Originally published in the Canberra Times.

By Bruce Billson

This summer's reading wasn't consumed at the coast nor did it take me to some exotic location - instead it kept me grounded in Main Street. Esha Chhabra's advice to independent small and family businesses is to not necessarily go big but to go deep - leaning into local relationships, establishing real connections with customers and celebrating how business is a part of and adds vitality to local community. That's her formula for building a profitable small business in 2026.

I paired that with Fortune's round-up of founders across wildly different sectors who converge on a simple playbook: serve a clearly defined customer, build shock-resistant operations, and make meaning - not just margins - the organising principle.

And because trust is the decisive currency in commerce right now, Scott Baradell's conversation with America's Small Business Network on "trust signals" really spoke to me. He urges small businesses to tap into the tangible cues such as genuine reviews, earned media and transparent websites that they have worked hard for, that can help sceptical customers decide who is the real deal. The "trust signals" are meaningful anecdotes to contrived/fake reviews, empty AI-powered "user generated content", online "faux" local businesses (none worse than the bogus 'Bondi' retailer offering 'closing down' sales claiming they can't go on after being wounded), and the too often non-existent customer service of digital platforms.

Even with these leading insights, the pragmatic Canadians at the Durham Post reminded enterprising women and men that getting the "business of running the business" right is still fundamental and the best foundation for success. Setting up right, being attuned to and meeting the big responsibilities of business ownership, and having reliable everyday systems that work, remain key. Delivering what customers are paying for, time tracking, project discipline, thoughtful use of AI are also part of the trust equation - they reduce errors, improve reliability, and make promises more credible.

Here are the top takeaways of my summer reading and what I believe Australia's small businesses can do to thrive amid changing conditions, tightening costs, AI acceleration and selective consumers:

1. Master financial resilience: Cash flow is your oxygen. Forecast it weekly, build an emergency buffer, and track KPIs that tell you whether you're creating value or just activity. Fortune highlighted founders of enterprise operations built to withstand shocks, starting with the financials, as part of business continuity plans.

2. Leverage AI and automation: Use AI for content drafts, customer service triage and routine workflows, but keep you and craftsmanship in your communications. Baradell's point is blunt: visibility is not enough - credibility and trust matter more, and that requires your authentic imprint. Practical tech upgrades (like those flagged by Durham Post) can streamline work so you spend more time with customers and creating value, where trust is actually formed.

3. Prioritise human connection: Chhabra highlights the main street strategy of purpose-driven brands working almost exclusively with independents to amplify real relationships and shared values. In an era of algorithmic noise, businesses that listen, remember and respond quickly feel rare - and therefore valued and appreciated.

4. Obsess over niche customers: Fortune's entrepreneurs aren't chasing "everyone". They win by serving someone specific and doing it better than anyone else. A niche can clarify product choices, trim waste and strengthen word-of-mouth referrals.

5. Build strong digital security: Make multi-factor authentication, staff training and access controls must-haves. A breach destroys trust faster than any PR can rebuild it and be an enterprise-ending event. Baradell's "trust signals" logic applies here: security badges and transparent practices are part of the credibility bread-crumb trail leading buyers to deal confidently with you.

6. Focus on value not hype: Use transparent pricing, case studies, guarantees and independent reviews. Third party validation, like favourable media mentions, clients agreeing for their logo to be published on your website and local testimonials, are compelling customer trust signals.

7. Invest in systems: From project management to billing discipline, durable systems convert good intentions into reliable delivery. The practical system and tech upgrades are small hinges that swing open big doors to new and different markets, customers and opportunities.

8. Foster continuous learning: The Fortune piece underscores founders who iterate fast and learn faster. In a market where tech and tastes evolve monthly, small businesses that treat failure as data, not doom, will out innovate their competitors and retain customers.

9. Create purpose-driven cultures: Chhabra spotlights companies that embed purpose into how they operate, not merely how they market. Mission dictating strategy and operations, not just messaging, makes trust transferable from the brand to every customer interaction.

10. Embrace sustainable growth: Deliberate and considered expansion, often local and niche, beats growth at all costs. Margins matter more than mass. Adaptive and responsive small businesses can turn uncertainty at times of constant change and challenge into advantage.

As Ombudsman, I've argued that small and family businesses thrive when the ecosystem is fit for small. That's why I advocate so strongly and persistently for the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman's 14 Steps to Energise Enterprise. Meaningful incentives, right-sized regulation and a requirement for small business impact statements so policy design reflects lived reality, will all improve the operating environment. These sit at the heart of our push to simplify obligations so more enterprising Australians can start, grow, transform and succeed in business.

Cash-flow reliability is the next trust frontier. Payment disputes are still the most frequent type of dispute raised with the Ombudsman. We've pressed for faster, fairer payment practices and welcomed the strengthened payment times reporting framework now in force. "Good business pays" and public reporting improves transparency and accountability, and helps customers and suppliers keep informed.

If I sound fixated on trust, it's because small business may well be the last voice of truth in commerce - close enough to customers to hear the nuance, and accountable enough to feel it in the till by week's end. Small business success in 2026 won't be about shouting louder to be seen. It will be about the consistently positive customer experience, recognition as a reputable, reliable and trustworthy business, and then consistently being worthy of that trust.