These days sustainability seems to be a buzz-word that’s everywhere though one can’t help wondering how relevant it actually is to the daily lives of mainstream households and businesses.

Below the hum of everyday life, the world really is changing. The recent holiday floods throughout south east Queensland and northern New South Wales were a reminder of nature’s awesome power as well as the interconnections between our rivers, farms, communities and oceans – between agriculture, tourism and this country’s droughts and flooding rains.

In addition, scientific consensus is now highlighting increases in extreme weather events as our planet heats up, the global climate destablises and local weather patterns shift.

But what has all this got to do with small business in the Ethos Foundation’s neck of the woods – Beaudesert Shire and the soon-to-be created Scenic Rim Region?

On Wednesday February 6 at the Centre for Beaudesert Shire Arts and Culture, all of these issues were placed on the agenda as an innovative and exciting small business program was launched to some of our shire’s leading small business people.

Called Building Sustainable Small Business (BSSB), this exciting program is an Australian Government funded initiative under the Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business program and is jointly hosted by the Ethos Foundation and Beaudesert Shire Council.

The Ethos Foundation’s Sally MacKinnon said, “BSSB links the best small business management skills with practical sustainability knowledge and resources through free workshops, a mentoring, training and leadership program and the development of the shire’s first sustainable business network and directory.

“It also brings together some of the shire’s best business operators in ways that we believe will transform our region’s most important businesses and industries including tourism, food and farming.

“Yes, there are many practical challenges for businesses now because of water scarcity, climate change, energy costs and related government regulations, but there are also exciting opportunities emerging for local, small businesses and industries involved in tourism, food, farming, development, technology and cottage businesses in the shire,” Sally said.

“New, clean green businesses and industries are already being supported by all levels of government.

“There are cost savings to be made and incentives to be gained by using resources like water and energy more efficiently and reducing waste.

“Customers and clients are linking their personal values with their wallets and many of them want goods and services that are eco- and people-friendly.

“And demand for innovative, resource-efficient technologies and products is going through the roof. Organics, healthy local food, ecotourism and solar are now ‘in’ in a big way,” Sally said.

Director of Mt Barney Lodge and President of Beaudesert Country Tourism, Innes Larkin, is already a keen supporter of Building Sustainable Small Business and recently he signed onto the program as a small business mentor.

Innes is part of the team pitching Beaudesert Shire and the Mount Warning Wollumbin Caldera as a major international tourism destination through the National Landscapes initiative.

“I anticipate that this shire and region could become a national and international tourism destination because of our extraordinary flora, fauna, national parks and unique natural environment, as well as the diversity of local businesses that are skilling up to provide high-quality, eco-friendly experiences for visitors,” Innes said.

“We have an incredible natural heritage – one of the most biodiverse and beautiful in the world as recognised through World Heritage Listing in so many parts of the shire. Now our local businesses have the opportunity to become leaders in sustainable business and industry.

“I am thrilled to be part of the Building Sustainable Small Business program as a mentor because I will be working closely with some of our shire’s tourism businesses to help them become accredited ecotourism operators as well as to develop sustainability transition plans,” Innes said.

The Building Sustainable Small Business program has already teamed Innes Larkin up with his first small business student, Lisa Groom, director of interNATIONAL PARK tours (IPT), a Beechmont-based walking tour company.

Lisa has been running IPT since 2001 and her vision for the company focuses on creating ‘slow’ tours and sustainable, educational travel.

Her commitment to sustainable travel was inspired by her very first assignment as a tour guide with IPT when she visited Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. During that trip she saw great potential for tourism to help rebuild and support local communities.

“To me, there is a long-term, positive side to tourism when it can assist in the revitalisation of depressed local economies and meaningfully employ people in local communities,” Lisa said.

“At IPT, we recognise that our own business operation needs to be reviewed and overhauled to lighten our ecological footprint and better-support our own community and region.

“We are aiming to come home to the Scenic Rim region more, hone our international travel so it focuses on life-changing education and experience, and create a business that helps people to savour this amazing part of the world.

“We’re excited to be working with Innes Larkin and the BSSB program because we will receive relevant, practical, expert assistance to help us transform our business, make it more relevant to the 21st Century and ensure it is financially healthy too,” Ms Groom said.

As Beaudesert Shire prepares for its own transformation into the Scenic Rim Region over the next few weeks, an unprecedented opportunity is emerging for the businesses of this area.

At a big picture level, sustainable agriculture and ecotourism are identified as key industries and economic drivers.

And at a grassroots, practical level the Building Sustainable Small Business program will start to equip small business operators with the information, resources and skills they need to create prosperous and resilient businesses that take advantage of the rise of clean and green industry.

Building Sustainable Small Business is an Australian Government funded initiative under the Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business Program, with funding and support also provided by Beaudesert Shire Council and the Ethos Foundation.

For full details about the Building Sustainable Small Business program go to the Building Sustainable Small Business website or contact the Ethos Foundation on phone: 5533 3813 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it