Update May 1st 2020: A modest success. With the help of friends and politicians, I and others managed to persuade the Australian Treasury to modify the JobKeeper scheme to include startups like Close Comfort and many others. A lifesaver for us. Thank you to all those who listened and acted!

The Australian government’s business rescue packages, while welcome, have overlooked the future: thousands of small and successful startups. Startups in many other less fortunate countries may struggle to survive.

Our company, Close Comfort (www.closecomfort.com), a small family-owned business, cannot demonstrate a 30% year on year loss of business to be eligible for assistance because we have invested to grow our sales. Now we face a similar financial catastrophe like tourism and hospitality businesses as our sales and sources of investment capital dry up simultaneously.

It has taken us 13 years to perfect our sustainable, energy-efficient air conditioning technology. Along the way we benefited from government investment in the form of grants and incentives. Until now, our sales were steadily growing as more and more people learn to think differently about air conditioning. We are just beginning to export our technology to vast markets across South and South East Asia, and we have hundreds of satisfied Australian customers too.

Now our small team of highly skilled and creative people face salary cuts, stand-downs or unemployment just because they were courageous enough to join a start-up.

I have spoken with directors of other companies in the same situation: they feel penalised for being successful. As things stand, they are being penalised compared with traditional low-growth industries.

Government assistance could help companies like us survive to enrich and diversify our economy with a more sustainable future.

Otherwise, the case fatality rate among our youngest and most successful, innovative companies could far exceed the human toll.

The stimulus eligibility requirement for small and medium size businesses should include all sources of income and cash flow necessary to keep the company going, including both sales turnover and capital contributions from investors.

Eligibility should depend on the company demonstrating a 30% or greater loss of income from all relevant sources, relative to reasonable expectations.

The stimulus package legislation is being drafted as I write so, if you are in Australia, please email your local politicians and tell them about companies like ours who want to keep our talented staff in whom we have invested so much.

The virus may be more lethal for the elderly, but the economic catastrophe will be far more lethal for young companies which will provide for our future. It is not just us. There are thousands of small enterprises that will struggle to survive, in every country around the world.

Governments need to nurture courageous innovators and the enterprising people who work with them instead of denying them the oxygen they need to survive this economic firestorm.

Sign this petition: https://bit.ly/343OIS4