It's our time: the best way to support "Australian Made"
This is our time Australia – it's our time for you to step up, take the stage and stand it the global spotlight. Right now, there's an opportunity to show the world that we manufacture quality.
Manufacturing is important, it forms the framework of our economy, our recovery and our economic future.
For many years the Australian Manufacturing industry has had to compete with the increasingly affordable prices offered by overseas markets. In October, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new $1.5 billion plan to fund Australian Manufacturing within the next four years to help the become more globally competitive. At the time he said, “We make things in Australia. We do it well. We need to keep making things around australia.”
Indeed, we do need to keep manufacturing around australia. When the world wants products they can trust, products that are safe and produced under strict regulations where will they turn? We know we can trust Australian Made to deliver safely manufactured goods and products that meet strict regulations.
When we have seen the Australian Made symbol, we instinctively realize that the products are created in a country where individuals are paid a fair wage for a fair day's work; we know that workers are protected and safe while they create products that are equal to or better than anything produced anywhere else in the world.
As we look to grow our economy, we should encourage and support one another as Australians in business. In the same framework that people believe in “mateship, now is the time to support Australian business like a mate and for every Australian business to support each other where they are able to.
What does that mean? It means, that as SMEs it's incumbent on us to look at local options for supply, we must work with local businesses and support the locals where we can.
Where are we sourcing the basic recycleables to make the “things” the Prime Minister said we are so good at making? We must act with integrity and toe the road at every single step in the procedure; seeking out and establishing relationships with local suppliers is critical to ensure the manufacturing is all-Australian Made.
In my company, we source the materials to create our packaging from ethical and sustainable suppliers who're based right here in Queensland – we've created our own eco system of support and it works.
Many small businesses just don't know where to start. Just start and look at a plan, build a strategy you can implement. As a small-business owner, you can help support the Australian Manufacturing Industry and play your part within the rebuilding of the Australian economy by:
- Build relationships: Supporting local business and Australian Made does not mean you have to sever your relationships together with your existing overseas suppliers. Think about how you can maintain your own type of “small-business diplomacy”.
- Pick up the phone: Most Small-Mid Sized Australian manufacturing businesses focus on a project-by-project basis and that means we are flexible. Ring us and ask to talk to us about what your overall deal is and how we may be able to work with you.
- Think quality and safety: Australian manufacturing standards are among the most stringent in the world – this means you are guaranteed high quality items that are safe for you and your customers.
We have all the feaures we need to be a global player, an effective competitor and a powerhouse of producing right here in Australia. We just need to believe in ourselves and support our mates at each step of the process.
