According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released this week, there were fewer businesses in the city from 2011 to 2013 and Central NSW Business Enterprise Centre executive officer Bruce Buchanan said business numbers have also noticeably decreased in the past two years.

He said business was strong in town until about April 2013 and in the last two and a half years more and more businesses are coming to the Business Enterprise Centre looking for help.

“Basically Orange started to feel the delayed effects of the global financial crisis [GFC], when the GFC hit [in 2007] mining was strong,” Mr Buchanan said.

However, he said since then construction works on mine expansions have finished and mining contractors have had to leave to find new work bringing in a flow on effect to other industries including retail.

Although there has been a decline in new businesses opening, Eclectic opened in Summer Street last year following success its three owners had selling items at markets.

“The business is a mix of new and second-hand and we are 60 per cent sourced locally ... [selling] furniture, interior decorations, clothing, bags and scarves, kids and women’s [items] and we have collections ranging from retro, vintage up to modern,” Mrs Sampson said. 

“It is hard work, it’s very hard work running your own business, but it’s very rewarding at the same time.”

The ABS released the data indicating declining business in Orange as part of its National Regional Profile.

It showed a peak of 2978 businesses in 2011 and 43 fewer businesses, 2935 by 2013.

Comprehensive figures were not available for the full five years but most industries had fewer businesses from 2012 to 2013 although there were no major decreases in any industries.

However, some industries did increase in 2012 to 2013 including mining, which went from 16 to 17 businesses, financial and insurance services increased from 177 to 183, healthcare and social assistance increased from 194 to 213 and non classified businesses increased from 53 to 79.