It’s been a while since our last business chamber drinks, but we’re back!

Join us for a business networking drinks at the Citadel in Murwillumbah, Thursday 1st October 5:30pm – 7:30pm

In partnership with Tweed Shire Council, we invite you to celebrate Small Business Month.

Enjoy casual (COVID Safe) networking and get some tips from a panel financial experts about safeguarding your business from hard times.

Panellists include:

Nick Moran – Accountant at Mayberry Meldrum Andersons

Andrew McAdie – Business banker from SCCU

Phil Hepburn – External CFO, Commercial Business Cents

Susan Nancarrow – Sourdough Group

Panellists will address:

1. The importance of maintaining a relationship with your adviser, in particular why this should be done when times are good to plan for when times are bad

2. Insight and perspective into the recession and economic outlook

3. Other wise words for small businesses

Facing uncertainty with the current COVID situation we will be taking proactive steps to provide a COVID-safe event, including:

• Developing a COVID safety plan and registering as a COVID-safe organisation
• Name and contact details confirmed as guests check-in

Food and drink included in ticket price.

To register: https://events.humanitix.com/mdbc-october-networking-plus-small-business-month-panel

Need to reach your customers quickly? Keen to understand why your digital presence is important and how to build it?
Gain insights from Facebook ANZ’s Director of Small and Medium Business on how to leverage social commerce with Facebook.

Jane’s Pick is On Demand Webinar: Make the Digital Leap with Social Media

The pandemic has shown us that a digital presence is now essential for all small businesses. Businesses have been forced to find alternative ways to operate and develop a digital presence to reach their customers quickly.
Business Australia facilitates this insightful session with Facebook ANZ’s Director of Small and Medium Business, Melinda Petrunoff, exploring how Australians can leverage social commerce with Facebook.

This session aims to help you understand:

• How the Covid-19 landscape has affected consumer behaviour
• What businesses can do to move forward
• How to use some of the free online tools
• How other businesses around Australia have used Facebook/Instagram
• How businesses can get started

Melinda Petrunoff, Director of Small and Medium Business | Facebook ANZ

It’s not too late to claim financial support for your apprentices or trainees.
Learn which is the right subsidy for your business and what financial support may be available to your apprentices and trainees.

Peter Gilchrist, General Manager | Apprenticeship Support Australia

Emily Slaytor, Senior Associate | Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Join us – https://www.businessaustralia.com/how-we-help/membership/explore-events/virtual-events/sat-vs-jobkeeper

Discover what the future of business will look like. Hear from one of Australia’s leading strategic forecasters, Steve Tighe.

Steve Tighe is a leading business strategist, author and speaker on the future, strategy and innovation. He will show you the scenarios that you can expect in a post-COVID world and how you can use these to your business advantage.

Learn:
– How the business environment will be different post-COVID
– Implications of these changing scenarios and how you can adapt
– The opportunities that are now available to your business.

This isn’t just an informative session, but also includes an interactive activity to get your business planning on a roll.

Entrepreneurship Facilitator, Natalie Brookes will lead a scenario planning session that you can tailor for your business.

You will leave this webinar with a toolkit of strategic knowledge as well as a roadmap for your business to activate.

Thus 60-minute power session will help you seize opportunities in business. Now is the time to future-proof and plan for success!

Can I ask questions during the webinar? YES!

I can’t attend live, am I able to watch the replay? YES! Register and once the webinar is over you will receive your on-demand recording.

YOUR PRESENTERS

Steve Tighe, Business Strategist and Director, Chasing Sunrises
Steve Tighe is a futurist, strategist and author of Rethinking Strategy. Steve collaborates with clients to design new and distinct strategies that position your business for the future. Steve is the former National Foresight Manager at Foster’s Brewery, and has worked with some of Australia’s leading companies, looking at the future of their industry and the strategic and innovation options for their business. His extensive list of clients includes Holden, Kraft, ClubsNSW, State Library of Victoria, AFL Victoria, Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative, Netball Australia, and Knox City Council. Steve has a Masters in Strategic Foresight from Swinburne University, and has completed the Oxford Scenarios Programme at Oxford University.

Natalie Brookes, Entrepreneurship Facilitator, Business Australia
Natalie is the Entrepreneurship Facilitator appointed to service the Richmond – Tweed (Ballina) region – an initiative of the Australian Government. Natalie comes with a wealth of experience in start-ups having established two of her own and understands the freedom and joy that self-employment and business ownership brings, along with the constant challenges it presents. Natalie is a qualified accountant, experienced senior business consultant and analyst. Natalie also holds additional post-graduate qualifications and comes with a range of industry experience.

ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP FACILITATOR SERVICE
Entrepreneurship Facilitators provide free and practical assistance to support and encourage individuals to start a business as a way to create their own job. Ready to get your business idea off the ground?

