For the first time in history, NSW’s peak business organisation, the NSW Business Chamber, has joined its fellow chambers of commerce from across the country to launch a national small business campaign.

The multi-million dollar campaign has been titled Small Business – Too Big to Ignore, and will feature press, radio, television and online advertising, as well as a series of events in metropolitan and regional Australia between now and the election.

President of the Shoalhaven Business Chamber Warren Seccombe said the small business sector was capable of building a stronger economy and creating new jobs but needed support from political leaders.

“This is about highlighting that the small business sector is crucial to the health and wellbeing of the Australian economy,” he said.

“The small business sector is capable of building a stronger economy and creating new jobs but it needs support.

“When you look at it simply, if every small business in Australia was able to employ just one more worker, there would be zero unemployment.”

Mr Seccombe said the small business community was the unsung hero of the nation’s economic success.

“This campaign is not about men in pinstripe suits telling the country how tough it is in business – we have real people telling real stories to drive the point home,” he said.

“I think our slogan sums it up perfectly – we are too big to be ignored, and we will be heard.”

He said the purpose of the campaign was to give business owners and employees an avenue to tell their personal stories in short video messages about life in their business world.

“The more stories we get, the more we will be able to be heard by those that make the decisions,” he said.

“Small business employs seven million Australians, which is around 60 per cent of the Australian workforce.

“We are providing a channel for the collective voice of Australia’s small business entrepreneurs and their staff to be heard and respected, for their needs to be acknowledged and made a priority of by the next federal government.”

The campaign was officially launched in Western Sydney in front of an audience of more than 500 small business owners by the president of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Richard Holyman.

As part of the launch, the campaign website toobigtoignore.org.au was also unveiled, where small business owners, employees and the community are able to pledge their support for the campaign, donate to the campaign fund, and share their stories of business life in Australia.