May 2017 Edition

Published on 01 May 2017

Our series of free workshops and seminars continues to attract business owners from across Hobsons Bay. This month we have a session aimed at the CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) community - Starting Your Business in Victoria. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will be back hosting their popular Record Keeping for Small Business workshop in Altona as part of their Tax Basics program and we urge new and existing business owners to attend.

Also this month we have representatives from the Business Enterprise Centre (BEC)@Kanganreturning to Hobsons Bay to run free small business consultations with local businesses plus a range of other programs and funding opportunities available to local business owners.

All of these workshops are free but you must register.

Have you had time to think about your Hobsons Bay Business Excellence Awards application? Please contact our office if you need assistance. There will be two information sessions about the registration/application process at 4pm and 6pm on Wednesday 12 July. Entries are open until August, so there is plenty of time, but don't procrastinate.

If you have any questions about doing business in Hobsons Bay or how Council can assist in helping your business grow, please contact us on 03 9932 1285 or email business@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Good business networks are a useful way to make links within the business and local community.

Westgate Referral Network (WRN)
The Westgate Referral Network provides a supportive environment for business people to come together and to develop qualified referrals for members, encourage opportunities for joint ventures, offer mutual support and encouragement and provide business education.
WRN meets fortnightly on a Wednesday morning from 7am to 8.30am upstairs at the Duchess of Spotswood, 87 Hudsons Road. Upcoming dates: 10 and 24 May, 7 and 21 June
If you wish to attend or want more information on WRN please contact them at info@westgatenetwork.org.au or visit their website www.westgatenetwork.org.au

BNI Star Networkers
BNI is a business referral organisation whose primary purpose is to assist its members to find and exchange qualified business referrals.
BNI Star Networkers encourage visitors to come along to their weekly breakfast meetings. Attending is a great way to get acquainted with BNI and other local businesses in the area.
BNI is a specialist network supporting one person from each business category.
If you could gain from a significant increase in business referrals then this is a real opportunity for you.
For further information contact Braith Bamkin by phone 0425 211 094 or visit www.bni.com.au

West is Best Business Network
West Is Best - Business Improvement Group is an active business networking collective who meet regularly in the inner western suburbs of Melbourne.
With the aim of developing innovative business skills, they seek to grow their own professional relationships and facilitate networking opportunities for other industry professionals. For more information please visit www.businessimprovementgroup.net.au

Would your business benefit from being able to trial a young person on an internship to see if they are the right fit? The Australian Government’s new Youth Jobs PaTH program can help you!

What is Youth Jobs PaTH?
Youth Jobs PaTH is a new program designed to better prepare young people aged between 15 and 24 who may be ideal for work in your business. It also encourages employers to trial a young person for a job and offers financial incentives if they hire them.

Youth Jobs PaTH has three elements:
* Prepare: young people will be prepared for work through Employability Skills Training to help improve their chances of finding and keeping a job.
* Trial: employers can trial a young person in an internship from anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks and receive $1,000 to help with the costs of hosting the internship.
* Hire: employers who hire an eligible young person can receive a Youth Bonus wage subsidy incentive of up to $6,500 or $10,000.

Check out Youth Jobs PaTH website for further information.

Businesses across Hobsons Bay can now access subsidised solar power via a Council initiative Energy$mart Program. Recognised providers can offer solar installations at a discounted rate with the help of subsidies on lighting and solar projects up to $5,000. Local businesses have a chance to save both energy and money while reducing their carbon emissions.

Council also now offers an Environmental Upgrade Agreement (EUA) service which assists businesses to make a green change with access to highly secured finance for upfront funding for their projects, provided through the Sustainable Melbourne Fund. Water and energy efficient assessments for small and medium sized enterprises and schools are also being offered to help identify opportunities to reduce their energy use.

Council’s Community Greenhouse Strategy 2013-2030 has been developed to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the municipality. Hobsons Bay is a proud member of the Western Greenhouse Alliance, committed to delivering the Low Carbon West strategy to support the growth of this vibrant and diverse region while limiting the increase in greenhouse gas emissions associated with that growth.

One of our Altona businesses is already underway with an EUA, and we look forward to showcasing this business in future communications. For more information on the program, call Council on 9932 1000 or visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Business/Our-Sustainable-Business

Untreated mental health conditions cost Australian businesses almost $11b annually through absenteeism, reduced productivity and workers’ compensation claims.

A mentally healthy workplace should be as important to Australian employers as a physically safe one.

An industry leader in the development of health, safety and wellbeing programs, The Victorian Chamber’s Mental Health Check Program will allow you to gain a clear understanding of the mental health risks that exist within your business and will assist you in taking concrete steps towards reducing these risks.

Book a free consultation today with the Victorian Chamber to see how they can help you build a happier, more productive and mentally healthy workforce.
Visit victorianchamber.com.au or call 03 8662 5333.

