Get your enterprise export-ready

Round-table chats: Facilitated by Enterprising Partnerships, the sessions will be hosted on site at Federation University and City of Ballarat venues. Photo: SUPPLIED

ENTERPRISES with a goal to take their established trading to a global market are invited to participate in a free upcoming business incubator program.

Those looking to sell and distribute their products overseas, whether through e-commerce, on an app or online music store, or physically exported via ship or plane, are encouraged to apply for the course facilitated by Enterprising Partnerships.

Chief executive facilitator Lynda Ford OAM said businesspeople involved won’t need to have products ready for exporting, but by the end of the course, they will have the skills, knowledge and resources to take that step when appropriate for them.

“It doesn’t matter what business a person has, they just need to be thinking that one day they’d like to trade overseas,” she said.

From Saturday, 28 August until Saturday, 4 December, participants will meet five times; one day each month.

“During those Saturdays there will be a skills component, talking about the knowledge, resources and networks they’ll need. We’ve got two people leading that, exploring exporting and business models.

“The other couple of hours of each day is a round-table discussion. These are so important, useful and something people enjoy, talking about their business opportunities, challenges, and how to be accountable,” Ms Ford said.

“The other component is six sessions of individual business coaching, which happens in the other few weeks of the month.”

Participants will also have access to technical experts, from marketing, to financial, to legal professionals.

Enterprising Partnerships has been running for 30 years, helping people brainstorm business ideas, start brands and grow them.

In the last decade, they’ve been helping businesses and social enterprises launch, especially those that are regionally based, are led by young people or migrants.

“The incubator is open to everyone and we especially want applications from women, migrants and young people,” Ms Ford said.

Submit your application at bit.ly/2TBw1Ez by Saturday, 31 July.