Stepping Up provides an opportunity to acquire new skills and develop growth plans and strategies, to better equip business owners to face the many challenges that today's highly competitive and rapidly changing global marketplace presents.  The program provides established business owners committed to growing their business with access to an experienced business person, who assists to develop a profitable growth pathway for the business.

The program has two core components

• Workshops including at least 10 hours in small groups and seminars on topics such as cash flow management, pricing and costing, marketing, risk management, strategic planning and innovation planning.
• Mentoring for at least 10 hours where an experienced business person helps you develop strategies to overcome a business hurdle or pursue an identified business opportunity or market. Challenges for discussion with the mentor may be a business or marketing plan, a financial strategy, a production problem or a new market entry strategy.

Not all eligible businesses may be accepted into the Small Business Expansion Program.

The cost of the program is $500 - $1,000 which is matched by the NSW Government.  

To be eligible for participation on this program a business must meet all of the following criteria:

• NSW-based.
• Business owner has operated the business for at least two years.
• Able to provide financial accounts and reports for at least two financial years which show the business is profitable and has a positive balance of assets over liabilities.
• Has sales turnover of between $200,000 and $10 million per annum.
• Employs at least one staff member in addition to the owner.
• Able to identify a business goal or hurdle suitable to be addressed through the program.
• Is prepared to enter into an agreement with DSRD to progress the recommendations flowing from the stepping up program.
• Is prepared to respond to DSRD monitoring and evaluation surveys each year for up to two years after the project has been completed and will co-operate with promotion opportunities for the Program following participation.