Supplies of PPE for Essential Businesses
We know some essential businesses are experiencing difficulty in sourcing supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). With the current COVID-19 situation, Cessnock City Council is working with the Department of Regional NSW, hoping to connect essential businesses, who might be having issues in sourcing PPE, with known NSW suppliers. PPE might comprise products you would…
Juggling the circus also known as working from home!
The current pandemic, infamously known as COVID-19 has provided the opportunity for innovation and new concepts focusing on working remotely for organisations across the world. Many people have been met with the challenge of trying to juggle full-time childcare, home-schooling and working from home while attempting to preserve as much productivity as possible. Maintaining a…
Support Australian Made, Grown and Owned
Now more than ever it is important to rally behind Aussie made products and support our Australian makers. The Australian Made Campaign is urging shoppers to support local manufacturers and growers in these unprecedented times. As the current COVID-19 crisis continues to develop with restrictions changing rapidly, businesses have been forced to think outside the…
Strategy for Small Business Success
The NSW Government has released a discussion paper on the up and coming NSW Small Business Strategy 2020. They are seeking feedback on issues that affect business in NSW. Cessnock City Council’s Business Capability Study (2019) identified that 86% of our businesses are micro and small (employing fewer than 20 employees). Therefore, it is critical…
Support for bushfire hit Wine-Grape growers
Bushfire affected wine-grape growers across NSW will have access to free smoke taint tests, through a new program funded by the NSW Government. Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro said NSW businesses were heavily impacted by the bushfires and the NSW Government is acting quickly to ensure communities and industries get…
Using bcc on emails can avoid a data breach in your business
Many people don’t realise why emails have a bcc field. Most email platforms have a function called blind carbon copy (bcc), which means that you can send an email out to a large group of people without sharing their email addresses amongst the recipients. But why is this important? Sharing email addresses to a wide…
Two thirds of Australian workers experience bullying
Bullying is often in the media, although it’s usually linked to the behaviour of school age children. But according to findings from a recent study by the University of South Australia (UniSA), Australia ranked sixth worst for workplace bullying when compared to 31 European countries. Cultures that lead to bullying Lead researcher, Associate Professor Michelle…
Tax apps saving time and money
Keeping track of your finances in a small business can be a full time job. Tools that make this less of a headache can save you time and your sanity at tax time. There are numerous receipt scanning apps out there that can do a range of different things. Some apps just take…
Debt recovery app getting results
Cash flow is the life blood of any business, it needs to keep flowing or the business dies. It is estimated that Australian small businesses are currently owed $26 billion dollars. But what can you do to get your overdue accounts paid? Well there’s an app for everything these days. The debt…
Dealing with negative online reviews
Everyone likes to be liked. So what should you do when someone goes online to say they don’t like your business, product or customer service? How do you deal with negative online reviews? According to a survey by Bright Local, reading a negative review stops 40% of consumers wanting to do business with your…
Hiring staff – getting the paperwork right
Being in business can be a daunting proposition. The owner of a small business has to be a Jack (or Jill) of all trades, or at least be across what is supposed to be happening in all aspects of their business. It’s easy to hire a new employee and plan to get back to complete…
Unlock the potential of new customers with inclusive tourism
Inclusive tourism refers to tourism services and products where people of all abilities feel welcome and wanted as customers and guests. Being able to service people with a disability, an ageing population and young families becomes increasingly important as these segments of the public continue to grow. Becoming more inclusive could prove to be…