free resources FEATURE

to help you run your business

We all want to avoid non-essential costs when operating a business. The good news is, there are some amazing free resources available to help you through every stage of your business journey.

Words Small Business Development Corporation

WHATEVER you need for your small business, you can turn to the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) for help.

The SBDC is WA’s State Government agency that provides services to small business owners throughout Western Australia.

For more than 40 years, the SBDC has been providing free small business advice and support to help small business owners start well, survive and thrive in business.

Here are some of the best free resources to help you run your business, provided by the SBDC.

1. Free personalised advice

If you need advice, it makes sense to get it from someone who understands business. You can turn to the SBDC for the answers to your questions, big or small.

The SBDC offers free, confidential business advice across a range of areas including assessing new business ideas, business planning, and marketing. They also offer specialised advice on areas such as leasing commercial premises.

You can contact their team of experienced business advisers on 133 140, use the live chat option on their website or book a video or phone appointment. It’s like having your own business coach or mentor — at no cost to you.

If you’re in regional Western Australia, you can also access advice through your SBDC Regional provider. These local services, provided by advisers who are part of your community, are available across WA from Esperance and the Great Southern through to the Kimberley.

2. Free Starting a Business Workshop

Whatever type of business you have, working for yourself means you need a broad range of knowhow — starting from the basics of setting up and running a business.

The SBDC’s free Starting a Business Workshop takes you through all the essentials of setting up - from initial assessment and looking at your suitability to run a business, to financing your idea, building your support team, and identifying sales opportunities. You’ll receive a practical workbook, which includes an “Are you ready?” checklist.

While the Starting a Business Workshop is designed for early stage businesses, it can also be a useful refresher on all the elements you need to pay attention to when working for yourself. You’ll also be able to ask questions about any aspects of setting up a business and learn about further support.

If you have all the fundamentals covered, you may be interested in the SBDC’s wider program of low cost, practical workshops on topics from business skills and financial management to marketing, tendering and contracts. At only $20 each, they are packed with key information and useful hints and tips to accelerate your business.

You can check out the upcoming workshop schedule and make a booking on the SBDC’s website.

3. Climate ready resources

Across Western Australia, more frequent and intense weather events are already affecting small businesses’ costs, operations and supply chains. These challenges aren’t slowing down, instead, they’re expected to increase in frequency and severity, affecting businesses across every industry and region.

The SBDC’s fully funded Climate Ready program, new in 2026, provides free practical workshops, tools and resources to help small business owners understand the potential risks to their business.

Eligible businesses that attend a Climate Ready workshop will also have access to apply for limited government grant funding to help put their climate adaptation plans into action.

4. Access to leading market research

Whether exploring new business ideas or simply checking whether your business plan is on track, it’s very useful to have access to quality, recent research. Market research and industry data can help you to understand the latest trends and future outlook for your industry, but it can be time consuming and expensive to acquire this information.

As a benefit to WA business owners, the SBDC team can provide you with free access to the industry-leading IBIS World market research and industry reports which contain the latest information to help you make better business decisions. The team can also provide access to local benchmarking data so you can see how your net profit compares with industry averages.

You can request access to these reports using the LiveChat feature on the SBDC’s website.

5. Business licence reports

Certain businesses need licences and permits to operate, which need to be obtained from different regulators, such as State and local government authorities.

The best way to save yourself time in finding this information and make sure your business complies with necessary licences and approvals, is via the SBDC’s online Business Licence Finder. This powerful tool includes a database of all Western Australian local governments, as well as state and national licences that may apply to you.

The comprehensive tool will ask you a few simple questions to produce a customised report of the licences you need for your business, where to get them and how much they cost. Even better — it only takes five minutes and is free to use.

6. Business building resources

The SBDC has created free business templates, tools and guides for you to use in planning for and running your business.

You can get a head start on your business plan, marketing plan, cash flow forecast and much more, using done-for-you templates. There is even a popular business plan on a page template if you are short on time or just exploring a new business concept.

The free guides will also help you build your knowledge across a range of business topics, from finance to marketing. One of the popular topics offered is how to choose professionals to support your business, such as accountants, lawyers, lenders and website professionals.

7. Business networking

Business networking is a strategy used by many businesses to build community and referral networks, but there is often a cost attached to these opportunities. In person networking times and locations may also be unsuitable for you.

The SBDC’s private Facebook Group ‘I’m a small business owner in Western Australia’ offers a free alternative to connect with, seek advice from and collaborate directly with other local business owners. With more than 16,000 members, it’s one of the most active business communities in WA!