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How to Choose NSW Small Business Month Events That Fit Your Business

NSW Small Business Month is a program of hundreds of separately hosted free and low-cost events, so you find them in the NSW Government's event finder, pick only the ones that match a goal, and register with each host one event at a time.

The short answer: one program, many separate registrations

NSW Small Business Month gives you a whole October of free and low-cost events for small businesses, and you choose the ones that suit you. If you're reading this in October, many events are still listed. If you're reading it later, the same approach works each October.

The path one booking takes: in the NSW Government event finder, filter by keyword, location, date, category and type. A listing shows a short description. Its link, For more information, please visit the page, takes you to the host's own event page. There you register with that host. For the next event, you go back to the finder and repeat. From the finder to a booking NSW Governmentevent finderKeywordLocationDateCategoryTypeA listing:shortdescriptionThe host's ownevent pageRegister withthat host For more information,please visit the page Next event: repeat The path one booking takes: in the NSW Government event finder, filter by keyword, location, date, category and type. A listing shows a short description. Its link, For more information, please visit the page, takes you to the host's own event page. There you register with that host. For the next event, you go back to the finder and repeat. From the finder to a booking NSW Government event finderKeywordLocationDateCategoryTypeA listing: short descriptionThe host's own event pageRegister with that host For more information,please visit the page Next event: repeat

Source: NSW Government

There is no single sign-up for the month. It is a program of hundreds of separately hosted events, so you register event by event with each host.

The skill, then, is not finding events. It is choosing two or three that move your business forward and ignoring the rest.

How does NSW Small Business Month work?

Throughout October, partner organisations host hundreds of events, virtually and across the state. The hosts are a mixed bunch: the NSW Small Business Commission, other government organisations, chambers of commerce, industry associations and private enterprise organisations.

Who is involved in NSW Small Business Month.
Who What they do
Collaboration Partners Host hundreds of events throughout October, virtually and across the state
Hosts include NSW Small Business Commission, other government organisations, chambers of commerce, industry associations, private enterprise organisations
Collaboration Partner Program For organisations that host events, not attendees; now closed
Small business owners Attend free and low-cost events matched to their interests

You may see the Collaboration Partner Program mentioned. It is for organisations that host events, not for people attending them, and it is now closed. As an attendee, you don't need it.

How do you find events near Newcastle or online?

Everything starts at the NSW Government page, where you can explore and register for Small Business Month events. The finder shows events as a grid or on a map, and its filters do most of the work.

The finder's location search: concentric rings around a pin marked your postcode or suburb, at 0 km, then 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 300 km, with no limit beyond the outer ring. Other filters: Date (Today, Next 7 days, Next 30 days, custom range), Type (Online, In person), Category (23 categories), Sort (Soonest, Closest), View (Grid, Map). How far from you, and the other filters 5 km10 km25 km50 km100 km300 km0 kmYour postcode or suburbNo limit Other filtersDateToday, Next 7 days,Next 30 days,custom rangeTypeOnline, In personCategory23 categoriesSortSoonest, ClosestViewGrid, Map The finder's location search: concentric rings around a pin marked your postcode or suburb, at 0 km, then 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 300 km, with no limit beyond the outer ring. Other filters: Date (Today, Next 7 days, Next 30 days, custom range), Type (Online, In person), Category (23 categories), Sort (Soonest, Closest), View (Grid, Map). How far from you, and other filters 5 km10 km25 km50 km100 km300 km0 kmYour postcode or suburbNo limit Other filtersDateToday, Next 7 days, Next 30 days,custom rangeTypeOnline, In personCategory23 categoriesSortSoonest, ClosestViewGrid, Map

Source: NSW Government

For a Newcastle or Hunter business, a sensible first pass looks like this:

  • Location: type your suburb or postcode, or tap "use my current location". The search distance options are 0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 or 300 km, or no limit. Start at 25 or 50 km and widen it if the list is thin.
  • Type: choose Online or In person. Online is the easy option if you can't leave the shop, the site or the kids.
  • Date: pick Today, Next 7 days, Next 30 days, or a custom range that fits your quiet days.
  • Category: there are 23 categories, including "Business Event", "Classes, Lessons, Workshops and Talks" and "Community Event".
  • Sort: Soonest or Closest.

Add a keyword if you already know what you're after, such as "GST" or "marketing".

A drawn scene: a small café after closing time. Chairs are stacked upside down on the tables, and late afternoon light falls through the front window. On the counter sit an open laptop showing blurred video call tiles, a flat white on its saucer, and a spiral notebook with a pen. No people, no text, no signage.
A café after closing, with an online session open on the laptop.

Which events are worth your time?

Give every event one job. Write down the single business goal it serves, and if you can't name one, skip it.

Matching an event to one business goal.
Your goal Example topics seen in the finder or last year's program Skip if
Getting found online and AI search Free one-hour webinar on getting found and recommended by AI search; expo panel on digital marketing You have no time to act on it this quarter
Sales and marketing Seminar series on marketing and PR; visual merchandising workshop It's aimed at a different kind of business
Money and tax GST registration and calculation; eInvoicing; tax and cashflow seminar Your accountant already covers it
Staff and safety Psychosocial risk at work; AI in the workplace You have no staff yet
Networking Chamber and industry association events You won't follow anyone up

Listings change; these are examples of the range, not recommendations.

