Networking will commence as usual at 5.15pm at our Rydges Hotel venue. We will be providing some light entertainment and activities throughout the meeting and hope you will be able to join us.
This year we would once again like to raise funds to support a local charity. We are looking for assistance with donation of items that could be included in an auction. The charity we have chosen this year is the South Coast School for Children with Autism which provides educational programs for children with autism aged 4 to 16 years in the Illawarra region.
If you are able to help in this area it would be greatly appreciated and we would love to hear from you, please contact either myself or Lee at the RDA Illawarra office on 4227 4500. As there is only two weeks till the event it would be appreciated if you could advise me of any donations as soon as possible.
We would also like to acknowledge our members who have supported the club this year. If you will be attending the Christmas meeting could you please forward Lee your company logo along with one sentence which best describes your business.
Business Planning Workshop
A good business plan will increase your chances of business success. It will help you identify your customers, market area, pricing strategies, financial and operational goals. By completing a business plan you will better understand your competitive advantages, new opportunities, current weaknesses and longer-term objectives for the business. Having a business plan is also an important requirement for gaining finance from financial institutions.
The aim of this workshop is to provide an overview of the business planning process and increase the skills of participants to enable them to complete a business plan for their business. Business Plan templates will be provided.
Time : 12 noon to 1.30pm
Date : Thursday 20 November
Cost : $33.00 – light lunch included
Are you charging the right price
Price is one of the things that can cause the most grief in business. Is my price too high, too low, should I offer discounts?
In this workshop you will :
• Identify what profit is
• Know the elements of a Cost Structure
• Understand pricing
• Learn how to determine the break even point
• Examine how Profit differs from Cash Flow
• Apply the concepts to a case study.
Time : 9.30am noon to 12 noon
Date : Friday 28 November
Cost : $40.00 – light refreshments included
Marketing Workshop
It is not enough to just have a fantastic product or service; you also need to be able to understand how to market your product or service to potential customers and clients.
This two-hour workshop will help you understand the different aspects of marketing, help you understand how your product / service fits into the whole market and how you can market your business more effectively? We will discuss:
• Conducting Market Research
• Who is Your Target Market / Competitors
• The Four Ps of Marketing
• SWOT Analysis
• Requirements of Developing a Marketing Plan
Time : 9.30am to 12noon
Date : Tuesday 2nd December 2008
Cost : $40.00 – light Refreshments included
Free Business Advisory Services
The Illawarra ITeC has five Small Business Programs to help you get started and further develop your established business. All programs provide free and confidential business advice and are available free of charge in the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven areas:
• Illawarra Business Advisory Service (IBAS)
• Business Enterprise Centre (BEC)
• New Enterprise Development Scheme (NEIS)
• Illawarra Innovation Advisory Service (IIAS)
• Aboriginal Enterprise Development Officer (ADEO) Program
Making the most out of networking
Two fun filled evenings :
Do you find it uncomfortable to introduce yourself at business events? Get tongue tied when you meet someone new? Are you wasting the opportunities to make new contacts? Would you like to learn how to gain more out of networking?
In this informative and interactive presentation, Juliet Scrine and Ian McColm from Eaton Gorge Theatre Company will give you handy tips to make networking easier and then show you how to use the new contacts you have met, to grow your business
This is sure to be a fun filled evening so come along to one of our Small Business Club Meetings which will take place at :
Shoalhaven Small Business Club
Time : 5.15pm to 7.30pm
Date : Monday 24 November
Venue : Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s Club
RSVP : Ring Bonnie at Illawarra ITeC Nowra Office 4423 3417 or email bonnieshepherd@illawarraitec.com.au
Southern Highlands Small Business Club
Time : 5.15pm to 7.30pm
Date : Wednesday 10 December
Venue: Mittagong RSL Club
Cost : FREE TO ATTEND
RSVP : Ring Sarah at Illawarra ITeC Wollongong on 4223 3100 or email sarahcarter@illawarraitec.com.au
Calling for donations
Would you like the opportunity to receive some free publicity for your business and also give something back to the local community at the same time?
At the next meeting of the Southern Highlands Small Business Club (which takes place on Wednesday 10 December) we will be holding a charity auction with money collected on the night being donated to a wonderful charity - Camp Quality.
I would love to hear from any businesses that are able to donate a product or service as a prize for our Charity Auction.
You will receive promotion in the lead up and on the night of the Small Business Club Meeting. Please call Virginia at Illawarra ITeC on 4223 3100.
What is Camp Quality?
Camp Quality Dominant Thought
We are committed to bringing hope and happiness to every child living with cancer, their families, and communities, through ongoing quality recreational, educational and financial support programs.
Fun Therapy
Camp Quality passionately believes in the power of fun in helping children and their families overcome the challenges that cancer brings.
Fun flows through everything we do, from our programs to our philosophies. Camp Quality provides fun therapy for every child living with cancer and their families.
We will be outstanding in:
Focused and cost effective growth, primarily in Australia, of our activities to reach those in need and to challenge our stakeholders;
Developing the skills and competencies of our staff and volunteers to improve morale and our effectiveness;
Satisfying the expectations of the children and their families.
We are committed to:
Being an open and transparent organisation to our internal and external stakeholders;
Ensuring the highest standards of safety and ethical behaviour to protect the children;
Operating in a timely and professional way so as to ensure the financial viability at all times;
Enhancing the opportunities for development of our staff and their future employability;
Ensuring we meet the expectations of our supporters and sponsors.
Serviced offices available
Are you looking for serviced offices in the CBD of Wollongong for a reasonable cost?
Illawarra ITeC has fully serviced office space available now
No LEASE – Monthly Rental Agreement only
Run your business from establish offices in a prime location or utilise Illawarra ITeC’s virtual office facility.
Benefits include:
• Short term / Long term availability
• FULLY services offices
• Reception/Mailing/Cleaning
• Your phone answered in your business name
• Business name signage
Additional services available:
• Broadband Internet Access
• Undercover Parking available
• Training/Casual Interview Rooms for hire
Premises located at:
1/336 Keira Street (Cnr Keira and West Streets) Wollongong NSW 2500.
Contact Sarah or Rebecca on 4223 3100 to arrange an inspection and discuss rates.
Do you receive our weekly Illawarra ITeC Small Business News Newsletter? If not, email Virginia today on ibec@illawarraitec.com.au and we will automatically send you a copy.
This is only a brief outline of the types of small business advice and assistance that we can offer. Want to know more? Remember I am a FREE service and can assist you in developing your business in many ways. Call me today on 4223 3100 or check out our website at www.illawarraitec.com.au
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