More than 1 million people are employed by Victorian small businesses, generating over $417 billion within the state's economy each year.

For the First Nations businesses operating amongst them their existence new, Gurindji man John Burgess says, and one already making up a strong portion of the sector, despite previous ongoing challenges.

Mr Burgess is chief executive of Indigenous-owned and operated marketing and creative agency Little Rocket and director of call centre and tech provider First Nations Network.

This month he was appointed to Victoria's re-established Small Business Ministerial Council.

The Council has been flagged as a body to 'advise on key issues affecting the sector, including government policies, programs and services designed for Victorian small businesses' by the State Government.

Mr Burgess' role will be to give "a voice and advice on the challenges facing First Nations businesses in today's economic environment," he told National Indigenous Times, "as a business operator with over fifteen years of experience, I hope to bring a unique skill set to the Council, helping to inform key areas of impact across Victoria".

Little Rocket celebrated 15 years of operation in 2025. The company employs 23 staff.

Mr Burgess' knowledge of specific challenges faced comes after time on the Kinaway Chamber of Commerce Board, he said, as well as touchpoints with Indigenous Business Australia, Supply Nation, and Creative Victoria.

He also outlined contributing meaningful dialogue and the realities of challenges experienced by First Nations businesses on a path towards greater awareness and positive change.

"I think for what the small business sector supplies in terms of employment, security, innovation and opportunities, it would be good to look at ways in which we can support and invigorate new policy or initiatives of impact," Mr Burgess said.

"I would also be keen to explore ways in which First Nations thinking around business and the management of Country can influence Western approaches."

Mr Burgess said across the country First Nations businesses operating now are 'Generation One'.

Last year, the University of Melbourne's Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership outlined First Nations businesses contribute more than $16 billion to the Australian economy every year.

"For decades, under law by successive governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been denied the right to own their own business or start an enterprise, which has had a profound effect on the generations of communities seeking equal rights, free commercial agency, to manage their wealth and to prosper," Mr Burgess said.

"Through such adversity and disadvantage, they now make up a significant component of Victoria's business community and will provide generations to come an example to follow in their footsteps like other migrant communities have been able to do."

Like any other business, resourcing, scaling, marketing and development are challenges First Nations businesses can expect to face.

Though, 'historical and cultural context' exist within others.

Those can include mentoring, access to capital, the development of sales culture, partnership building and cultural intellectual property challenges, Mr Burgess said.

"As other technologies and AI impact heavily on the IP space, First Nations businesses are facing a continued battle around data sovereignty and cultural control," he added.

Mr Burgess is joined on the Council by fellow members MKPro group director Dr Michael Akindeju, Regional Development Company managing director Susan Benedyka, GB Financials founder and principal broker Niti Bhargava, Naturally Goat founder and chief executive Orianna Edmonds and Engineering Equilibrium founder Claire Elkin.

Light & Glo Designs chief executive and BrandScent founder and director Dr Suji Sanjeevan will chair the Council.

Minister for Victoria Small Business and Employment, Natalie Suleyman, said: "Having an expert council representing our small businesses is yet another way we are strengthening a sector that contributes so much to Victoria."

"I look forward to working closely with the Small Business Ministerial Council to make sure Victoria's small businesses continue to grow and thrive," Ms Suleyman said.

The Small Business Ministerial Council is intended to work alongside the state's Multicultural Business Ministerial Council.