68: Taking a Seat at the Table: Inside Parliament House with Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson
Media MagnetShow Notes
This is not a political episode. It is a small business episode, and there is a difference.
In this episode of Media Magnet, I sit down with Tim Wilson MP - Shadow Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Small Business, and Federal Liberal Member for Goldstein, inside Parliament House, Canberra, for a raw, honest and at times genuinely uplifting conversation about the state of small business in Australia right now.
This episode came about in the most Liz Nable way possible. A few days after the federal budget, I slid into the Shadow Treasurer's DMs, told him I know small business like the back of my hand, and asked if he'd come on the podcast. He said yes immediately. I panicked, did my research in the car on the way to Canberra, and the rest, as they say, is history.
This is also the beginning of something bigger. I want to take you on a journey with me, through this podcast and through socials, as we figure out together how the political system works, what it means for small business, and how we start to get ourselves a real seat at the table. We are not politicians by nature. But it is becoming glaringly obvious that we need to start paying attention.
In This Episode We Cover:
The proposed capital gains tax changes - what they actually mean for small business owners and why "it doesn't affect you" might not be the whole story
The decline of small business in Australia over the last 20 years and what's driving it
Why Tim believes, despite everything, there has never been a better time to start a small business
How AI is levelling the playing field for small business owners right now
The story of Sienna, a 17-year-old entrepreneur who went viral, got trolled after being named in the Budget Reply Speech, and came back stronger
What YOU can do right now to make your voice heard
The Stand With Small campaign and what a dedicated federal small business act could mean for all of us
Why small business owners being scattered and disorganised is exactly what governments are counting on, and how we change that.
Resources Mentioned:
notthetax.com.au - share your small business story
standwithsmall.org - Tim Wilson's small business campaign
Media Masters Academy - https://www.liznable.com/
Connect With Tim Wilson:
Instagram: @timwilsonmp
Website: timwilsonmp.com.au
Connect With Liz:
Instagram: @liz_nable
Website: https://www.liznable.com/
More from Media Magnet
Enough of the box-tickers. My guest today says most small business owners have, at some point, buried their head in the sand about their numbers, come to her flying completely blind, and finally hit the point where enough is enough.
"I think we've attached a lot of success to raising capital." When a business raises $25 million and gets a $100 million valuation, we treat it like a win. My guest today says that's not actually a marker of success at all, and understanding the difference could change how you think about your own business.
Most people who sell a business they've poured five years of blood, sweat and no salary into would take the win and put their feet up for a while. My guest today looked at her payout and thought, "Great, let's do it all again, but harder, faster, and with a lot more on the line this time."
There are 2.2 million self-employed Australians. Nearly half of small business owners aren't contributing to their own super. And most of them are telling themselves the same thing: my business is my retirement plan.
They beat out 14 other applicants for the lease. They opened with 5,000 local social media followers already waiting for them. They had a line out the door on winter mornings. Their biggest day was 444 coffees in a little suburban cafe with just two people behind the counter.