Shire talks business at breakfast

BREAKFASTERS at Torquay Commerce and Tourism’s latest Sunrise Series event heard soundings from a business barometer on Tuesday morning.

The shire’s business and tourism strategy coordinator Simon Loone and grant and business support officer Gretchen Gibson (both pictured above) shared some of the details of the Business Barometer Survey, which was conducted late last year.

The survey’s findings included: 56 per cent of businesses operate on the Surf Coast because of lifestyle; 80 per cent of businesses felt last year’s performance was better than the previous year; 44 per cent of the businesses surveyed were more than 10 years old; hospitality staff was the most difficult position to fill (28 per cent), followed by technicians and trade workers, then professionals.