Your next business-to-business networking opportunity wil be a Business Breakfast to be held on Wednesday 8th July 2009.

Our guest speaker during breakfast will be David Lowe - Manager Wangaratta Cinema Centre who's topic will be 'Marketing & Customer Service in todays environment'

David has over 15 years experience in Cinema Management where he has learnt how marketing your product or service is not restricted to your advertising but includes every member of your staff from the projectioinst to the cleaner. Come and hear what his secrets are to increasing sales every year and how hsi customer service principles make his products and services an experience to remember.

Download the flyer HERE

Date: Wednesday 8th July 2009
Time: 7.00am for 7.15am start
Finish: 8.30am
Venue: Downstairs - Switch Cafe & Bar, cnr Reid & Ovens Streets
RSVP: Bookings by Midday Tuesday 7th July via email to or 03 5721 2690

The 'Business Breakfast Series' is a joint venture between Business Wangaratta and the Rotary Club of Appin Park.

When money becomes tight in the business the focus shifts from running the business to survival. Survival is about staying alive or in a business sense, continuing to exist. By ensuring that your business has sound financial management practices in place, you can be confident that all is being done to ensure financial survival. There are many ways in which small business can operate their business to guarantee that not only do they survive but prosper.

This guide has been developed to discuss the key financial aspects small business should focus on to ensure that good financial management is in place. The areas discussed in the guide will provide you with all the financial areas that your business should consider and understand to guarantee financial survival.

Financial Survival Guide (PDF 1.47mb)

For more information regarding how your business can be successful in the current economic climate visit Global Financial Crisis

Ito En - Green Tea

Networking events can be a great way to meet new contacts for potential business opportunities, especially if you are able to network with a range of wholesalers and suppliers from different industries to indentify potential business to business opportunities.

Business Wangaratta's Business After Hours (BAH) is the perfect way to meet business owners and managers to source potential investment opportunities or partnerships in a relaxed atmosphere.

With entry free to all attendees, BAH is a simple and relaxed way to build your contacts for potential future ventures.

For more information and to register for the next BAH on 5th August 2009 at Ito En contact our Executive Officer on 03 5721 2690 or email:

Alternatively visit our Business After Hours page to find out where our BAH events will be held!!

Report on seminars presented on Saturday 30th May 2009 at the Wangaratta Gateway Quality Hotel.

WOW! what a fantastic opportunity that was. Here were three of the most dynamic and entertaining speakers you could ask for - all on the same program - in our region.

The day commenced with Steven Walker of AXA who covered all the bases with Superannuation from both an employee and employer perspective. All the participants went away with an armful of information to think over the best options - both for their business and their own investment prospects.

Our next speaker was internationaly renown business futurist Craig Rispin. Technology Innovation was the topic and innovative concepts and ideas we received. Craig's presentation was exciting andinformative while he went through some of the recent developments of modern man and implication they have had on us today. We all had the opportunity for some one-on-one discussions with Craig and received some great advice and direction for our particular area of expertise.

The third speaker was Richard Mailer of The Coaching Institute. It was 'business demystifed' with Richards '5 things everyone ought to know about growing your business in a downturn'. This toolbox of knowledge will be invaluable to the on-going success of those businesses who attended.

The day was rounded out with a dinner including Craif Rispin who spoke on innovation - both now and in the future. We learned how it happens, why it happens, and what the spinoff effects are. Craig spoke for over 2 hours interacting with every person there bringing us all along the journey of global innovation.

Business Wangaratta would like to recognise the generous support of the Victorian State Government through Regional Development Victoria, EdgeFM/3NE Radio, North East Newspapers, Rural City of Wangaratta through Wangaratta Unlimited, and Pryor Printing.

Wangaratta Unlimited has developed a strategy to address the global economic downturn within the Rural City of Wangaratta.

While we recognise that we cannot entirely avoid the negative impact of the current economic environment, we are putting in place some strategies to buffer our economy, our businesses and our jobs.

We have a lot working in our favour; we have over $110 million of planned and committed infrastructure projects in the Rural City of Wangaratta and these types of works feed money directly into our economy, providing a buoyancy and stability into the short and medium term for our businesses.

Other ways we can impact the state of the economy are through innovation and entrepreneurship, leadership and business support.  Often, in times like these, avenues for professional business development and growth are made available.  We urge you to access information and networks for yourselves and your staff, and to access the services that will be made available through local and state government agencies.

Your thinking is justified if you are confused about the current Global Economic Climate Change. Wangaratta does not seem to be affected by it to date.

If you haven't driven down our main streets for couple of weeks you will now notice a big difference in the business landscape.

At the intersection of Perry, Ryley & Ovens Streets we now have a new Hungry Jacks Family Restaurant. This now compliments this area where we have national brands KFC, McDonalds and Subway along with the Great Gourmet Inn to create a truly varied mix of restaurants to choose from - and all within walking distance of each other.

In Murphy Street in the CBD Optus have recently opened a new shop which has given the Telstra Shop some more competition for both business and residential customers alike.

With many more businesses either in the planning stage or currently under development Wangaratta is seeing a boom period that is unprecidented for many years.

If you are a business looking to develop, expand or relocate we couldn't think of a better region to do it.

There is more information HERE regarding what Wangaratta is doing to combat the Global Economic Downturn.

WorkSafe’s annual briefings to businesses and workers begin soon and I’d appreciate it if you could let your members know about it.

The briefings are being held from Portland to Hamilton, Bendigo and Bairnsdale and from Swan Hill to Ballarat, Altona and Geelong and points in between including the Melbourne metropolitan area.

We've chosen to decentralise this year's events so in many cases there will be multiple opportunities within easy travelling time to attend.

This year’s focus is ensuring safety in tough times, prevention of common injuries, how to make a claim, and helping injured workers back to work.

The free briefings are designed for small business, people with a new business, those who have just begun in a health and safety role and anyone who wants to know more about making their workplace as safe as possible.

Bookings for the 2009 WorkSafe roadshow are essential. Go to www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/register or for more information call WorkSafe’s advisory service on 1800 136 089.

Download the Breifings Schedule HERE

There has never been a better time to be a part of a business association than now. There are so many changes happening in the world of business  from the global economy, to Industrial Relations, to Human Resources, to Customer Expectations.

The local business community needs to have a strong voice if it is to compete with other regional centres and outside influences. We have many businesses and associations from throughout North East Victoria who have already seen the advantage of being a member of Business Wangaratta. If you know of  a business who will benifit from being a member then let them know about Business Wangaratta.
 
By joining Business Wangaratta - your local Chamber of Commerce - you will become part of a larger voice who have the resources to ask the hard questions, be part of decison making processes that affect all businesses, and access to a wide range of asistance for just about any situation within your business.

Contact our Executive Officer NOW on 03 5721 2690; or
via ; or
visit our membership page to enquire about your membership application.