As we charge towards the end of the year there is no slowing down for our team.
We hit October with enthusiasm as we welcomed many new faces to the Smart Precinct building. With a range of quality events and the rollout of the Business Concierge Services support packages. The opportunities, for learning, growth and connection are in abundance.
Make sure you lock in Wednesday 3rd November as we will be diving into the personal stories of three businesses who are on the journey of start-up, to millions to billions! This will include a raw and insightful behind the scenes look at the real challenges and things to consider as you scale and grow in any stage of business.
And lastly, if you haven’t had a chance to check out the Business Concierge Services support package - now is the time!
Designed to strengthen business resilience, the Service provides a support for eligible Small to Medium Businesses. Once qualified you will complete a business resilience and adaption plan with a Business Concierge Services Case Manager. The Service gives successful applicants access to financial support packages of up to $2500 to spend on services from pre-approved Business Specialists.
Listen in to ABC North Queensland's Henry Bretz as he speaks with our region's incredible innovators.
He deep dives into the stories of Smart Precinct NQ’s Inventors and Entrepreneurs. So far Kerri Hinchen from Infinity AI and Jason Lange from Atlas Soils have jumped behind the microphone in their North Ward studios. Next will be Govinda Pandey from Lixia.
The segments go to air every second Wednesday at 9.30am.
A really important part of the visibility of your business lies within Google My Business.
Your Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to take charge of the way your business appears on Google Search and Maps. With your Business Profile, you can connect with customers, post updates, list your products and services, accept online orders, and much more.
It is really important that you login to your Google My Business account to update your address, phone number, website, and opening hours. This will enable your customers to find and connect with your business.
Keep your profile updated with fresh photos, special offers and promotions to make it easier for customers to choose you!
Google loves a fresh site and this really helps with your visibility and where you appear on the google search page. Up-to-date content means more customers and this is free to do!
Megan Colwell
Business Growth Advisor
"Keep your profile updated with fresh photos, special offers and promotions to make it easier for customers to choose you!"
Business & Investment: Mentoring
Dr Lydia Canovas-Saiz
Business and Investment Lead
"I love to work hand-in-hand with start-up founders and business owners from a wide range of industries and at different stages of development."
Wow, this past month has been busy and exciting! With October coming to an end, I think back on the variety of amazing entrepreneurs I've had the chance to mentor. This month I have worked with mainly retail business owners including a custom shirt designer, a digital marketer, an adult toy online store owner, a health and fitness trainer and an SaaS platform developer. I can see how much support these companies need and it is very gratifying to see that I can contribute to their progress in a short period of time. Did you know that thanks to Townsville City Council support you can access up to three free mentoring sessions to help you know if you are on the right track? If you feel that you are working hard but your business is not growing as you expected, or if you have a new business idea in mind but you don’t know how to proceed, or even if you just want to introduce yourself and what you do, then get in touch with me, I would love to get to know you! Looking forward to meeting you soon.
Trent Small from North Queensland's Solar Relief has been participating in the Dream Venture Masterclasses, an online program for ambitious Indigenous business owners and leaders from around Australia.
The first group have been equipped to invest their capital in the future generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs. The second group has been preparing to pitch their businesses to potential investors and supporters. The program has been organised with the Minderoo Foundation.
Click on the event image below to secure your tickets.
ACTION & EVENTS: October 2021
• Indigenous Women
in Business •
As part of Indigenous Business Month, Smart Precinct NQ was proud to be a part of the Indigenous Women in Business event.
This was a great opportunity to open the conversation and support the future development of an Indigenous Business Women’s Network in North Queensland.
Next event: Indigenous Business Month: Meet the Buyers at Smart Precinct on November 10.
We were proud to support the Advancing Women in Business and Boards event at Smart Precinct NQ. Hosted by founding member and Chair of the Advisory Board Centre Jan Easton. This event opened up the important discussion of Advancing Women in Business & Boards. You can find out more, and watch it back here.
The event was supported by the Townsville Business Womens Circle and there was an amazing room of business women and supporters.
• HINCHINBROOK: business connect •
Our team hit the Bruce Highway north to Ingham for the Hinchinbrook Business Connect event at TYTO Conference Centre.
It was a chance to connect with the industry, and learn more about businesses in the region, from marketing to arts, electricians and many more.
Head of Smart Precinct Miranda Mears addressed the sole-traders, and small businesses present about the Smart Precinct NQ services, as well as the new Business Concierge Service support package.
• SOCIAL ENTERPRISE: a growing community •
Smart Precinct NQ is now a proud member of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council. We understand the importance of supporting the development of Social Enterprise in the region.
To support the growth of the Social Enterprise Community we recently hosted a dedicated group at Smart Precinct, as they workshopped the vision for the Social Enterprise Network of Townsville & North QLD (SENTNQ).
Congratulations to all who attended and a big thank you to Ricky Esterquest from Towards Better who championed the day with support from Steve Williams from CQU.
Together we confirmed our commitment to promote #townsville small business including raising the profile and capability of businesses in the region and supporting their resilience and recovery. This also means measuring and reporting on our performance and support we offer.
• THE HOT SPOT! •
We all know getting out of your comfort zone helps us grow, so each First Wednesday Connect event now provides a chance to get up and reach out to the Smart Precinct NQ ecosystem.
Guests are welcome to take to the HOT SPOT for 2 minutes to:
- introduce yourself if you're new to the community
- share opportunities for others
- discuss an area that others can support you
- celebrate a win or major milestone
The HOT SPOT launched at the last event. Thank you to those who stepped up voluntarily, and to those who might have needed a little more of a nudge!
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