Business Talk October 2017

October 2017

Welcome to Business Talk

Business success is essential to the future of the City of Marion as a place to live, learn, work, invest and do business.

The City of Marion's Open for Business program is here to support the business community to:

Be your first point of contact at the City of Marion
Provide local business support services through the Southern Adelaide Small Business Advisory Service and the Southern Adelaide Business Support Ecosystem
Connect you with local businesses, skilled people, associations and training providers
Offer networking and information
Work with partners to deliver local initiatives such as Southern Adelaide Economic Development Board, Visitor Economy, Digital Literacy Projects and Workforce Development
Activate our two business hubs - the Cove Business Hub and Tonsley Innovation District
Advocate on regional issues, and
Provide opportunity through t he Urban Activation Project .

Do you have an idea for Urban Activation?

The City of Marion has established the Urban Activation Project. There is $250,000 available to support suitable projects which enhance infrastructure and community amenity around local shopping districts within the City of Marion.

Want to learn more? We are running information sessions over the to guide you through the process.

Urban Activation Project Information Sessions

Tuesday 17 October - Cove Civic Centre

Thursday 19 October - Tonsley Innovation District

Monday 13 November - Cove Civic Centre

Thursday 23 November - Cove Civic Centre

How to activate public spaces

Tuesday 31 October - Cove Civic Centre

Art in Public Place and other Creative Infrastructure

Thursday 2 November - Tonsley Innovation District

Contact Donna Griffiths on 08 8375 6897 or via email to find our more!

Free support for Southern Adelaide businesses

The City of Marion, City of Onkaparinga and the Department of State Development have joined forces to fund a service aimed at helping small businesses develop and grow in the region.

The recently revitalised service is FREE and offers confidential one-on-one advisory sessions for those wishing to start a business or operating an existing business in the Southern Adelaide region.

To book your FREE SESSION with the Southern Adelaide Small Business Advisory Service please email [email protected] .

Grow Your Business Expo - Be an Exhibitor

Join this year's Grow Your Business Expo as an exhibitor and showcase your business. This is a large regional business event, offering support and the latest in technology to help businesses thrive.

Being a non-industry specific expo, businesses from all backgrounds are welcome to exhibit. This is a perfect opportunity for you to meet new contacts and build relationships.

Want to be an exhibitor? Book now for our FREE workshop on Thursday 19 October and learn how you can best benefit from the exposure gained from participation. Learn what resources you need to communicate your brand in the best possible light.

If you would like to be an exhibitor please fill in the registration form or contact Georgie Johnson via email or phone 08 8375 6679.

Pop-up your business @ the Tonsley Pod

Be part of our exciting activation of the Tonsley Pod at the Tonsley Innovation District ! We are looking for businesses to pop-up at Tonsley - Australia's First Innovation District - for a day between October and December.

Places are limited! If you are interested, please email an expression of interest to Tracey Noah about why you would like to pop-up at Tonsley.

Visit our COMmunity Space website to find out what's on next or pop into the pod on Thursday 12 October for the following sessions:

11am-12pm: 'How to access your FREE Retailer Energy Efficiency Scheme (REES) Energy Assessment' Book Now
1.30pm-3.30pm: 'How to enhance your digital skills at home and in the workplace' Book Now

Maker Faire - The Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth

Be inspired, informed, connected and entertained at this year's Maker Faire on Sunday 5 November. Join thousands of attendees in a family-friendly environment that celebrates technology, education, science, arts, crafts, engineering, food, sustainability - and more.

There will be over 100 displays of ideas and creativity, that will surprise and delight. Maker Faire Adelaide will be a chance to meet makers, ask questions, and see old crafts and new technologies side by side. Visit the City of Marion's Space for Exploring Everything Digital (SEED) pop-up and get your hands on some new technology. Book now to secure an advanced discount price.

JOBEX - SA's largest employment expo

JOBEX is South Australia's largest employment and careers exhibition, showcasing career pathways and job opportunities in emerging industries. JOBEX Adelaide will be held 10-11 November at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

For more information, visit JOBEX Adelaide.

