Learn how your business can cope with disruption and thrive

There’s surely never been a better time to learn not only how to protect your local business from disruption but how to make it grow – welcome to NSW Small Business Month.

Pic by Ivan Bertolazzi

Tomorrow sees the start of the business initiative – which this year focusses on supporting small businesses through disruption – Hawkesbury City Council has teamed up with Hawkesbury City Chamber of Commerce to host a series of webinars and online discussions.

We all know the last 12 months have been, let’s say, challenging with last summer’s bushfires, followed by floods in many areas, and now the global COVID-19 pandemic.

This is quite simply one of the toughest years many small businesses have faced.

Many business have suffered large losses. Some have pivoted more than once to retain customers and move online. Others have worked to capture new markets and radically change their offerings.

Robert Gerrish

Robert Gerrish will be the keynote speaker of the webinar series on 15 October from 1pm to 2pm. He is a small-business expert and regular commentator on the ABC, A Current Affair, Sky Business, Fairfax Digital, as well as appearing on regional and national radio programs. He will focus on ‘Thinking outside the Box through Disruption’.

Other speakers include:

• Linden Regina from the Australian Taxation Office on Starting a Small Business on 8 October from 1:30pm to 2:30pm

• Kristie Petersen from the Rural Financial Counselling Service will discuss Small Business Tips on 13 and 20 October both from 6pm to 7pm

• Anna Samos will speak on ‘How small businesses succeed and why the rest don’t’ on 22 October 1pm to 2pm

• Linden Regina from the Australian Taxation Office will also help with questions on setting up a business and Home-Based Business Packages on 28 October from 10:30am to 11:30am.

For registrations and other information, go to the Hawkesbury Business Hub at www.yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/hbh

Business operators can explore many other grants, programs and initiatives on Council’s Hawkesbury Business Hub

www.yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/hbh and also on the NSW Government’s Business Connect website at https://business-connect-register.industry.nsw.gov.au/pages/home.html

NSW Small Business Month is the only dedicated festival for small businesses in NSW and it is brought to you by the NSW Government. To see all the activities being held across NSW for Small Business Month, visit www.businessmonth.nsw.gov.au