Small business strategy becomes local government benchmark
Liverpool City Council | Small Business Strategy and Action Plan | Liverpool, NSW, Australia | 2021
Strategy developed to support 18,000 local small businesses
COVID recovery and resilience framework embedded
Extensive engagement across CALD business communities
Practical action plan adopted by Council
Internal economic development alignment achieved
Recognised as a benchmark model for other NSW councils
The Challenge
Liverpool City Council engaged Sparrowly Group to create a comprehensive Small Business Strategy that responded to the significant impacts of COVID-19 while positioning the region for long-term economic growth.
Liverpool is one of Sydney’s fastest growing regions and emerging as the city’s third CBD. With 98% of all businesses classified as small businesses, the sector forms the backbone of the local economy and was disproportionately affected by lockdowns and disruption.
Key challenges included
Supporting business recovery in a post-pandemic environment
Engaging a highly diverse and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) business community
Coordinating internal council priorities and programs
Understanding complex regional economic drivers and leakage
Creating a practical, implementable strategy rather than a high-level policy document
Our Approach
Sparrowly Group adopted a deeply place-based and engagement-led approach to ensure the Strategy reflected the real needs of Liverpool’s business community.
Our methodology included
Analysis of regional business performance, spend and economic leakage
Review of anchor organisations and major economic drivers
Business typology mapping to understand growth potential
Extensive internal and external stakeholder engagement
Interviews and co-design workshops with business owners, community leaders and industry groups
Development of a practical action plan aligned to Council operations
A bespoke business typology framework was created to help prioritise actions and tailor support to different business cohorts. This allowed the Strategy to move beyond generic initiatives and deliver targeted, meaningful interventions.
Outcomes and Impact
Key Outcomes
A practical Small Business Strategy formally adopted by Council
Clear recovery roadmap following COVID-19 disruption
Strong alignment across internal Council departments
Targeted initiatives designed for diverse business cohorts
Strengthened relationships between Council and the business community
Economic and Social Impact
Improved collaboration between government and local businesses
Clearer pathways for business support and growth
Enhanced engagement with CALD communities
Framework for improving business resilience and competitiveness
Strategy recognised as a model for other NSW local governments
The project has since become a reference point for other local governments seeking to strengthen their approach to small business engagement and economic development planning.
