As part of its Small Business September ’08 initiatives, the NSW Department of State and Regional Development has developed a free online Small Business Toolkit comprising podcasts and downloadable information about trade finance, business risk, climate change, running a business in a local government area, and other topics to help you manage and grow your business.

To access your free Small Business Toolkit visit the Small Business September website www.smallbusinessmonth.nsw.gov.au

The Small Business September website also contains free presentations, podcasts, and links from over 20 Small Business September ’08 events including Busting Business Myths, The ‘Sale’ is Made in the First 5 Minutes, Small Business is Big Business on the Internet, Doing Business With Sport and Small Business BIG Issues.

Illawarra Innovation Advisor - Free Advice

Do you have a new product that you want to commercialise but don’t know where to start?  Do you need legal advice on Trade Marks, Patents or Design Registration?
 
Book in for a free assessment interview with Virginia Wren from the Innovation Advisory Service or book in for a FREE interview with IP (Patent / Trade Mark) Attorney.  Next appointments for the IP Attorney is Friday 5 December, 2008 

Basic Bookkeeping Workshop    

It is very important for any small business owner to know how to keep sound financial records but more importantly understand how to use those financial reports to make informed decisions. 

This workshop is designed to provide an overview of record keeping responsibilities and provides practical exercises in the tasks required to manage a business through record keeping. 

By attending this workshop, you will develop an understanding of financial control and the importance of cash flow.  Practical exercises demonstrate how to treat petty cash, cash payments, cash receipts, daily bank balances and bank reconciliations.

Time:  9.00am to 12 noon  
Date:  Monday 15 December 2008  
Cost:   $45.00 per person – light refreshments provided
Venue: Illawarra ITeC Wollongong

Developing an Online business 

It took 13 years for television to reach the level of market penetration achieved by the personal computer in just four years.  Now 96 per cent of all small-to- medium sized enterprises use computers and 90 per cent have access to the Internet (Yellow Pages E-Business Report: July, 2006).

Are you interested in starting an online business? By trading online you can save time and money, reduce your overheads and reach a much wider market. And you make it easier for your customers to do business with you.

If you plan to trade over the internet, you will need to register your business name in the state or territory you intend to operate. You also need find out what registration and licenses apply to your business.

Software to consider:

• Antivirus - see Security and Protection section
• Accounting - ask your accountant for advice
• Inventory control - can often be included in accounting software
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Industry-specific software, such as hospitality, hotel, manufacturing (see Specific Line of Business Software below)

Getting Help:

Assistance is readily available from advisors such as your company's accountant, specialist freelance consultants or IT hardware/software vendors.  Ask your industry trade association for advice on what software they recommend.  Also, the internet is an endless source of valuable advice.

Recruiting a freelance consultant for a project needs to be a flexible procedure.  Develop a brief to send to potential consultants asking for their costed proposal for undertaking the project.

Topics for consultant brief:

• The client's overall objective for the assignment and the criteria to be used to select the consultant.
• Scope of the assignment and the desired outcomes (eg to create a strategy, a detailed plan; to develop software for your business, or implement a packaged system; to create system elements, or a complete turnkey outcome).
• Definition of the stages of the project and the review process at each checkpoint.  Nominate the start date, review dates and the completion date.
• Define the expected project "deliverables", such as reports, software programs being purchased, customised or written, hardware, staff training, installation services, etc.  This should include the ownership outcomes of documentation, software and, in the case of custom software, ownership or access to the source code.
• How the deliverables and outputs of the project will be measured or evaluated to determine the success of the project.

In response, the consultant’s proposal should include a description of:

• Relevant expertise and experience of the consultant, including that of the staff working on the project;
• Description of their proposed solution, listing of required hardware and software - and generally how the solution offered meets the specific criteria set out in the client brief;
• Fee and payment arrangements, workers compensation and professional liability insurance details - and other contractual matters, including confidentiality, copyright and intellectual property assertions;
• Most importantly, the proposal should reference previous successful similar assignments that have been undertaken and should include reference contacts so that previous work standards can be verified.
This proposal should be assessed by the client company on the basis of the quality of the proposal, the degree to which the proposal addresses the brief and, most importantly, value for money. 

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

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 established 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 & 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