Free Small Business Consultation
Tuesday 23 May 9am to 12pm
Williamstown Town Hall, Ferguson Street, Williamstown
FREE
In partnership with the Business Enterprise Centre (BEC) at Kangan Institute we are offering free and confidential one-on-one sessions, with an experienced business counsellor from the BEC@Kangan, for you to discuss any issues you have in regards to commencing your business or improving the performance and operation of your existing business.

For bookings please phone 9094 3008 or email bec@kangan.edu.au to secure a place.

Tax Essentials for Small Business
Thursday 25 May 2017 from 9.30am to 12pm
Hobsons Bay City Council, 115 Civic Parade, Altona, VIC 3018
FREE
Are you thinking of starting a business or new to business? Come along and learn about:
·      business structures
·      registering your business
·      record keeping - understanding how to keep track of your business
·      reporting online to save time
·      business life cycles - why they’re important
·      help and more information - where to go when you need it
·      networking with other new business owners in your area
For more information and to book click here

Starting Your Business in Victoria
Thursday 18 May 9am to 1pm
Hobsons Bay City Council. 115 Civic Parade, Altona, VIC 3018
FREE

All welcome
This Small Business Victoria workshop is specially tailored for migrants, refugees or asylum seekers and will help you get set up your business right, and connect you to a range of government resources and free mentoring. This workshop will help you put in place the right foundation to build a successful business. From taking the first steps to conducting a feasibility study on your business idea, this hands-on workshop will help you gain a clear idea of how to start your business.
All participants receive a free follow up one-on-one mentoring session with an experienced small business mentor who will tailor individual advice and information.
For more information and to book click here.

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme have offered commercialisation grants to 15 Australian businesses.

What are the grants for?

Commercialisation grants support projects that help address challenges across key industries, including:
·      medical technologies and pharmaceuticals
·      advanced manufacturing
·      food and agribusiness
·      oil, gas and energy resources
·      mining equipment, technology and services.
The funding will help each of the 15 businesses push their innovative new products, processes and services out into the marketplace by helping them undertake development and commercialisation activities like product trials, licensing and manufacturing.

The grants are matched dollar-for-dollar by the businesses. So far, 200 businesses have benefited from over $105 million in funding, as well as support from experienced advisers, to get their ideas off the ground.

What projects have been offered support?
Some of the projects offered support in this round of commercialisation grants include:
·      innovative visual field analysis, to better diagnose and manage neurological diseases, including diagnosing concussion on the sports field
·      automation of plant tissue culture production in the nursery, helping industry to improve productivity, reduce planting costs, decrease growing times and produce higher plant quality
·      ground penetrating radar technology and software for faster, clearer and deeper group location, mapping and imaging of underground utility pipes and cables
·      pre-fabricated and portable solar arrays for cheaper and faster building of commercial solar systems.

Find out more:
·      Visit the Accelerating Commercialisation webpage to find out more about commercialisation grants.

Council adopts draft 2017-18 Budget
Hobsons Bay City Council’s proposed 2017-2018 budget will deliver capital works projects to the tune of $35.13 million to improve local infrastructure and will continue to provide more than 100 important community services.
The Council Plan is the most unique Council Plan Hobsons Bay City Council has ever done because it's based on the #HobsonsBay2030 community vision, which was created by the community, for the community.
The draft 2017-18 Budget is now available for public comment. Submissions close on 5pm, Wednesday 24 May 2017. To view the document, visit www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au or the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre, 115 Civic Parade, Altona. For more information, call 9932 1000.
Visit http://participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/ to lodge your feedback.
Council proposes to adopt the Budget 2017-18 and the Council Plan 2017-21 at its meeting on Tuesday 27 June 2017 at 7pm.

The ATO app aims to make it easier for you to manage your tax and super affairs on the go.
If you're an individual taxpayer, small business owner or self-managed super fund trustee, you can access relevant tax and super information and tools in one place.
The app has many features. You can:

* log in to access online services, including myTax, to lodge your income tax return and track the progress of your return
* enrol and use your voiceprint for fast, easy and secure access to ATO online services for individuals and sole traders.
* record and manage your car trips, expenses, and other deductions on the go using myDeductions if you're an individual or sole trader
* upload your financial year deductions from within the ATO app myDeductions tool to the ATO for pre-filling into your tax return if you are an individual or sole trader.
* calculate the amount of tax to withhold from salary and wage payments
* check an Australian business number (ABN) using ABN Lookup
* work out key dates and, depending on your device, set important reminders and alerts for tax and super obligations
* use the Business performance check tool to compare your business with similar businesses in your industry using the latest Small business benchmarks
* watch videos, access checklists and visit SMSF assist for other helpful information for SMSF trustees

Download the ATO app at: Google Play and App Store
For further info, please visit https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/ATO-app/