Being best in business a focus for festival

THE program for Commerce Ballarat’s annual Business Festival is back and providing a curated series of events to help enterprises achieve their best.

The festival, known as B31, runs for August and is designed to provide team building exercises, events and strategy opportunities for business owners, managers, employees and those starting a business.

Events include the always popular Biznet Breakfast where the CEO of Transhuman, Amanda Johnstone is set to speak.

There’s also another breakfast seminar for accountants and solicitors, the Ballarat Business Women members showcase, and an innovation lunch which will discuss net zero carbon emissions.

Peter Whitefield from BGT Jobs and Training will be facilitating a customer service workshop on Tuesday 15 August and will seek to guide businesses on how to create and maintain high levels of customer service.

“Across the board generally Ballarat has some work to do on how we provide good quality customer service across a range of areas,” he said.

“We thought there was an opportunity to lift the whole idea of what customer service is.”

As part of the event Kryal Castle and 1816 Bakehouse will be sharing their advice on how to train staff and manage customers.

There will also be a psychologist on hand talking about how to deal with good and bad customers and dissatisfied clients.

“Hopefully people can get to ask tricky questions and listen to different speakers,” said Mr Whitefield.

“I don’t think people are really addressing customer service and it’s being left up to staff so there’s a lot of work still that needs to be done for anyone who’s dealing with a customer.

“Commerce Ballarat is trying to lift the bar to Ballarat is seen as a place that has good customer service.”

The month-long program will culminate with the Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards on Thursday 31 August, where this year’s winners of the prestigious program will be announced.