This two-and-a-half hour workshop will help you understand the different aspects of marketing, 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 12 noon
Date: Thursday 2 July
Cost: $40.00 – light refreshments included
Writing great copy
It is no use having the best product or service if you can't tell people about it in a brochure or advertisement.
But how do you ensure that your advertisement, brochure or web stands out from the competition? How do you create headlines that get attention? And what is an effective call to action? Writing great copy requires good technique and skill.
Among your varied roles as an owner of a business you're probably your own advertising agency. This means you need to be able to write compelling messages that get the attention of your target market and position your product. You'll have to be able to write in a range of genres for different communication channels - brochures, online, direct mail or advertising copy.
Michelle Spooner from Spoonfed is the next guest speaker at the Wollongong Small Business Club. Michelle has spent a career writing and proofing copy. Bring your existing brochures and advertisements and decide whether they need improvement or if you've got it right!
The Wollongong Small Business Club is sponsored by Illawarra ITeC, RDA Illawarra, Wollongong City Council and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development and is therefore FREE to attend.
Time: 5.15pm for 6.00pm until 7.30pm
Date: Tuesday 14 July 2009
Cost: FREE
Venue: Rydges Hotel, Burelli St, Wollongong
RSVP: Ring Lee at RDA Illawarra on 4227 4500
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 will provide an overview of record keeping responsibilities and provides practical exercises in the tasks required to manage a business through record keeping. You will develop an understanding of financial control and the importance of cash flow and how to complete petty cash, cash payments, cash receipts, daily bank balances and bank reconciliations.
Time: 9.00am to 12 noon
Date: Thursday 17 July 2009
Cost: $45.00 per person – light refreshments provided
Office of Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Intro to 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: Friday 31 July 2009
Cost: $33.00 – light lunch included
Making E-biz work for you
The NSW Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD) invites you to attend the ‘Making E-Biz Work for You’ workshop. It is a full day package presented by David Turner from Austrade as part of an Australia-wide program to update exporters on the use of electronic selling when exporting, including website development.
Date: Thursday, June 25
Time: 8.45am for 9.00am start to 5.00pm
Venue: Reception Room, Shoalhaven City Council, Bridge Road, Nowra
Cost: Free, morning/afternoon tea and light lunch provided
RSVP: Places are limited. Please call Rory McAlester on 4421 1000 to reserve your place or email: rory.mcalester@business.nsw.gov.au
Small Business Workshops
Illawarra ITeC regularly runs a suite of small business workshops to help you grow your business and improve your business skills. Workshops run include:
• Small Business Basics – for new start-up businesses
• Marketing
• Business Planning
• Basic Bookkeeping
• Are you charging the right price to make a profit
• Improving Customer Service
• Understanding Your Financial Statements
Please ring Illawarra ITeC if you would like to book in for any of the above workshops or would like to discuss any aspect of your business with one of our business advisers.
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 and West Streets) Wollongong NSW 2500.
Contact Sarah on (02) 4223 3100 to arrange an inspection and discuss rates.
Free Business Advisory Services
If this current economic situation is really getting you down and you find that you are struggling and really need some business advice – call Illawarra ITeC and make an appointment to see one of our Business Advisers.
Illawarra ITeC has five Small Business Programs to either :
- help you get started in your business venture; or
- further develop your business skills and improve your business.
All programs provide free and confidential business advice. We have offices based in Wollongong, Nowra and Mittagong - but we are also a mobile service and can come to you.:
• 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
Call Illawarra ITeC today on 1300 065 058.
If you require further information please don’t hesitate to contact me on 4223 3100 or 1300 650 058.
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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