Life as a small business owner can be difficult at times. There are bills to pay, wages to sort, products and services to deliver – and that’s not including a reliance on trade or customer support.
As the owner of the Star of Greece restaurant, in Adelaide’s south, I know how tough it can be at times, particularly when our economy is in recovery and people can be reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash for a discretionary spend.
Southern Adelaide has done it tough over the past two decades, post Mitsubishi and Port Stanvac closing down. And as the population grows, we need a stronger economy to support it.
Our wine industry is strong and exports are growing. The d’Arenberg Cube has increased tourism to the region, providing significant benefit to other tourism and hospitality businesses.
We have a glorious coastline, picturesque vines, rolling hills and fertile dairy country in our midst. But what we need is a thriving business community, job creation, skill development and opportunities for our youth.
As the chair of the Southern Adelaide Economic Development Board (SAEBD) and in my role at the South Australian Business Chamber, we’ve banded together with the Marion and Onkaparinga councils to give southern businesses a boost.
Good advice, combined with networking opportunities and even access to training, can create a more positive future for a business owner.
To align the stars, the SAEDB is teaming with the Marion and Onkaparinga councils and the South Australian Business Chamber to create a unique partnership aimed at helping small to medium-sized businesses in the region to grow. The partnership enables all businesses within the two council areas to access a range of services, products, programs and support tools offered through the South Australian Business Chamber for 12 months.
By working together, we want to help strengthen the local economy and part of this is giving southern Adelaide businesses the support and resources they need grow, prosper and succeed. We can contribute to the short-term economic development of southern Adelaide, as well as help create a robust business community.
The partnership will complement work being done by the SAEDB and Onkaparinga and Marion councils’ specialised business programs, which maximise local business potential and enhance the local economy. As a the South Australian Business Chamber member, our business has personally benefited from the member advice line in relation to employee entitlements and interpreting changes in the modern award.
It all sounds pretty formal, but if we can help just one café owner with advice on paying staff correctly, encourage them to undertake a marketing course to better promote their business, or help them define what they stand for through business planning, the south will benefit from the flow-on effects.
Nikki Govan is deputy chair of the South Australian Business Chamber.
Image: D’Arenberg team Lindsay Durr, chief winemaker Chester Osborn and head chef Brendan Wessels, Kate Elmes Photography.
This article was originally published in the Advertiser’s South Australian Business Journalon Tuesday 5 June 2018.
