Meta heads to Western Sydney to boost small businesses
By Josh Machin, Head of Public Policy, Australia
This week, Meta visited Western Sydney — home to a fast-growing economy and thriving small businesses — to host a Meta Boost workshop in partnership with the Majors Bay Chamber of Commerce.
Over 90 participants attended the free workshop, and learned about the tools and resources across Facebook and Instagram to start and grow a business online.
Meta also released new findings from its Digital Maturity Report at the event. The research reveals how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can leverage digital technologies to drive business transformation. The key findings showed: Over the last year, digital technologies enabled Australian SMEs to generate $306 billion in additional revenue, and 77% of SMEs report that Meta’s platforms helped people learn about their businesses. The findings also showed that if all SMEs in Australia became digital leaders, a further $181 billion in revenue could potentially be unlocked.
The event was opened by local Federal MP Ms Sally Sitou, who spoke to the importance of digital skills for business owners.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the community in more ways than one. They contribute to major fundraisers, give local students opportunities for work experience and provide essential products and services to keep communities going. Reid is a truly entrepreneurial community with over 26,000 small businesses, and I’m thrilled to see the Majors Bay Chamber of Commerce and Meta help local businesses learn the digital skills to run their businesses more efficiently and to help them grow”
— Sally Sitou, Federal MP
Participants also heard from a panel of other business owners, including CJ Artistry,Budgy Smuggler and Raine & Horne who successfully use Meta’s online tools to grow their businesses.
Jade Pham, CEO of local Western Sydney business CJ Artistry and panellist at the event said she and her sister Cassie started the business by delivering a mobile hair and make-up service on the weekends using Facebook to promote their services. The mobile service quickly progressed into a salon and became Western Sydney’s one-stop shop for all things beauty. Initially the salon struggled, however after leveraging Facebook and Instagram tools and ads to reach new customers, they turned the business around.
As their nail artistry got noticed and shared by creators on Instagram, people began traveling to their salon from all over the country. Jade said she sees social media, particularly Instagram, “as a service menu to show people what they can offer. It also gives a behind-the-scenes view of our work and lets us connect with customers. The platforms allow us to understand our clients’ dreams and offer them services and content that are truly relevant.”
Boost workshops have been run in over 50 towns across Australia, supporting over 30,000 small businesses. For more information on tools and tips to help your business, click here. For information on how to keep your business and communities safe online, click here.
