But their attractions will be on show this weekend for Support Small Business Day, a campaign designed to get people spending locally. 

Europa cafe owner Adam Rasmussen said that although he wasn’t competing for customers with online businesses, some extra support from the community would not go astray after a quiet winter. 

“There’s always a lull through winter, which has impacts. This year it didn’t feel like they came back out, like normal. People are telling me things are quiet all around town,” he said. 

But smaller businesses are doing better than the big guys in some cases, with poor August retail figures showing department stores saw a 2.9 per cent drop in spending. 

Other retailing, which includes most of the smaller stores in Ballarat, grew by 1.6 per cent, and cafes, restaurants and takeaway food spending grew by 0.6 per cent. 

Mr Rasmussen said small business was sometimes under-recognised for its contribution to the economy. 

“We’re the biggest employer in the country,” he said. “And big businesses have the advantage – they have entire departments to cover the different parts of the business. I do the lot here.” 

On Saturday the Bridge Mall will play host to a farmer’s market and the state government has contributed to an advertising campaign for small business. 

Bendigo Bank is sponsoring the day statewide, and Ballarat Central branch manager Leigh Cassidy said the bank wanted to help get people into smaller shops and cafes in the first place, which could normally be hampered by a lack of advertising money or promotional capability. 

“Anything the bank can do to draw people, get people into your business can only help,” he said. 

“Then they can get more people in through word-of-mouth.”

alex.hamer@fairfaxmedia.com.au