Owner of iconic Camden café Crème Della Crème Denny Irwan says his business faces a double whammy in the current cost of living crisis.
He told a Liberal Party business roundtable in Camden that his costs have gone up considerably, while at the same time his customers are trying to save money, often ordering half as much as they usually would.
“Our business has been down in the past couple of years, and we can only absorb that for so long before we have to think about having to take drastic measures.”
State opposition leader Kellie Sloane and Camden Liberal candidate Mick Willing – pictured above – attended Monday’s roundtable held ahead of Small Business Month in October.
Business NSW has stated that business confidence across NSW is hitting rare lows, with one in three businesses reducing staff over the past quarter and one in five are expecting to cut staff over the next three months.
Mick Willing said the challenges facing Camden businesses would sound familiar to others across the state.
“Today we heard stories of local businesses struggling to keep their heads above water,” Mr Willing said.
“From energy to rent, and increasing cost of supplies, businesses are left with a terrible choice – raise their prices and lose customers or absorb the costs and cut staff.
“Closing of any small business hits the community here hard – it’s not just a loss of amenities and services; it’s the jobs and livelihoods of Camden residents.
“Local businesses create jobs, and when a single store or café closes that means fewer local jobs.
“If elected, I will keep standing up for Camden small businesses, to help them grow and create jobs with lower payroll tax and more funding for Business Connect,” Mr Willing said.
Steve Blackmore from Southern Cross Truck Rentals told the roundtable the business community was worried about investing, given the current economic uncertainty.
“Businesses like ours have to plan ahead, and if we are worried about where the economy is going and what our customers will be able to do, then we’re not going to be hiring any more staff,” he said.
NSW Liberal Leader Kellie Sloane said Camden businesses are sending a clear message, but they’re not being heard by the Labor Government.
“At a time of record insolvencies, all Labor has had to offer is higher taxes and charges,” Ms Sloane said.
“Only the NSW Liberals have a plan for small and family businesses, to help them create jobs, invest locally and grow our economy by raising the annual payroll tax threshold, lowering the payroll tax rate and indexing the payroll tax thresholds.”
