In the face of rising interest rates, inflation, and business failure rates that have reached a 15-year high, Australian small businesses are bracing themselves for what 2024 has in store.

One company looking to ease the burden for such businesses is The Access Group, which has recently announced the Small Business Software Grants initiative. The agenda will offer AUD $10,000 in software grants to 10 businesses nationwide.

Australian businesses are investing AUD $38 billion in software, a figure projected to grow by 7.8% in the following year. The initiative put forth by The Access Group aims to alleviate this financial burden and create a meaningful, ongoing impact for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as their operational costs surge.

Businesses of all types, including restaurants, warehouses, accountants, not-for-profit organisations, recruiters, and tradespeople, are eligible for the initiative, provided their turnover is up to AUD $10 million.

Successful applicants will receive an AUD $10,000 grant that can be used for relevant Access software, a payroll system, customer relationship management (CRM), or a financial forecasting tool. In addition to the grant, all applicants are entitled to a free software health check. This is designed to identify and rectify potential issues that may be hampering their business operations.

Kerry Agiasotis, President of Access, APAC, commented on the current landscape for Australian businesses: "Businesses are having a challenging time keeping up with technology driven change and increasing costs of doing business."

Agiasotis explained that through their initiative, The Access Group aims to "give something back when businesses are doing it tough." This is more than just a promotional gesture; the intention is to offer "real and lasting value, to positively impact the survival rates of the businesses that our country relies on."

Participants of the scheme can avail of the Access Group's wide range of software solutions tailored for various industries and job functions. The goal is to address the issues these businesses face, whether cash flow problems, stunted growth, overwhelming costs, or unidentified hurdles, and help them flourish.

Agiasotis continued, "The vast majority (81%) of Access software products cost less than ASUD $10,000 thousand a year, meaning our grants are set to make a tangible difference when it comes to providing access to leading business management software. In fact, 42% of our solutions are priced so that the grant will cover the cost of the software for three years."

This initiative isn't restricted to new customers; existing clients of Access can also apply for these grants. The goal, Agiasotis expressed, is to offset real business costs and pave the way for increased productivity and profitability. The Access Group grants aren't merely a short-term solution but are aimed at equipping businesses for the likely challenges of the forthcoming year.