Refugees in business at Queen Victoria Market
Shop for mouth-watering Turkish sweets, elegant African clothing and all-natural soaps made as they once were on an olive farm in Lebanon at Queen Victoria Market.
Our clients are more than refugees and asylum seekers–they are Australia’s next business owners. When these aspiring refugee business owners reach our country’s shores, they bring with them a wealth of experience, skills, innovative ideas and the motivation to build fulfilling lives and livelihoods in a safe country.
However, running a business as a refugee in Australia can be a daunting task. Refugees do not share the same privileges and benefits as Australian citizens, so the legal and administrative process of starting up and funding a refugee-owned business can prove to be a huge challenge to these aspiring refugee business owners.
That’s where we come in. At Thrive, we help these refugee business owners to live their dreams, become financially independent and contribute to Australia’s economy and community. Thrive not only extends financial assistance, but also offers business support and mentoring to refugee-owned businesses to ensure their success throughout their tenure with Thrive.
Thrive supports a wide range of businesses and business owners in various industries, such as transportation, cleaning services, entertainment, building services and more. See our list of local businesses near you:
Education and Training1
Other Categories
Cleaning Services06
- Professional deep cleaning
- Carpet and Couch cleaning
- Certified and experienced workers
Food and Catering07
- Restaurants, food trucks and catering
- Menu planning for events
- Wide range of cuisines
Interpretation Services01
- Highly trained professional interpreters
- Culturally aware
- Over 20 languages
Professional Services03
- Accounting and Book Keeping
- Transcriptions and Data entry
- Real Estate
Trades and Construction18
- Building and renovations
- Technical and structural expertise
- Experienced plumbers, electricians, etc.
Meet the entrepreneurs & businesses Thrive supports
Thrive supports refugees and asylum seekers who are motivated to become financially independent, with microfinance loans and mentoring for their new or existing businesses. You can contribute too by chossing to employ a Thrive supported business or entrepreneur.
Anyier's Journey from refugee to entrepreneur
Atefeh's Journey to owner of an Art School
Elham's journey to Elma Tree Coffee
Watch Ben Shavali rebuild his life with Imperial Joinery
See Saeed Zarinkob's journey three years after!
Maryam's journey to pickle business owner
A Day in the Life of: Kevork Bardizbanian
Samer Balo's journey to Australia Post
Tial Chin's journey to Keen to Clean
Talha Gok's journey to starting a Pastry business
Danny Drives to Success
David's Journey to Jim's Mowing Franchise
Stephen's Journey to Stephen John Lawyers
What migrants to Australia need to know about money
A Day in the Life of: Sara Eidi
A Day in the Life of: Saeed Zarinkob
A Day in the Life of: Kinan Al Halabi
A Refugee's Journey: Opening Chubby Chef Kebab in Melbourne
Media and more
After surviving abduction and torture, Salhe is thriving in Australia via a new venture
When Salhe Siraj fled Eritrea to escape forced conscription, he was seeking freedom from conflict. Instead, he was abducted by a criminal gang, held hostage and tortured for ransom. Like many refugees starting over in Australia, Salhe's tenacity is helping him overcome new challenges.
Welcoming New Traders to the Market through Thrive Refugee Enterprise
Queen Victoria Market has today announced a new partnership with Thrive Refugee Enterprise to support refugees and asylum seekers open their own businesses at the market.
New Pakistani teahouse lands in the Central Markets
Lahore Tea House are taking up residency in the Adelaide Central Markets, bringing market-goers a taste of a cuisine that’s marvellously rich in flavour, tradition and diversity. The Central Market, who actively aim to home talented local businesses, have dedicated their “Producer in Residence” to a passionate Pakistani family. Owner of the Lahore Tea House Muhammad Aman ullah and his family who moved to Australia just three years ago, are pursuing their food dream with the support of Thrive Refugee Association.
