Over the past few weeks, I’ve been part of a number of important conversations across Queensland. From the Townsville Summit and the Innovation Advisory Council workshops to the Business Chamber Queensland Future of Work Roadshow. Each discussion tackled different aspects of business growth and regulation, but a single thread connected them all: the complexity facing business and commericalising innovation today.
Running a business in 2025 means wearing a dozen hats. Managing customers, staff, cash flow, compliance, technology, and risk — all while trying to stay upright on a moving platform. Whether it’s new cyber security requirements, AI, workplace reforms, or shifting legislative landscapes, small business owners are expected to adapt faster than the systems supporting them.
A year ago, at the Townsville Chamber of Commerce Raising Regions Conference wearing my President Hat but also wearing the Australian Impact Group where we sit at the intersection of advisory, program development and advocacy of policy and reforms. I sat down for a fireside conversation with the Queensland Small Business Commissioner Dominique Lamb. That conversation centred on the same issues we’re still navigating, but the difference now is the pace. The number of moving parts hasn’t necessarily increased; the velocity of change has.
When we talk about “red tape,” it’s not just about the paperwork. It’s the constant context switching. One day it’s data privacy, the next it’s modern awards, ESG reporting, or cyber security. This steady stream of compliance requirements slowly erodes the energy and headspace of business owners.
But the answer isn’t simply to cut regulation. It’s to make it work better. The real opportunity lies in simplifying, not stripping, creating systems that are consistent, connected, and easy to understand.
Simplification doesn’t mean lowering standards; it means enabling compliance through clarity and confidence. It’s about shifting from red tape to redirection , towards processes that make doing the right thing the easy thing.
It also means shifting the focus from the how to the why and where. When businesses understand why certain requirements, systems, or changes exist and where they align to their business, they can adapt with purpose instead of frustration.
The role of Artificial Intelligence was a central topic of discussion at the Business Chamber Queensland Future of Work event, and it’s clear from the Future of Work Report that it’s top of mind for many businesses.
At the Australian Impact Group, we use AI extensively acr oss our programs and operations, but we’re deliberate about how it’s embedded, mindfully, ethically, and with understanding. AI has enormous potential to improve productivity, strengthen decision-making, and enhance competitive advantage. But when implemented without care or context, it can just as easily introduce new risks, create compliance challenges, and erode trust.
Across Queensland, small businesses are increasingly using AI for automation, quoting, rostering, and content creation. These are powerful applications when used intentionally. But AI can also become a liability if it’s poorly governed or misunderstood, leading to privacy breaches, misinformation, or unintentional bias.
As I often emphasise through AIG’s work, AI should be used to support capability, not substitute it. It works best when it builds on the understanding, expertise, and knowledge of people, not replaces them. The goal isn’t to remove human judgment, but to reinforce it.
When business owners understand why they’re using a technology to improve accuracy, reduce manual work, or enable better decisions , they can bolt on the what with purpose.
AI can absolutely help business owners reclaim time and focus. But without thoughtful design, clear parameters, and human oversight, it can quickly become another layer of red tape disguised as innovation.
Balancing in a VUCA world
At the recent Innovation Advisory Council workshops, discussions focused on the realities of leading and enabling innovation across Queensland, particularly in a VUCA environment: one defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
Queensland’s strength lies in its diversity , of industries, regions, and people. However, that same diversity can also make coordination and commercialisation challenging. We have world-class ideas emerging from every corner of the state, yet the pathways to turn those ideas into tangible outcomes often vary dramatically between sectors.
For small and family businesses, this environment presents both opportunity and risk. Businesses must continually innovate to remain relevant, but innovation itself carries uncertainty. Embedding innovation into operations requires time, capability, and often, navigation through complex regulation and funding frameworks.
That’s why reducing red tape is not just about compliance — it’s about enabling innovation safely. Streamlined processes and clearer pathways can help businesses experiment, adapt, and commercialise ideas more confidently.
When innovation is encouraged, understood, and supported, not constrained by administrative burden, we unlock the potential for new industries and products to thrive.
The opportunity is clear: when we bridge the gap between innovation inputs and innovation outcomes, we strengthen both our business ecosystem and Queensland’s economic resilience.
De-Risking Through Capability
Across every conversation, one message is consistent: “de-risking” doesn’t mean eliminating uncertainty; it means managing it intelligently. Most small businesses don’t have a risk department; they are the risk department.
The most effective levels of reducing red tape, de-risking, and building resilience come down to clarity, capability, and context. These three elements are not abstract ideals — they’re practical levers that can be built, strengthened, and scaled across Queensland’s business ecosystem.
Clarity comes from having the right information, at the right time, in plain English. Businesses thrive when policies, regulations, and support programs are communicated clearly and consistently — not buried in jargon. Simplifying processes, aligning requirements across agencies, and providing clear guidance helps business owners make decisions quickly and confidently.
Capability is developed through targeted education and skills support. This means providing accessible pathways for business owners to understand digital tools, financial systems, risk management, and workforce development — without overwhelming them. It’s about moving from one-off training to ongoing capability building that grows with the business.
Context ensures that solutions are relevant. What works for a tourism operator in Cairns might not suit a manufacturer in Mount Isa or a startup in Brisbane. Programs, regulations, and advisory frameworks must reflect local realities and industry differences to truly reduce friction and risk.
Delivering on these three pillars requires collaboration. Business, advocacy groups, and government each have a role to play.
Business brings firsthand experience and practical insight into what’s working and where the pressure points lie.
Advocacy organisations translate those insights into evidence and coordinated policy advice.
Government, in turn, can design and deliver smarter, simpler systems that reflect the realities on the ground.
When clarity, capability, and context align through that kind of collaboration, businesses can focus on growth instead of red tape. They can innovate safely, navigate uncertainty, and make better use of technology, policy, and people.
The solution isn’t more regulation or more tools, it’s smarter co design that gives small business owners room to move, confidence to act, and systems that work with them, not against them.
Building Systems That Work for Business
Across every forum, from the Future of Work Roadshow to regional roundtables, one message continues to surface: small and family businesses are deeply resilient, but they shouldn’t have to prove it through endurance alone.
The systems that support business need to work with that resilience, not test it. That means creating infrastructure digital, regulatory, and relational , that helps businesses operate with clarity, efficiency, and trust.
When process and reporting is simplified, data flows securely between systems, and education is practical and continuous, compliance becomes more than an obligation , it becomes an asset. It builds credibility, enables innovation, and strengthens trust between business, government, and community.
The goal isn’t to lighten the load for small business by lowering expectations. It’s to design systems that make excellence easier to achieve and growth easier to sustain.
Looking Ahead
The future of small business in Queensland will rely on how well we align innovation, regulation, and capability into a single, coherent agenda. We need to design an environment that helps businesses map, measure, and systemise the things that matter most.
We need to make red tape, risk, and resilience visible and manageable , not invisible and overwhelming. When businesses can clearly see where their time, effort, and exposure lie, they can prioritise with purpose, act with confidence, and build sustainable momentum.
By embedding tools and frameworks that help measure performance, identify friction, and systemise resilience, we reduce duplication, enable smarter decisions, and create the headspace for innovation and growth.
If we can achieve that : where red tape becomes redirection, risk becomes readiness, and AI becomes augmentation rather than automation, we won’t just be de-risking business. We’ll be future-proofing it.
Because when clarity, capability, and context work together, confidence follows.
And with confidence, productivity and progress are never far behind.