What small businesses should know about cyber security

The only certainties in life are death, taxes and online attacks by the hidden masses - to stretch the words of Benjamin Franklin into the Digital Age.

All business owners should now be aware that at some point, an online attack on business or a data breach is bound to happen. There are some simple things you can do as a small to medium size business owner to minimise the risk of it happening and most importantly minimise the damage to your business if / when it does happen. Join t his workshop and learn the steps you can / should take - both proactive and reactive - to manage this potentially crippling threat to all businesses. This will not be a 'tech' discussion, we will be walking through tangible steps owners / managers can take internally and with their broader supply chain.

Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Date: Tuesday 17 October 2017
Venue: Cove Civic Centre
Cost: FREE

Book now

How do you hand over a business card in China?

China consultant Richard Beere can tell you how to decipher cultural nuances, when he hosts Business SA's Understanding China and Free Trade Agreements Training session on Tuesday 24 October.

Richard will discuss cultural nuances, including how western and eastern thinking differs, and what this means for communication, meetings, sales calls and face-to-face interactions.

Australia's Free Trade Agreements with China, Japan and Korea are worth over $250 billion, yet fewer than 20 per cent of local and regional businesses make use of them.

Time: 1-6pm
Date: Tuesday 24 October 2017
Venue: Royal Flying Doctor Service, 1 Tower Rd, Adelaide Airport SA 5950
Cost: $104.50 incl. GST

Bookings: Through the Business SA website

Reach Chinese tourists with UWAI

Chinese tourists spent over $9.8 billion in Australia last year, with $352 million spent in South Australia, up 74% on the previous year.

UWAI is a simple tool to help you reach the world's largest and most affluent tourist market. And with Chinese tourists spending more than three times your regular customers, joining UWAI just makes sense.

Think of UWAI as Yelp, TripAdvisor, P.O.S. and a personal translator, all rolled up into a trusted brand for Chinese tourists, reaching them through apps, websites, and Chinese social media channels. To learn about how UWAI can help your business, visit their website.

Counselling support for local workers

How do you know if your staff need support? Come along to Assessing if your staff need support, a free session on Wednesday 25th October at Cove Civic Centre.

This session will be delivered by local business, HR Development at Work with new Counsellor, Stewart Glass. Businesses can access their Employee Assistance Program service on an "as needs" basis to support workers. The service assists people with work related and personal issues such as anxiety, depression, anger, relationship issues and bereavement. Effective support enables people to manage issues more effectively and return their focus to work.

Book now and learn tips for how to approach your staff and assess if they need some help.

Business Calendar of Events - What's coming up?

The City of Marion has a wide-ranging calendar of affordable events that are run by business professionals. Activities are held at either Cove Civic Centre or Tonsley - our two business hubs. Meet new people or learn something new. There is something for everyone. Here are a couple of things coming up this month. Don't forget to visit our calendar to see what else is coming up over the next couple of months.

Maximising your attendance at Expos and Trade Shows

Thursday 19 October - Flinders @ Tonsley

How to activate public spaces

Tuesday 31 October @ Cove Civic Centre

The calendar is curated using feedback and aims to reflect the needs of the business community. Do you have any suggestions for the events calendar? We would love to hear from you! Email Marissa Lindsay, Cove Business Coordinator with your feedback.

Business Resource of the Month

Lynda.com is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Through individual, corporate, academic and government subscriptions, members have access to the Lynda.com video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts.

Lynda.com is available for free to members of the Marion Library Service? Teach yourself Photoshop, become an effective manager or develop an app - all with Lynda.com. Learn more at the Cove Civic Centre on Thursday 9 November - book now!

Did you know the Cove Civic Centre also has an extensive collection of business titles? Visit the centre to pick up one of our titles today!

In closing ...

We hope you have found this newsletter of interest and please feel free to forward this onto your networks or others that may be interested in what's happening in the City of Marion and the greater Southern Adelaide region.