Media release | 17 March 2025
Media release | 17 March 2025
Business owners in Southern Queensland are being urged to not ignore their financial and mental health warning signs and seek out the free support on offer.
Small Business Financial Counselling Service (SBFCS) Southern Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Ross Leggett, said businesses are under immense pressure from a range of factors at the moment including ever-increasing costs, labour shortages and retention problems, declining sales and supply chain issues.
“On top of this, many businesses in Southern Queensland are now also dealing with the impacts from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.”
“The timing of the cyclone couldn’t have been worse for some businesses in Logan, Gold Coast and Scenic Rim who are still recovering financially from the severe weather event in late December 2023 to early January 2024.”
Mr Leggett said too often business owners try to push through the tough times on their own, resulting in financial difficulties or even business failure.
“As financial difficulty and mental health are often intertwined, we often find business owners experiencing financial troubles are also struggling from a mental health perspective.”
“Part of the problem is business owners don’t know when to reach out for support and can often leave it too long.”
“To help we’ve identified the top five financial and mental health warning signs that business owners need to look out for.”
| Warning signs of financial trouble | Warning signs for your mental health |
|---|---|
| Struggling to pay suppliers | Trouble sleeping because of business stress |
| Relying on non-bank loans to pay expenses | Running on empty trying to keep your business going |
| Being behind on the rent | Feeling overwhelmed by business pressures |
| Unpaid BAS or growing ATO debt | Struggling to focus or make business decisions |
| Slowing sales | Constantly on edge about your business |
“By recognising these warning signs early and seeking support, businesses are far more likely to have more options and achieve better financial and mental health outcomes.”
Our service is completely free and confidential, so business owners can access:
- planning support to explore their financial options
- business wellness coaching to reduce mental health stress and improve overall wellbeing.
“By working with us, our Financial Counsellors and Business Wellness Coaches can help business owners with strategies to strengthen their businesses and mental health and achieve higher resilience levels for the future.”
For more information, call our confidential telephone service on 1300 732 777 or visit the SBFCS website www.sbfcssq.org.au/warning (financial warning signs) or www.sbfcssq.org.au/signs (mental health warning signs).
The program is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
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SBFCS Southern Queensland
Funded by the Australian Government and Queensland Government
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