Community News - Business boost?

Queensland businesses expected a boost in sales revenue and profits for December, but conditions overall have a long way to lift from sustained weak levels and historically low profitability, data from the Business Chamber Queensland’s Pulse Report shows. 

Business Chamber Queensland CEO Heidi Cooper said, “Concerningly, relentless, compounding and significant business pressures have pushed profitability to near historical lows. Profitability over the last 18 years has only been lower during the depths of the COVID economic crisis. 

“This is driven by near-record high operating costs, with four in five businesses recording yet another increase in the September quarter and another 72% seeing an increase in labour costs. It’s reflective of a really tough business operating environment in Queensland.”

Maleny independent bookstore and cafe, Rosetta Books owner Rob Dodd is optimistic about sales heading into the new year, but says the economic environment is persistently challenging.  

“Being a retail business, we always expect an uplift in sales during the December quarter. Purchasing a book and a coffee remains within relatively easy reach for most people,” he said. 

“While we have challenges from an economic perspective such as cost of living, I still sense Queensland is in a better position than other states and we’re getting more than our fair share of visitors from interstate and overseas.” 

Despite his positive outlook, Rob says retailers and hospitality businesses in Maleny face challenges finding and retaining employees. 

“There’s an awful lot of people looking for staff in town, so it’s a challenge to attract and retain them,” he said. 

“Housing is pretty limited, so staff are often living off the mountain and looking for work closer to home.” 

Following the recent state election and change of government in Queensland, Rob says he’s interested to know how policy and economic priorities will shift in favour of an improved business environment. 

“Queensland is on the map. With eight years until the Olympics, I feel infrastructure has moved along a bit, but there’s still a way to go,” he said. 

“With the new government, it’s far too early to say if things will improve for business – come back in another quarter and see if the things have materialised that were stated.” 

Rob and his wife Lea bought Rosetta Books in October 2022, seeking to create a community where locals could come together as well as a destination for visitors. 

“Two years on, we’ve learnt a lot. We’ve enhanced the cafe and the overall customer service; we’re encouraging people to use the store as a community meeting place and we’ve increased stock levels to meet customer needs,” he said. 

“The drive up from Brisbane has improved with new transport infrastructure, but we need to work together as a town to provide the best customer service at every touchpoint to ensure people keep coming back.”