Council in partnership with Energex is calling on the Sunshine Coast to ‘power down’ during March to reduce the amount of energy used in the fight against climate change.
Sunshine Coast Regional Council eNews
March 2009
BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT
Don't miss the opportunity to attend the next business networking event on 31 March at Tewantin Noosa Golf Club and find out how you can achieve greater efficiency within your business. Register now!
In this month's edition:
Our new local business directory is here!
We are pleased to announce that we have recently launched a new and improved local business directory on our website www.business.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
It's free to register your business - the only condition is that you operate out of the Sunshine Coast. Visit our website and register your business now.
Council in partnership with Energex is calling on the Sunshine Coast to ‘power down’ during March to reduce the amount of energy used in the fight against climate change.
Over the past decade demand for electricity on the Sunshine Coast has increased by 50-70 percent. With the region’s rapid growth and an increase in high energy consuming items such as air conditioners and televisions, energy consumption is predicted to increase by around a further 40 percent over the next six years.
Reducing energy consumption calls for collective, long term action every day so why not start now and sign up to the Ecobiz program. You will be part of the groundswell bucking the trends and you’ll save money too.
The four week campaign culminates with Earth Hour from 8.30 to 9.30pm on Saturday 28 March 2009. Last year during Earth Hour Sunshine Coast residents reduced their energy consumption by 10%. Let’s aim to better those result this year, so between 8.30 – 9.30pm on Saturday 28 March don’t forget … turn off your lights!
Home based business should be using business grade broadband
2009 is going to be a tough year. Every day we see the effects of the Global Financial Crisis having an impact on business, both large and small.
However, the old maxim of finding opportunity in misfortune is never more relevant. Home based businesses are ideally situated to exercise the opportunities that exist within these uncertain times.
Why? Because home based business can be far more dynamic than large corporations when the time comes for restructure, redirection or rebranding. The layers of bureaucracy and complexity just don’t exist in the home based business. Couple this with the power of the internet, and you have the opportunity to quickly introduce new strategies to align with the economic times.
Home based business can introduce new technologies to find new customers (eg Search Engine Optimisation), deal more efficiently with current customers (eg Voice over IP) and reduce cost (hosted applications). In fact, there are a myriad of ways of using technology to make more profit and reduce costs.
Business Applications (software) are there to assist in profitability increase and cost reduction. And to make that software work, you need a decent business grade broadband connection. Forget ADSL (which is fast down and slow up). ADSL is not a business grade broadband technology. It is in fact a residential grade technology that is not designed to support business software.
Ask your broadband supplier for a symmetrical service (same speeds both ways). This will ensure that when your new business software sends data out to your new customers/suppliers it will be as fast as possible.
Article compiled by Allegro Networks - Council’s telco partner for Connecting the Coast.
Mentor support in your workplace
If you own a small business, micro-business or home-based business, Small Business Solutions can enhance your business skills, profitability and growth and take your business to the next level.
Small Business Solutions offers trusted business professionals (business mentors) to bounce ideas off and to provide a non-emotional view of where your business should be heading. The business mentors are qualified industry professionals with a proven track record in owning and managing successful small businesses of their own.
Mentoring involves short, sharp, focused blocks and dedicated time and support once a week, fortnight or monthly in your workplace, as required. Your mentor will listen to you, understand your situation and offer practical down-to-earth solutions.
As the first step, you and your mentor complete a Business Health Check. This diagnoses the overall performance of your business with objectives assessment of strengths and development needs. And it gives an understanding of the future stability and growth potential of your business.
The goal of the program is to assist you to strengthen your business while providing you with formal accreditation of your skills and knowledge, no matter how, when or where the learning occurred.
Visit the Small Business Solutions website for more information.
Become a Living Smart Solutions Business
Local businesses are better off thanks to sales leads and consumer interest generated at the Living Smart Solutions expo, held at The J, Noosa on 28 February.
Council’s Living Smart Solutions website is a directory of businesses who are genuinely working towards more sustainable lifestyle options.
Project Coordinator Joanna Ferris said the expo was another way of increasing exposure for these businesses.
“People automatically think of solar and water tanks when they think eco-business, but it’s so much broader than that and that’s what we wanted to show the community,” Ms Ferris said.
“The expo was a great way to promote these businesses and the solutions website. The more successful the website, the more successful the businesses, it’s a win-win situation.
“The feedback we received from the exhibiting businesses was excellent,” Ms Ferris said.
The expo was the perfect market, best we’ve been to in terms of potential clients -Andrew Webb from WD Architects
If your business helps people to lead a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle, become a Living Smart Solutions business by registering on the Living Smart Solutions website.
You may be eligible to receive a government grant
There are a number of Local, State and Federal Government grants available that you, your business or event may be eligible for. Check out the following websites to see if there is a grant you could apply for:
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