Masterclass Panel

Masterclass 2025 Panel Discussion

A deep dive into Australia’s small business landscape.

Aside from our amazing keynote speakers (Victoria Devine and Wade Kingsley) at this year’s Small Business Growth Masterclass, we also had the pleasure of conducting a wider panel discussion around the small business landscape in Australia.

Joining Wade Kingsley on the stage was Catherine Coulter (head of small and medium business solutions across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific) from Visa, our very own Kate Clarke (Head of marketing and digital) for Vodafone Business, and Jessica Ridley our MC on the day.

If you couldn’t attend the Masterclass session in Melbourne, not to worry, we’ve got you covered. Below is some of the highlights from the questions asked of our panel:

What are some of the most significant trends shaping the small business landscape?

Wade:

Right now, the election is number one. There are consequences no matter who wins, but I think it does shape our short-term thinking because we kind of wait for the election. But there's customers out there today who need problems solved and we've got solutions for them. Election is 1.

I would say cost of living is next. And what I'm seeing a lot more now is what used to just be called discretionary purchasing is now being segmented. It's discretionary that ‘I still want’ and discretionary ‘I can do without’. So, with some of the customers I deal with, I'm often talking about that kind of different levels of spend.

And look, it wouldn't be a business breakfast without talking about AI in some form. So, I think the businesses that I work with that have finally dipped their toe in the water and I'm talking about opening ChatGPT and trying it are getting a bit addicted to it, and they've hit that kind of curve now where they're starting to go “Oh, I can see the benefits and the efficiencies”. I think that's where we're at in terms of we know about it, but the business has now just started to use a little bit more in ways that are of benefit to them.

What tools are essential right now for improving productivity?

Catherine:

I think it’s more about how far we've really progressed, particularly in Australia and off the back of COVID we've seen small business rapidly innovate and digitise (moving online when we had lockdown) and what that's meant for payments.

We've seen a 52% reduction in cash and cheques in the economy and really moving more towards enablements of pays and the and the ways to pay. Whether that's on site or tap-to-phone where we are now able to invoice on the spot and receive payment in a timely manner.

We heard from Victoria around having better cash flow management. Businesses should be thinking “what tools can I use?”

Get interest free days on your credit card or maximise frequent flyer points for travel depending on your cash flow position. Also, be aware of what comes into the market, what the banks are providing, and what the Fintechs are coming up with.

How does connectivity between digital tools support scalability and growth?

Kate:

With all the discussions that have been had around content, managing your business through tools like Xero or Canva, or having access to payment gateways, all of that is powered by connectivity. You are able as a business owner to do that on your phone. To do that effectively and efficiently.

We aspire to give to our small business community the best ability to connect when you want to connect with your customers but doing it for the utmost best value that we can give you.

For businesses with customers, fleets or in trade/construction where you're travelling a lot. Or if you've got multiple locations business wise that you've got a much better chance now of having strong coverage and connection. And that is exactly what Vodafone business is here to do, give reliable, secure and value driven service for our business customers.

We have also recently doubled our mobile network to give businesses as much coverage as we can. We’ve been able to do this through a network sharing agreement, which has not only proven valuable for metro areas, but regional as well. This has given business owners and companies the ability to travel more freely and use various business tools for taking payments or marketing purposes from more places.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of some amazing insights and advice shared at this years’  Small Business Growth Masterclass. If you’d like to see what else happened, feel free to check out further content on the Small Business Growth Masterclass hub where you can find full-length footage from 2024 and highlights from 2025.

If you’d like to delve into more inspiration for your small business then visit our Small Business Hub where you will find insights on a range of topics specifically for small business.

Watch the interview with Jessica Ridley