The range is wide. When the finder was checked, topics included GST registration and calculation, eInvoicing, psychosocial risk at work, AI in the workplace, and a free one-hour webinar on getting found and recommended by AI search. Listings change, so treat these as examples of what turns up rather than a shortlist.

Here at Newcastle SEO, our pick of goals for most local businesses is simple: one session on being found online, one on money or staff, and one where you'll meet people nearby. If you're unsure what "being found" means for your trade, our guide to what your customers actually search for is a good warm-up before any marketing session.

What should you check before you register?

Each listing in the finder carries a short description and a "For more information, please visit the page" link. That host's page is where the real details and the registration sit.

Before you put your name down, check:

  1. Who hosts it. A government body, a chamber, an industry association or a private firm will each run a different kind of session.
  2. The cost. The program describes its events as free and low-cost, not all free, so confirm on the event's own page.
  3. Online or in person, and how long it runs.
  4. The date and time, as the host states them.
  5. What you'll leave with. A template, an answer, a contact or a clear next step. "Inspiration" alone doesn't count.

What did last October's events look like?

The Small Business Month highlights from October 2025 give a fair picture of the mix.

Event formats from October 2025.
Format Example from October 2025
Seminar series Four parts covering tax and cashflow, marketing, PR and cyber security
Council session AI for small business
Workshop Visual merchandising
Expo Expert panels on AI, trademarking and digital marketing
Campaign A "shop local" social campaign

There was a four-part seminar series covering tax and cashflow, marketing, PR and cyber security. A council ran a session on AI for small business. Others included a visual merchandising workshop and an expo with expert panels on AI, trademarking and digital marketing.

The pattern is useful for planning: practical, single-topic sessions sit alongside bigger networking events. Most owners get more from the first kind.

How do you get value from an event afterwards?

The event is the easy part. The value comes in the week after.

A drawn scene: a home office desk in a weatherboard house. An open laptop shows a website editing screen of blank blocks. Beside it lie a notebook of handwritten bullet points with no legible words, a mobile phone face down and a mug. Through the window, a frangipani grows in the yard. No people, no text, no logos.
Event notes beside the laptop at a home office desk.
  • Follow up within a few days. Email the two or three people you actually spoke to while you still remember the conversation.
  • Turn one idea into one change. If a session showed you a gap on your website, fix that page. Then stop.
  • Update your Google Business Profile with anything that has changed, such as hours, services or photos. Our piece on Google reviews on your Business Profile covers the rules that trip owners up.
  • Post about it if you like, for your customers' sake. Attending an event is not, by itself, something search engines reward. Our honest answer on social media and SEO explains what posting does and doesn't do.

If you come away with a long list of ideas, our SEO tips in the order that matters will help you decide which to do first.

A same-month job: card surcharge wording on your website

October also brought a change worth raising at any money or compliance session. From 1 October 2026, the card surcharge ban means businesses can no longer surcharge for eftpos, Mastercard, Visa or American Express payments. Public holiday surcharges are not affected, provided they meet the relevant requirements.

Remove card surcharge information from:

Public holiday surcharges are not affected, provided they meet relevant requirements.

The notice tells businesses to remove surcharge information from menus, websites, booking systems, invoices and signage. Your website is the one most often forgotten. Check your pricing page, booking form and any downloadable menus or PDFs.

What it all comes down to

Five steps. 1 Find: filter the finder by suburb or postcode, distance, date, Online or In person. 2 Choose: one business goal per event. 3 Check: host, cost, format, date and time, what you'll leave with. 4 Register: on each host's own page, event by event. 5 Follow up: contacts, website, Google Business Profile. Five steps through the month 1 Find Filter the finderby suburb orpostcode,distance, date,Online or Inperson. 2 Choose One businessgoal per event. 3 Check Host, cost,format, dateand time, whatyou'll leavewith. 4 Register On each host'sown page,event by event. 5 Follow up Contacts,website,GoogleBusinessProfile. Five steps. 1 Find: filter the finder by suburb or postcode, distance, date, Online or In person. 2 Choose: one business goal per event. 3 Check: host, cost, format, date and time, what you'll leave with. 4 Register: on each host's own page, event by event. 5 Follow up: contacts, website, Google Business Profile. Five steps through the month 1 Find Filter the finder by suburb or postcode,distance, date, Online or In person. 2 Choose One business goal per event. 3 Check Host, cost, format, date and time, whatyou'll leave with. 4 Register On each host's own page, event by event. 5 Follow up Contacts, website, Google BusinessProfile.

Source: NSW Government, NSW Small Business Commission

Find events with the finder's filters. Choose one goal per event. Check the host, cost, format, timing and what you'll leave with. Register on each host's own page. Follow up the same week.

Two or three well-chosen sessions, each followed by one real change, will do more for you than a calendar full of webinars you half-watch.

Your next step

If an event leaves you with questions about how your business shows up when locals search, whether on Google, on Maps or in the newer AI tools, bring them to us. Tell Newcastle SEO what you learned and what you'd like to change, through our Talk to Us page, and we'll help you work out where to start.

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