ABOUT BUSINESS AUSTRALIA
In the business of helping business. For more than 190 years, Business Australia has stood by business owners – untying legal knots, boosting efficiency, advocating for better conditions and helping them grow. Formerly known as the NSW Business Chamber, today Business Australia operates across the country. From major cities to country centres. From the smallest start-up to the largest corporation. Together with advocacy arm, Business NSW, members are also part of a powerful network that stands up to government when business interests are overlooked. It’s free to join as a member.

To Register: https://app.livestorm.co/abc-s/1584920518132498

A game changing hybrid digital/live Small Business Month event in Lismore helping you take real steps to make your business ‘Futureproof’

Get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pivot-and-popcorn-futureproof-your-business-with-craig-reucassel-lcci-tickets-120934531439?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

This free online workshop, delivered by a branding professional will show you how to boost visibility to locals and visitors.

Got a local business?

Perhaps 2020 has made you scratch your head a little about how to get more eyes on your business because everything has changed.

In this workshop, Lizzie Moult will be addressing six ways to promote your business to locals but also those that are passing through.

This online workshop will cover:

• Where to show up online and how to use it to your advantage.

• Engagement & building a following (locally + online)

• How to create content that gets people interacting with you

• And more.

You will walk away with a fresh perspective on local advertising and the tools to take action straight away. PLUS we finish up our session creating a piece of content to share online to promote your business.

There will be a Q+A at the end of the workshop where you can get your questions answered too.

Facilitator Lizzie Moult has been working online for over 15 years and has a background in branding.

She has been featured & published in numerous publications around the world and know’s what it takes for a business to get noticed. A country gal a heart she knows how to build a thriving community of loyal followers.

You don’t want to miss this free workshop!

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/boost-the-visibility-of-your-business-a-free-online-workshop-tickets-121477599771

Exercise Physiologist, Nutritionist and Neuroscientist, Paul Taylor will explore 7 key daily evidence-based practices that help to manage stress, build resilience and improve both physical and mental health – including techniques used by elite athletes and special forces soldiers.

A stimulating blend of neuroscience, physiology and psychology, this complimentary webinar gives participants a practical understanding of our stress response system and explores recent research showing the impact of chronic stress on the brain.

This webinar will include a live Q&A.

Register your seat today!

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hg3zz4HVQbeupdxJZM-H6A?utm_source=Master+List&utm_campaign=dd83b8c280-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_octwebinars&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f48c542066-dd83b8c280-205799725&mc_cid=dd83b8c280&mc_eid=e171243d29

If you are a new or existing micro or small business owner, this webinar is for you! Get the help and practical tips that you can use to assess your businesses financial health.

In this FREE 60-minute webinar, let our Entrepreneurship Facilitator Natalie Brookes and small business expert Linden from the ATO, walk you through what you need to know to assess if your business is financially viable or not.

This webinar will cover topics like:

• Break-even analysis
• Key Financial Ratios
• Financial statements
• Benchmarking
• ATO Business Viability Assessment Tool.

Can I ask questions during the webinar? YES!

I can’t attend live, am I able to watch the replay? YES! Register and once the webinar is over you will receive your on-demand recording.

YOUR PRESENTERS

Natalie Brookes, Entrepreneurship Facilitator, Business Australia

Natalie is the Entrepreneurship Facilitator appointed to service the Richmond – Tweed (Ballina) region – an initiative of the Australian Government. Natalie comes with a wealth of experience in start-ups having established two of her own and understands the freedom and joy that self-employment and business ownership brings, along with the constant challenges it presents. Natalie is a qualified accountant, experienced senior business consultant and analyst. Natalie also holds additional post-graduate qualifications and comes with a range of industry experience.

Linden Regina, Small Business Educator, Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

Linden lives and breathes Small Business! Being raised on a farm, she understands the pressures of running a business, trying to meet all your obligations in a timely fashion, manage cash flow, pay the bills and raise a family. Her ATO portfolio includes a broad knowledge across taxation and superannuation. Linden is committed to improving the small business client experience and building positive engagement by offering tailored and easily accessible educational information that will assist small businesses to understand and interact with the tax and super systems more effectively.

ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP FACILITATOR SERVICE

Entrepreneurship Facilitators provide free and practical assistance to support and encourage individuals to start a business as a way to create their own job. Ready to get your business idea off the ground?

ABOUT BUSINESS AUSTRALIA

In the business of helping business. For more than 190 years, Business Australia has stood by business owners – untying legal knots, boosting efficiency, advocating for better conditions and helping them grow. Formerly known as the NSW Business Chamber, today Business Australia operates across the country. From major cities to country centres. From the smallest start-up to the largest corporation. Together with advocacy arm, Business NSW, members are also part of a powerful network that stands up to government when business interests are overlooked.

