Partnership to keep supporting borough’s businesses

TRADERS in the Borough of Queenscliffe will be given more support to do business through a council partnership with the Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC).

The borough is one of 52 councils across the state participating in the initiative, with the goal of making it easier to start, run and grow a business locally.

In the new partnership, the Borough of Queenscliffe and the VSBC have pledged to further build on the council’s work in supporting small businesses in the municipality.

This includes commitments to:

• Support new local business networks to emerge and existing ones to grow
• Promote how the VSBC can help at this time
• Share and promote the council’s support services for local traders
• Support small business owners to continue trading throughout disruptive infrastructure works
• Work towards streamlining approval processes for people looking to start a business, and
• Continue to pay small business suppliers promptly.
• Key industries set to benefit include tourism – the most significant activity in the borough by a considerable margin, accounting for at least 45 per cent of the local economy – as well as construction and fishing.

Victorian Small Business Commissioner Judy O’Connell visited Queenscliff recently to meet with the borough’s chief executive officer Martin Gill and mayor Ross Ebbels and officially sign the initiative’s Charter.

The pledge builds on the borough’s existing supports to traders in response to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the 3225 Love Local Shop Local Facebook page for promoting great business offerings to the community.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with the Victorian Small Business Commission in delivering even better services for our local businesses,” Cr Ebbels said.

“The borough’s small businesses are a major contributor to our local economy and community, and we’re committed to helping them succeed in any way that we can.”

Ms O’Connell said she was pleased to see the Borough of Queenscliffe become a Small Business Friendly Council and commit to providing more support.

“We look forward to working together on ways to respond to local needs with solutions that work.”

For more information on the VSBC, head to their website.