BALONNE IS CONTINUING ITS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MENTORING PROGRAM
Following the successful completion of three Business Mentoring Programs, Balonne Shire Council is calling for Applications/Expressions of Interest from Balonne Shire based businesses that are looking to expand/diversify/build resilience in their operations.
The Program involves Council partnering with experienced business owners and experts in various fields to provide one-on-one mentoring sessions and workshops on topics such as financial management, marketing, e-commerce, tourism, ag expansion and diversification, Agtech and succession planning.
This Business Mentoring Program will focus on two key areas in this round, being Business Mentoring (for small to medium businesses and agribusinesses) and Tourism Mentoring (Tourism industry businesses) to help entrepreneurs across both areas to grow their businesses and create jobs in the community through resilience and recovery measures.
These programs will help build long term sustainable businesses through:
• Recovery – cost reduction, debt and cashflow management, improved operational efficiencies
• Transformation – product development and diversification
• Digital Literacy and Engagement – reach new customers and markets through digital health check/strategy, increasing website traffic, online bookable products/shopfront, Google Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), email marketing and Social Media marketing
• Resilience and Business Continuity Plans
• Financial management and business planning
• Succession Planning
• Online presence, e-commerce and social media
• Business expansion and/or diversification
• Capital projects (replacement of lost assets and/or new works)
Balonne Shire Council Mayor Samantha O’Toole has welcomed the commencement of this fourth round of this highly successful initiative.
“The Business Mentoring Programs have delivered great results for our Shire and as a Council, we are keen to see this program to continue delivering for the people of Balonne,” Mayor O’Toole said.
“The better our businesses are, the more local jobs we can create, which has a flow-on effect through our local economy.
“I am looking forward to seeing all of these benefits continue through this fourth round of our Business Mentoring Program.”
This round of the Business Mentoring Program involves:
• Free dedicated and matched (shortlist) of one-on-one advisory/mentoring services (average value of $7,500 ex GST);
• Free tailored workshops/webinars facilitated by industry leaders;
• Up to $2,000 in project funding per participant (application) to further assist business growth/expansion; and
• Strategy & development of action and business plans and other mentoring benefits.
This is a competitive process with the Business Mentoring having only 25 spots and the Tourism Mentoring having only 15 spots available.
Closing date for applications is FRIDAY 18 AUGUST.
To apply or for further information, please visit www.balonne.qld.gov.au or contact:
Council’s Economic Development Officer, Garnet Radford on 0418 168 824 or email: garnet.radford@balonne.qld.gov.au .
This project is funded by the Queensland Government Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.