Register for the event at: https://app.livestorm.co/abc-s/how-to-assess-your-small-business-viability

A simple step-by-step guide to writing a winning tender

Lismore City Council, in partnership with Clarence Valley, Ballina Shire and Richmond Valley councils, are delivering workshops to help operators write winning tenders that stand out from the crowd.

Lismore City Council Economic Development Manager Tina Irish said: “During Small Business Month we want to support businesses in our community to better understand Council’s procurement processes and know how to write winning tenders.”

Presenter Profile
With 16 years of tendering experience, Steven Vermey the Founder and Principal Trainer of Scarp Vantage Consulting, will deliver this step-by-step workshop.  Steve has worked extensively with SME businesses around Australia, in particular on the NSW Mid Coast and Northern Rivers. Using this experience, he will let you know the latest best practice when developing a tender and how to stand out from the crowd.

Workshop Outline:

• Understanding of why purchasers release EOIs and tenders and where to find them
• Appreciate modern day procurement – how it has changed over time
• Difference between government and private opportunities
• How opportunities are assessed (understand real tender needs)
• Deconstructing the request documentation – making sense of it all
• How to submit a conforming tender
• How to work more efficiently when navigating through procurement documents
• Creating a user-friendly template
• Indigenous Procurement Policy
• Being a local and how to stand out
• The risks of using previous tender responses as a template for a new tender
• Effectively managing the bid process and using task lists
• Understand Microsoft Word features useful for tendering

Due to COVID restrictions, this event is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/a-simple-step-by-step-guide-to-writing-a-winning-tender-tickets-122640034645

Richmond Valley Council are hosting a free workshop for local businesses to assist them in tendering for government contracts.

Scarp Vantage Consulting have been engaged to provide a four hour workshop which will work with small businesses and help them improve their capability – specifically in relation to tendering for government contracts.

The training will include the following types of outcomes:

• tender assessment
• strengthening understanding of tender process
• writing for success
• introduction of new competitive skills for winning new business including; capacity building in decision making and using the go/no go criteria.

2019 and 2020 have been particularly challenging for small business in the Richmond Valley. With the impacts of drought, bushfire and now restrictions to keep the community safe from COVID-19, businesses are being challenged to work harder and smarter to adapt and survive.

One of the key Government strategies to provide stimulus to regional economies is investing in infrastructure projects to ensure they generate jobs. To benefit the local economy they will be encouraging use of local contractors – so now is the time to fine-tune those tender writing skills and Win that Tender!

Register at: https://www.businessmonth.nsw.gov.au/activity/win-that-tender-a-free-workshop/

Beyond 2020 “Hooked on Evans inite you to join us to celebrate NSW Small Business Month 2020.

Hooked on Evans is an opportunity to look beyond 2020 and the impact of Covid-19, network with local businesses, receive information and support from Business NSW, Federal and State Government representatives located in the Northern Rivers.

Guest Speakers:

Rachel Arthur – President EHBCC

Chris Gulaptis – MP State Member for Clarence

Nathan McGrath – Ausindustry – Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources

Jason Deutscher – Service NSW

Jane Laverty – Regional Manager, Northern Rivers Business NSW

Michael Thurston – Destination North Coast

Roger Hong – Chairman Events “Hooked on Evans’

RSVP Essential: admin@experienceevanshead.com (limited to 300 people)

Coordinator John Wright 0478 619 996

Funding Landscape and Readiness – Online Business Skills Workshop

Hear first hand from a panel of experienced business leaders and mentors as they

• discuss the various funding options that are currently available to small business,
• the criteria required for each and
• how to prepare your business financials to either apply for funding or to attract investment to achieve business growth.

Join us for this practical, wisdom sharing session on finding the best way to finance your entrepreneurship.

The initial panel session will be followed by Breakout Room Sessions where you can engage in Q&A with the experts individually and seek guidance for your own business.

Sourdough Business Pathways purpose is to support you in business with our network of experienced Mentors, and more than ever we want to offer our resources and support to you at this time. To sign up for a Mentor, click here.

Important information

This workshop is subsidised under the NSW Government’s Targeted Skills for Business (TSB) program. This program aims to support small business owners and their staff by providing fully subsidised training in targeted courses.

To be eligible for TSB training, you must be:

• An Australian Citizen, permanent resident or humanitarian visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen; and
• Be aged 15 years or older; and
• Live or work in NSW; and
• No longer be at school or equivalent (students enrolled in distance education are considered to be at school and are not eligible).

You must also be:

• An owner of a small business OR an employee of a small business (A Small Business is defined as a business with 20 employees or less OR an annual turnover of less than $2m.)

