About

A directory built around people, not listings

Small BOB (Businesses of Brisbane) exists because the businesses that make Brisbane feel like home are people powered.

Why we started

Search for a bakery in Brisbane and you'll get a map of pins, a page of ads, and no idea who's actually behind the counter. The person who signed the lease, hired the apprentice and turns the lights on at four in the morning doesn't appear anywhere.

Small BOB is our answer to that. A directory where every entry is a real Brisbane business, and the good ones come with a story — who they are, what they make, and why they chose this suburb.

We're independent and Brisbane-based, and a free listing is always an option. If you trade here, you belong here.

Who's behind Small BOB

  • Mark, Small BOB

    Mark

    Grew up in Brisbane's Northside, and has always been fascinated by how things work. That curiosity first led him into science, and later into running his own digital marketing business. Over the years he's had the chance to work with hundreds of small businesses across Australia, and one thing became very clear: every business has a unique story, and it's usually far more interesting than what you'll find on their website. Mark thinks Brisbane is full of passionate, hardworking people doing amazing things, and they deserve to be celebrated.

  • Silvia, Small BOB

    Silvia

    Grew up in Brazil before moving to Italy in her late teens, and eventually finding her way to Brisbane in the early 2000s. She originally came here to study, but it quickly became home. At Small BOB she does a bit of everything — it's a small business, after all — but her heart's in the story-telling side of things: she reckons people running a business are always more interesting than the business they run, and that's the whole point of this thing.

  • Stella, Small BOB

    Stella

    Brisbane born and bred. Like many other teenagers, she's not sure what she wants to do when "she grows up". Her main role in Small BOB is to interview business owners — a role that's been both scary and rewarding. "I'm shy and I always feel nervous before an interview, but most people are very nice and they all have an interesting and inspiring story to tell." Her parents think Small BOB has given Stella the opportunity to see what the 'real world' is like, lol!

What we stand for

  1. 01

    People first

    Every listing has a name attached to it. We write about owners, not brands.

  2. 02

    Free to get started

    Every business can list for free. Paid options add reach — never a better ranking.

  3. 03

    Local by definition

    Brisbane only. Independently owned. If it's a franchise of 400, it's not for us.

How it works

Add your business in a few minutes. We check it's real, Brisbane-based and independent, then it goes live in the directory under its suburb and category.

We love to sit down with the people behind the Small Businesses of Brisbane (BOB) and find out more about them, who they are and how they started. If you're interested in featuring your story, add your listing first and we'll contact you about the rest. We love hearing from Brisbane's talented people.

Add your listing
  1. 1

    You add your business

    Name, suburb, category, a line about what you do.

  2. 2

    We check and publish

    Usually within a few days, at its own smallbob.com.au address.

  3. 3

    Locals find you

    By suburb, category or keyword — and through What's On.

  4. 4

    Share your story

    If you're comfortable, we'd love to hear and feature your story!

How we work

Clear about our connections and commitments

The other business we run

We should tell you something plainly. Mark and Silvia also run a digital marketing business. Small BOB shares its owners with it, so it's only fair you know.

Here's how the two connect: they don't. Small BOB is kept deliberately apart. No business is ever charged to appear here, and being featured has nothing to do with that business — we don't steer the owners we meet towards it, and it never has a say in who we write about. We're naming it here because that's the honest thing to do, not because there's a catch waiting at the end.

If it's your business

You decide how you appear here. If you'd like your listing removed, tell us. We check that the request genuinely comes from the business — through an email address or phone number the business publishes — and then we act within 48 hours. When it's the business itself asking, we take it down first and sort out the details afterwards. You don't owe us a reason.

Spotted something wrong?

You don't have to be the owner to fix a mistake. Anyone can flag one, and there's no identity check. If something's out of date or just not right, let us know, point us to a source, and we'll put it right promptly.