The commercial power of proximity: Three growth levers Gold Coast businesses are underestimating in FY27

As the new financial year approaches, Gold Coast (GC) businesses are investing heavily in capability, but many are overlooking a more fundamental driver of growth: access to opportunity. 

In a market shaped by infrastructure investment, population growth, and increasing competition for capital and talent, growth will not be driven by efficiency alone. It will be driven by how closely aligned your business is to decision-makers, capital, and opportunity at the right time. 

That is where the gap is emerging. 

What GC business owners are backing for FY27 

At a recent session with GC founders and business owners, we asked a simple question: what will have the greatest impact on business growth in FY27? 

The responses were clear: 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital capability - 40 per cent 
• Partnerships and referrals - 31 per cent 
• Financial confidence - 21 per cent 
• Brand visibility - 6 per cent. 

The results highlight a clear focus on digital capability, with less attention on how opportunities are accessed. 

Why digital capability alone will not drive growth 

There is no denying that AI and digital capability will play a critical role in FY27, improving efficiency, enhancing decision-making, and enabling scale. 

But technology does not create opportunity on its own. 

In practice, technology amplifies businesses that are already well-positioned. Those with strong relationships, clear financial narratives, and visibility in the right markets. Without that foundation, capability alone rarely translates into sustained growth. 

What we are seeing across the GC is that growth is becoming increasingly proximity-driven, not simply who you know, but how close your business is to decision-makers and capital.

The three growth levers that create proximity 

For businesses looking to grow in FY27, three factors consistently determine how effectively they access opportunity.

1. Financial confidence 

Only a small proportion of business owners identified financial confidence as their primary growth driver, yet it underpins every major commercial decision. 

Financial confidence goes beyond profit and loss statements. It is the ability to clearly articulate your business’s value, performance, and future potential whether to a bank, an investor, or a potential acquirer. 

Businesses that can do this move more quickly, negotiate from a position of strength, and access better-quality opportunities. Those who cannot are often delayed, discounted, or overlooked entirely. 

2. Partnerships and referral networks 

On the GC, relationships move faster than marketing. Opportunities are frequently introduced, validated, and progressed through trusted networks, particularly in sectors such as construction, infrastructure, professional services, and emerging mid-market businesses. 

The key question is not whether you have relationships, but whether those relationships are actively working for you. 

A well-developed referral ecosystem does more than generate leads. It connects your business to capital, capability, and strategic opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. 

3. Brand visibility 

Only 6 per cent of respondents identified brand visibility as a primary driver of growth. It is one of the most underestimated commercial levers. 

Visibility is not about awareness or marketing metrics. It is about being known, credible, and relevant in the moments that matter. Whether it is a government opportunity, an infrastructure project, or a capital transaction, decisions are made quickly and often based on a short list of recognised and trusted operators. 

If your business is not already visible in those circles, it is unlikely to be considered. 

With the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games accelerating investment and activity across Southeast Queensland (SEQ), this will become even more critical. 

What this means for FY27 

For the GC and SEQ businesses, the question is not which growth lever to prioritise. It is whether your business is positioned across all three. 

Growth in this market rarely comes from a single initiative. It comes from being commercially ready when the right opportunity arises with the relationships, visibility, and financial clarity to act quickly. 

As a starting point, business owners should be asking: 

• Do we have a clear and confident view of our financial position, value, and growth pathways? 
• Are our advisers and networks actively creating opportunities, or simply responding when needed? 
• Is our business visible in the right markets, to the right people, at the right time? 

For businesses that get this alignment right, FY27 presents a significant opportunity. 

How BDO Can Help 

At BDO, we work with Gold Coast and Southeast Queensland businesses to help them strengthen this positioning, from financial strategy and transaction readiness, to unlocking strategic relationships and navigating growth opportunities. 

If you are reviewing your growth strategy for FY27, now is the time to have that conversation, before the market accelerates. Contact our team today.