{"id":173889,"date":"2025-11-07T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=173889"},"modified":"2025-11-06T14:02:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T03:02:38","slug":"your-business-is-our-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/your-business-is-our-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Your business is our business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>AS A FORMER small business owner, I know just how daunting it can be to take that first leap into the private sector.<\/p>\n<p>Launching a small business takes courage, not to mention a huge amount of planning and effort to get your enterprise off the ground.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re launching a new venture or have been navigating the business world for years, the challenges are real and often unpredictable.<\/p>\n<p>No matter how carefully you budget, market forces can shift overnight turning a great month into a tough one.<\/p>\n<p>But I also know firsthand how rewarding owning and running a small business can be \u2013 when your hard work and vision finally pay off there&#8217;s nothing quite like it.<\/p>\n<p>Without all our local aspiring entrepreneurs with big ideas daring to take the plunge into the world of business, Geelong would not have the thriving economy we now enjoy.<\/p>\n<p>Greater Geelong is home to more than 22,000 small businesses, which make up 97 per cent of all businesses in our region.<\/p>\n<p>These businesses form the backbone of our economy, employing tens of thousands of people from those working their first gig to older residents still finding fulfillment in the workforce.<\/p>\n<p>The City of Greater Geelong recognises the importance of these small businesses, which is we support events like the annual Geelong Small Business Festival and last week&#8217;s Geelong Business Excellence Awards, which I had the privilege of attending.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s always fantastic to see the awards shine a light on local innovation and business brilliance.<\/p>\n<p>We also host a range of practical workshops and events for those keen to kickstart their own business journey.<\/p>\n<p>In partnership with Business Victoria, the City will host a free three-hour workshop on 14 November for anyone considering or in the early stages of starting a business in Geelong.<\/p>\n<p>Delivered by Business Victoria, along with members of the City&#8217;s Environmental Health and Investment and Economy teams, the workshop will cover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How to set up and register a business name<\/li>\n<li>Choosing the right business structure and platform<\/li>\n<li>Protecting your business with insurance, and<\/li>\n<li>Developing a business outline and step-by-step action plan to move from idea to launch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more information and to register your attendance, head to <a href=\"http:\/\/geelong.link\/StartYourBusiness\">geelong.link\/StartYourBusiness<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We also understand that navigating the permits and registrations needed to start a business can be tricky.<\/p>\n<p>Which is why our City&#8217;s Economy and Investment team hosts multiple drop-in sessions throughout the year, with the next coming up at Lara Library on Wednesday, November 26.<\/p>\n<p>At these sessions you can chat to our friendly team to better understand council requirements such as permits, zoning, regulations and compliance guidelines.<\/p>\n<p>You can even book a 30-minute one-on-one appointment for tailored support at <a href=\"http:\/\/geelong.link\/BusinessSupportLara\">geelong.link\/BusinessSupportLara<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And there are so many other events offering advice on everything from insurance, invoicing and employee wellbeing, to AI, public speaking and global exports.<\/p>\n<p>I encourage you to visit <a href=\"http:\/\/geelongaustralia.com.au\/business\">geelongaustralia.com.au\/business<\/a> to find out what&#8217;s on in your area for the rest of this year and in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cr Andrew Katos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Deakin Ward, City of Greater Geelong<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AS A FORMER small business owner, I know just how daunting it can be to take that first leap into the private sector. Launching a small business takes courage, not to mention a huge amount of planning and effort to get your enterprise off the ground. Whether you&#8217;re launching a new venture or have been [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/your-business-is-our-business\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":174186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-173889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Your business is our business - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Geelong small business owners: Access free workshops, support sessions, and resources from the City of Greater Geelong to launch or grow your enterprise.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/your-business-is-our-business\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Your business is our business - 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