DEREK Ross has a simple message for businesses doing it tough: Don't stick your head in the sand, get out and find what's out there for your business.

And if you do it properly, you may find the sky is not falling in, Mr Ross, the owner of Pressure Pumps NQ told Business Week.

Mr Ross was one of about 80 businesses represented at a forum hosted last week by Leichhardt MP Jim Turnour aimed at ensuring local businesses had all the knowledge they need to make the most of the Federal Government’s $42 billion economic stimulus plan.

And while Mr Ross said the forum confirmed to him what the package could do to help keep businesses in work, he was surprised by the relatively small turnout.

"Given the current economic climate, I am surprised businesses were not falling over themselves to get as much information as they can about what work is out there and how they can access some of it," Mr Ross said.

Mr Ross says he could easily have taken a doom and gloom approach when the economic crisis began to impact, but after more than four years of establishing his sales and service business, he took a proactive approach and as a result his business is not only surviving the tough times, it is growing.

He has six full-time employees and is interviewing to take on one more, all he says as a result of using the tough times to build his business.

"When things first started to turn down, I was like everyone else and said ‘Strewth, what do we do here’.

"Then I realised the sky wasn’t falling in and looked at my business and analysed what we could do.

"The answer was to get out and find out what’s out there, looking at the market and finding out what was really happening," Mr Ross said.

With millions of dollars starting to roll out in government projects, Mr Ross believes there are opportunities for businesses.

"If you look at what the targets of the stimulus package are, you will see there are opportunities.

"For example, one of the targets is schools and while contractors are being employed on school projects, their tools will break down or they will need new tools – it all adds up in the long run.

"I know there are a lot of small business holding their breath at the moment, but my message is be proactive, not reactive," Mr Ross said.

Mr Turnour said business owners who attended the forum were particularly keen to see how they could get involved in some of the projects as well as being keen to take advantage of tax breaks the Government is offering, although these have yet to pass through parliament.

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