The Courier hit the streets to take the pulse of small businesses and how they were finding the current economic climate.

Bagels and More owner Milia Mansour said bills are piling up with large overheads and council rates.

Ms Mansour, opened her Bagels shop in 2023 after making the move to Ballarat from Melbourne.

She said when she was running a bigger hospitality venue on a main road in Preston she was paying less in rates and rent compared to her Sturt Street store.

On March 25, The Forge's Tim Matthews said tax debt was one of the reasons the business was going into voluntary administration.

CreditorWatch chief economist, Anneke Thompson said during COVID-19 lockdowns businesses were helped by Jobkeeper.

The Australian Tax Office were also lenient with debts at the time and now, are cracking down on businesses who have not paid.

Hospitality businesses are more likely to accrue GST tax debt because they can't claim tax back on raw food goods.

An ATO spokesperson said they were now "carefully and thoughtfully returning to business-as-usual when collecting overdue debts".

Businesses have been pushing through a tough period - but now the margins are tighter.

People have less to spend and costs to make food and good is growing.

The Courier spoke to other businesses along Sturt Street and while cost of living pressures have not hit them yet, other concerns are top of mind.

Multiple businesses told The Courier parking issues on Sturt Street were affecting the number of shoppers coming in the doors.

Exhale Lifestyle owner Diane Ball said some of her customers will give up if they can't find a park after circling the block three or more times.

They will then come in the next day complaining about the parking situation.

Ms Ball said issues were similar to what retailers were complaining about on Armstrong Street with people paying to park for the full day.

Damian Noonan, store manager at Good Games said stores with overlapping shifts would have parking issues - even if they had designated parks for the business.

Mr Noonan said they were lucky to be building a great community of game enthusiasts who support local businesses but getting games into Australia can often be an issue.

Bryan Thomas, John Thomas Electrical owner, said his biggest problem is finding apprentices.

It is an issue that has persisted for more than a decade, with less people training in the audio visual space.

The company repairs and services household appliances like coffee machines, TVs, microwaves and CD players.

Mr Thomas said there are still a large number of people coming in looking for services.

Women's fashion and giftware stores around Ballarat's CBD told The Courier trade was doing well.

Liz Green has owned The Foundry for 18 years - she said she felt this was not as common anymore.

"I think it is a big commitment; sometimes people think you open a business and people can come, but you really have to work at it," she said.

The Mair Street store has had steady trade since the new year.

Ms Green said moving into the new season and Mother's Day was also helping boost the number of people looking for gifts or something new.

She said her unique store offering, focusing on gift items and presents you cannot get elsewhere helps set her apart from other businesses.

Emma Ryan owner of Mali Lane said their position as an anchor store on Sturt Street means her customers are often seeking her out for a specific reason.

She said trade in the premium retail space is still going well, with people trying to shop locally if they can.

Commerce Ballarat has launched a program to help businesses in the tough environment.

Businesses get four hours of consultation and advice in human resources, marketing, planning and finance.

Commerce chief executive Jodie Gillett said business owners may not have the spare finances to access these services.

It may also be that they don't know who to ask, and that's where we can really help - by connecting businesses to appropriate advice," she said.

"We know it is a very difficult business environment, so our organisation is advocating to all levels of government for support."

Do you know more? Email nieve.walton@thecourier.com.au