses.
For more information about the presenters and the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research visit www.qut.edu.au/business/ace
2014 Queensland Small Business Week is being delivered by the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games. For more information on 2014 Queensland Small Business Week visit www.business.qld.gov.au/smallbusinessweek
