Loudly, proudly supporting business peers

ENTERPRISES will share and champion their favourite peers in Ballarat’s business community through a new Commerce Ballarat initiative.

Part of the Federation Business School Commerce Ballarat Connect Evolve Recover 2020 campaign, running in lieu of the traditional Business Excellence Awards, Shout! Out! Ballarat is about peer-to-peer support and promotion.

Nick Thurlbeck, Commerce Ballarat’s chair, said Shout! Out! Ballarat has been developed to recognise businesses doing innovative things in the most challenging of circumstances.

“Anyone in Ballarat can nominate a business that deserves a shout out, and those businesses will be recognised and promoted with support of media outlets throughout the next six months,” he said.

“On the Commerce Ballarat website, they can very simply nominate any business that they think is deserved.”

To start, Commerce Ballarat has asked 13 previous Business Excellence Award winners, one from each category, to get on board the production of TV and radio Shout! Out! Ballarat campaigns.

“They will be talking about their particular industry or category, and encouraging the Ballarat public to nominate businesses that deserve a shout out,” Mr Thurlbeck said.

“R&J Batteries were the 2019 Business Excellence Awards Business of the Year, the big winner, and I know they will be first cab off the rank to get involved and work through the promotion.

“We want everyone to be buying local at every opportunity they get. Commerce Ballarat really encourages people to get behind and support the Shout! Out! Because we want to find the businesses doing incredible things and give them a leg up.”

Professor Christina Lee, dean of Federation Business School said the whole idea of this program is to link people.

“We want them to remember what we have in the community, and it’s important for connecting the business community with consumers and citizens of Ballarat,” she said.

“If you look at marketing as a philosophy, and not as a function, then you understand that we need to continue to have our brands at the forefront of consumers’ minds.

“Marketing is all about connecting the consumers because that’s the only way you understand them, what they want and need.”

Although it’s not “business as usual,” Commerce Ballarat and Federation Business School want to show the region these things are going to be crucial post-lockdown.

“When we come out, we can move back into recovery,” Professor Lee said.

“It’s important to showcase different businesses over the next six months, how they’re doing, what they’re doing, and what creative things they’re coming up with to sustain the business and extend.

“We’re never going to be the same again after this. I’m hoping other businesses will take courage, step out, be innovative and take a risk to do something different.”

She recognised that not everyone can continue their business during the pandemic, but they can still workshop solutions to “hibernate” productively.

“We have to be honest with ourselves. See how we were before COVID-19. Can we improve how we do things? Peer-to-peer is important; we’re collaborators rather than competitors.”

Alongside this promotion, the broader Connect Evolve Recover 2020 program will flexibly develop Ballarat’s business community across six months, offering webinars, training and resources.

GROW Ballarat is a Connect Evolve Recover sponsor in the young entrepreneurs’ sector. Project manager, Rob Croucher said his team is delighted to support the #shoutoutballarat initiative and development arm, but especially youths in enterprise.

“The Grattan Institute report, Shutdown: Estimating the COVID-19 Employment Shock from April 2020 outlines that COVID-19 is anticipated to have the largest impact on young people, which is why, more than ever, young people need our support in their careers and entrepreneurial ventures,” he said.

“We look forward to hearing the shout-outs of our young entrepreneurs here in Ballarat as we celebrate their ambition, energy and creativity.”

Shout! Out! Ballarat will reach its peak at an evening event on Thursday, 29 October. Visit commerceballarat.com.au/cb_pages/connect-evolve-recover.php.