If you do not qualify for the TSB Subsidy you may qualify for the ACE subsidy. You must be:

• An Australian Citizen, permanent resident or humanitarian visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen; and
• Be aged 15 years or older, and
• Live or work in NSW, and
• No longer be at school or equivalent (students enroled in distance education are considered to be at school and are not eligible); and

You must be able to provide evidence of eligibility if required.

EXEMPTION – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) students who do not live or work in New South Wales but live in a defined interstate area may be eligible for training under the ACE Program. Our admin staff can assist in providing details of defined interstate areas.

If you do not qualify for either subsidy you may still enrol in the workshop without subsidy benefits.

Please note: You may be photographed or filmed for marketing purposes while attending this event. Please advise the organiser if you have questions, concerns, or do not wish this to happen. As an attendee you will be added to the SBP mailing list for event correspondence, follow up and upcoming event information. The option to unsubscribe is available at any time.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sourdough-business-skills-workshop-funding-your-business-growth-tickets-117361173429

This event is available online or in person at the Byron Community College Mullumbimby.

Nimbin is a regional icon.

Let’s share our community ethos with our visitors

We want to share our experiences and learnings in a meaningful way while encouraging visitors to increase their length of stay in our village.

Thanks to everyone who completed our survey following closure of the Visitor Information Centre – we got an excellent return rate. Your many and varied suggestions to more effectively engage with visitors to Nimbin will be worked up by local business owners, employees, and community members.

You are invited to participate from 10am – 2pm on Thursday, October 29 at Nimbin School of Arts.  We’ll provide a beautiful Steph lunch as an incentive.

Due to Covid restrictions, catering requirements and our desire for working groups that are not too big, you must let us know by email to chamber@nimbinaustralia.com.au if you are interested.

How can you learn to fulfil your potential? How can you leverage a Growth Mindset for peak performance?

In this complimentary webinar, Nina Mapson Bone, Managing Director, Beaumont People, will discuss this topic and cover the following areas:

– Understanding the difference between a FIXED and GROWTH mindset.
– How does your mindset affect your Goals, Responses, Effort and Strategies – 4 important aspects of work.
– The difference between a fixed performance goal and a growth developing goal.

This will be an interactive, hands-on session, with activities and scenarios to truly get you thinking with a Growth Mindset.

This webinar will include a Q&A.

Don’t miss out, secure your seat today!

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YMLnTnXkSfWmbm1y7RzU3w?utm_source=Master+List&utm_campaign=dd83b8c280-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_octwebinars&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f48c542066-dd83b8c280-205799725&mc_cid=dd83b8c280&mc_eid=e171243d29

Sourdough Speaker Series invites you to join us for the Ballina Business Lunch with guest speaker, Steve Tighe, and our Sourdough team with updates on the exciting progress of local initiatives.

Based in Lennox Head, best-selling author and business strategist, Steve Tighe, will outline how can small business owners in Ballina can take advantage of the opportunities and overcome the challenges created by the new business paradigm caused by the global pandemic.

• What are the most significant changes in the local business environment that will persist post-pandemic?
• What are the opportunities and challenges these changes present to your business operators and entrepreneurs?
• How can businesses in Ballina take advantage of these opportunities?

Come together as Ballina business community to find out the latest Sourdough initiatives in Ballina and hear first hand from Steve as he discusses the realities (big and small) coming out of our new normal and how this as a whole can create opportunities for the local economy.

About Steve Tighe

Steve Tighe collaborates with clients to design new and distinct strategies that position your business for the future.

Steve is the former National Foresight Manager at Foster’s, and has worked with some of Australia’s leading companies, looking at the future of their industry and the strategic and innovation options for their business.

His extensive list of clients includes Holden, Kraft, ClubsNSW, State Library of Victoria, AFL Victoria, Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative, Netball Australia, and Knox City Council.

Steve has a Masters in Strategic Foresight from Swinburne University, and has completed the Oxford Scenarios Programme at Oxford University.

Join us to connect, network and be inspired over a delicious lunch at Beef and Beach, Lennox Head* .

Ticket includes two course meal and arrival drink.

Please note that tickets are very limited and will sell out.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/117482454183

We look forward to seeing you there

The Sourdough Team!

*This event is being held within COVID-19 guidelines and social distancing requirements.

Should the NSW Govt declare any changes that impact the ability of the venue to provide this lunch Sourdough will either refund tickets (2 or more weeks out) or provide an alternative date based on the venue’s availability (under 2 weeks out).

Please note: You may be photographed or filmed for marketing purposes while attending this event. Please advise the organiser if you have questions, concerns, or do not wish this to happen. As an attendee you will be added to the SBP mailing list for event correspondence, follow up and upcoming event information.  The option to unsubscribe is available at any time.