The Safety Net for Small Business: How ACCI Is Addressing the Mental Health and Financial Pressures of Entrepreneurship

A Crisis Beneath the Surface

Running a small business in Australia has always demanded resilience, but the data now reveals a deeper crisis. ACCI’s 2024 National Business WHS Survey found that 34 per cent of business operators reported a mental health diagnosis—significantly higher than the national average of 21.5 per cent. More recent data from the 2025 Small Business Conditions Survey shows that 44 per cent of owners report high stress, and about one-third have considered closing their business in the past year.

These are not merely statistics. They represent the human cost of regulatory burden, cash flow pressure, and the isolation that often accompanies sole entrepreneurship.

The NewAccess Extension: A Lifeline for Owners

In February 2026, ACCI commended the federal government’s decision to extend funding for the NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program and the Small Business Debt Helpline. The NASBO provides free, confidential mental health assistance specifically designed for small business owners—a cohort that frequently falls outside traditional workplace mental health frameworks. The Debt Helpline offers independent financial counselling to businesses in distress.

This extension is not a peripheral gesture. It is an acknowledgment that business support must address the person behind the business.

Financial Certainty Through Tax Reform

Mental health and financial security are inseparable. ACCI has therefore advocated aggressively for tax measures that reduce the baseline anxiety of small business ownership. The permanent instant asset write-off—allowing eligible businesses to deduct the full value of assets up to $20,000—was a landmark win in May 2026.

“Many small business owners will be pleased to see this measure made permanent, rather than not knowing each year whether the scheme would continue,” said ACCI acting CEO David Alexander. The chamber has since supported the Coalition’s proposal to raise the threshold to $50,000, arguing that a higher cap better matches the investment levels required for growth.

The Future Makers Initiative: Addressing Gendered Barriers

ACCI’s support for small business also has a critical gender dimension. In March 2026, the chamber released Balancing Act, a report produced as part of its Future Makers initiative, which illuminates the regulatory and financial challenges stifling women’s ability to own and grow small businesses. The inaugural Women in Small Business Summit, held in Sydney, brought together entrepreneurs and policymakers to translate research into tangible action.

For ACCI, supporting small business is not a single-issue campaign. It is an integrated strategy that spans mental health, tax policy, regulatory reform, and inclusive entrepreneurship—recognising that a thriving business sector depends on the wellbeing and capability of the people who run it.