Every year I am inspired by the people I meet and speak to at the Geelong Small Business Festival.
This wonderful event is now in its 13th year, and it has served as a great reminder of the amazing work being done in our community by people who are often competing with major corporate organisations and larger entities.
This year the City of Greater Geelong has announced a new partnership with the Geelong Chamber of Commerce for the Geelong Small Business Festival.
The partnership will see the Chamber take the lead in delivering the event – which runs throughout all of August – and will help support the continued growth and evolution of the festival.
This year’s program has more than 70 low-cost and free events on offer for community members looking to start, grow or improve their small business.
The local small business community makes up around 97 per cent of all businesses in the region.
Whether you are coming from a place of experience or are in the early stages of developing your business, the festival offers plenty of valuable opportunities to hear from industry experts, make new connections and learn new skills.
It covers every stage of the small business world for existing business owners, budding entrepreneurs or those unsure about how to get started.
You can learn business essentials such as accounting and finance, and leading and managing your team.
Modern principles of health and wellbeing, social media marketing, digital technology, and sustainability and social responsibility are also covered.
The Geelong Small Business Festival will be launched at a special Gala Dinner sponsored by The Gordon on Thursday 3 August at GMHBA Stadium.
Those interested in attending this dinner, or any of the workshops, presentations and networking opportunities designed to support and empower small businesses throughout the month-long festival, can visit www.gsbf.com.au.
I encourage you all to get along and see why this is such a popular event among our local business community.
