12 Nov Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Ignites Remote Australia
As with all Australians, owning a business is a powerful way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to take control of the economic future of their families and communities. A recent report by PwC identified the critical driver for Indigenous Australians starting businesses was to provide for their families and develop a business that could contribute much needed services to their communities.
For these business owners, it is about more than just the freedom of running your own business, it’s about contributing to economically sustainable communities, enabling self-determination and ultimately, improving their lives and the lives of their families.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been engaging in trade and commerce for thousands of years. However, over the last four decades, people have mostly been presented with two options: employment or welfare. In almost all remote communities, there are very few jobs available, and many of these are taken by non-Indigenous people, leaving the majority relegated to welfare, and an endless cycle of ‘work like’ activities and training programs.
Tanya Egerton, Founder of not-for-profit organisation Circulanation, is responding to the barriers Aboriginal people living in remote Australia face in achieving economic and social inclusion.
“I believe that everyone has a fundamental right to turn an idea into a reality. At Circulanation, we are dedicated to creating a new inclusive economic model, one that values diversity, celebrates cultural vitality, respects Country, and drives social and economic prosperity for all.”
“There are a lot of skills, knowledge and talent that exists within our remote communities, and entrepreneurial aspirations are extremely high. With many people willing to consider the prospect of self-employment, there is clearly scope for entrepreneurial programs, that provide fundamental orientation and skills building that are Aboriginal-led, culturally centred, and delivered in language, on country,” comments Tanya.
In 2020, Circulanation is working with Aboriginal communities and local organisations in the Northern Territory, to co-design ‘Ignite’, an early-stage entrepreneurship program.
The Ignite Program is an inclusive entrepreneurship program requiring no previous knowledge of business, and learners do not need to have an established business idea to participate. Ignite activates emerging entrepreneurs within the community and supports them to build their ‘readiness’ for business. It incorporates place-based ‘experiential learning’ and cultural knowledge into the learning journey and is focused on the mindset and skillsets required to sustain a business.
In addition, an Aboriginal Enterprise Facilitators Training Program and learning materials in multiple languages will be developed, to support future enterprise training led by local Aboriginal people.
Many Aboriginal people in remote Australia have no previous experience in business, and existing business support organisations also are not always adequately resourced to be located in remote communities for the time required to develop individuals, families and community’s awareness, and readiness for enterprise.
The gap in early-stage business support services was highlighted in 2018 Supporting Indigenous Business Project report developed by the Supporting Indigenous Business Project Team led by the Department of Industry, Innovation & Science. The project team conducted one-on-one interviews with Indigenous businesses and stakeholders in Sydney, Darwin, Cairns, Thursday Island and Katherine. The findings reveal that the bulk of support occurs at the startup, growth and maturity stages, and tapers towards the start and end of the business journey.
The report recommended “Increasing the number and kind of support available at these critical stages could be considered to ensure businesses are adequately prepared to start and operate, and to exit their business at the right time.”
The use of English as the primary language used in the delivery of training and education programs also presents a unique challenge for aspiring entrepreneurs in remote Australia. The Northern Territory is one of the most linguistically diverse areas of the world. There are more than 100 languages and dialects spoken in northern Australia, and English is often a second or third language spoken at home for many Aboriginal people.
“Producing the Ignite Program and its corresponding workbook and training materials in English, Kriol and traditional languages is a high priority. It is important that the Ignite program honours the true needs of Aboriginal people in communities and is inclusive and accessible to everyone.”
“We are working closely with community leaders in Urapunga, a small community located located 600 kilometres south-west of Darwin near the southern edge of Arnhem Land. Initial scoping of community members aspirations for enterprise was conducted in 2018. This revealed a strong interest from women and young people in the community for enterprise development in health and beauty products related to bush medicine, creative arts and design, tourism, fashion, photography and video. Plus, the development of digital literacy skills for young people within the community to support with marketing and sales via e-commerce platforms.” comments Tanya
“We’ve got a lot of big plans ahead of us, like the op-shop, tourism, accommodation and art. We’re currently working on getting more funding and developing business skills within the community. I feel happy and proud of the community for making this happen.” Rhonda Duncan, Urapunga Elder.
“We are also working with the ‘Banatjarl Strongbala Wumin Grup’, who are a group of influential Indigenous women from many different tribal and language areas, all sharing the language of kriol and passion for a culturally strong, proud future for themselves, their families and their communities.” remarks Tanya.
For more information contact Tanya Egerton: tanya@circulanation.org