Big boost for small business performance in 2011

Written on 04 July, 2011 by Charlotte Norman
Categories Events Tags event small business

SMALL business is the big winner this August when hundreds of dedicated business events focusing on delivering practical business skills to boost productivity and performance are delivered across the state during Victoria’s Small Business Festival.

The theme of the biggest small business festival in Australia is ‘add one more skill’ to boost productivity. From networking to marketing, financial management to online business strategy – the 2011 festival program is packed full of events, workshops, seminars and expos for anyone interested in starting, building or growing a small business in Victoria.

Some of the big-ticket festival feature events for 2011 include:

Retail Selling Strategies From The Top – Making Retailers Successful – International speaker and business expert Rob Hartnett delivers practical workshops on learning how to cross sell, up sell and do it all with a win-win attitude to retail – Events in Shepparton, Sale, Morwell, Geelong and Bendigo, 8-17 August.

Small Business BIG Marketing- Simon Hammond of Bastion Brands, Red Balloon’s Naomi Simson and Ross Cameron of Cameron Research Group will equip business owners with practical marketing tools and ideas to maximise their business potential.  An inspirational and practical half-day event incorporates short marketing seminars, a marketing services exhibition, networking opportunities and a free ‘consultants’ corner.’ Melbourne Park Function Centre, 8am-12noon, 25 August.

Social Media for Business: The Hands on Workshop – for anyone daunted by social media, but wanting to learn more about harnessing the power of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube and Google places to boost small business performance – a unique hands-on workshop. Melbourne Park Function Centre, 1pm-4pm, 25 August.

Victoria’s Small Business Festival Webinar Series – for those unable to access events easily, these webinars are not to be missed.  From e-commerce, social media and search engine optimisation to human resources, business grants and building a green business, there is a webinar available for anyone too busy to leave the office. 11-26 August

Small Business Heroes Exhibition: The Retailers – Free, colourful and inspiring photographic display featuring candid images and stories of successful small business owners who are taking an innovative or interesting approach to their retail business. The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne, 5-14 August and Central Square Shopping Centre, Ballarat, 16-23 August.

Social Studio Magical Tent – Craft Cubed ‘Super Maker’ – a colourful retail ‘tent’ in Federation Square showcasing textiles and fashion created by designers from the Social Studio in Collingwood, a creative enterprise that provides training and employment opportunities for refugee youth in fashion, retail and hospitality. The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne 4-13 August.

Victoria’s Small Business Festival provides the perfect opportunity for people to acquire a new skill to help boost business performance.

To pre-order a copy of the festival event guide or to view events online, visit www.business.vic.gov.au/festival or call 13 22 15. From 13 July, download the new Victoria’s Small Business Festival iPhone app from festival website or iTunes store.

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