SBC News June Newsletter

Keeping the business community connected

It gives me great pleasure to continually hear positive feedback from members who have returned to a Chamber event having not attended for a while or some of our new members coming along for the first time. This is very encouraging for the committee and it confirms that our direction is providing you with what you need and have asked for. The Chamber is now providing various types of events at different times of the day in an effort to provide business building support initiatives that fit within our very busy schedules. If you want to grow your business network, the Chamber now has something for everyone. We are also very proud to be able to support Nowra TAFE by sponsoring the Most Outstanding Student in Business or Information Technology again this year. The Nowra Campus Annual Major Awards Ceremony was held last month and it is really encouraging to see such great talent being nurtured locally. Things are really taking shape for this year’s Shoalhaven Business Awards with entries now open for businesses from all over the Shoalhaven to participate. Entries close on June 30^th, so if you were considering entering the 2016 awards, please keep reading for full details. I am genuinely very excited about how much success we are having with the Chamber events including our new training and information series. Our first Business Master Class series was a sell out and I have already received positive feedback from those attending. We are already talking about a second series early in the new financial year so if you missed out, do keep an eye out for upcoming event details. Aside from all the successful and well attended events, training and education seminars, our policy committee has been continually representing local business needs within the Shoalhaven and Nowra CBD. Some of the current items being discussed and lobbied to various levels of government include:

Berry to Nowra Princes Hwy Corridor with Dual Lane infrastructure
Truck Stop at South Nowra
Support of the local TAFE including youth training opportunities
Shoalhaven River Crossing – lobbying for funding from Federal Government
CBD Revitalisation
Bay & Basin area – safety and security concerns
NBN Rollout delays and issues for business

With Federal elections fast approaching, the Chamber will be holding a ‘Meet the Local Candidates Breakfast on June 21st at the Bomaderry bowling club. With so much work and activity happening within the Chamber at the moment our committee has never been busier working for you, our members. I would like to thank them all for the time they have personally committed to help support the growth of the Shoalhaven business community. If you would like to join this vibrant, active committee and add value to the business community, we would love to hear from you. Please contact me directly or any of the committee members to find out how you could get involved. I look forward to seeing you all at this months Business After Hours hosted by Nowchem. Kind Regards, bgoddardsig

Brendan Goddard President

Flinders Road Upgrade

Most members will be aware that Shoalhaven City Council is upgrading Flinders Rd to widen the pavement and improve intersection treatments at the following intersections:

Albatross Rd
Albatross Rd service road
Norfolk Ave
Cumberland Ave
Angus Ave
Bellevue St

Due to the interest by factory operators within the Flinders Industrial Estate and the haulage contractors that service this area and beyond (HMAS Albatross and Albatross Aviation Technology Park) Shoalhaven City Council is holding an information drop-in session. When: Wednesday 15th June 12:00-16:00 Where: Shoalhaven Water Depot (corner of Flinders Rd and Norfolk Ave). If this affects your business and would like to understand how this may affect operations and trucking movements along this heavily used freight corridor please attend so Council can assist with any enquires.

View Information (PDF)

Last month we launched the Business Master Class Workshop series and so far have been very successful. Sold out within a matter of days, our first four workshops have received fabulous feedback and attendees are looking forward to the next sessions. June has a great selection of great events so get in quick and reserve your place. We are now able to provide online bookings for our Business After Hours to make it easier for you to select and attend. --

June Business After Hours proudly sponsored by Nowchem

Date: Wednesday 15th June Time: 17:30pm to 19:30pm Venue: Nowchem, 112a Albatross Road South Nowra Cost: Free to members. Please note that members may register a maximum of two guests per business free of charge. Additional guests are welcome at an additional $20 per person. RSVP: by 2pm Friday 10th June 2016. Register Now Please advise of dietary requirements at time of booking. --

Business Master Class Workshop 3 – Harness your focus

SOLD OUT Date: 16^th June Time: 8:00am to 10:00am Venue: Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre Due to popular demand, the third in the workshop series is sold out. --

Shoalhaven Business Chamber & Bendigo Bank Women in Business networking morning

Proudly sponsored by Bendigo Bank, Nowra & Districts Community Bank. Supported by our business education and events supporter Shoalhaven City Council. Date: Friday 17th June Time: 10:30am to 11:30am Venue: Tea Club, garden area, Berry Street, Nowra Cost: Members $10, non-members $15. Pre-order your coffee with a choice of a muffin or brownie. RSVP: by 2pm Wednesday 14th June 2016. Contact Jeni Vine at the Chamber office on 4423 3582 or admin@shoalhavenbusiness.com.au Hurry, seats are limited! --

Save the Date: Meet the Candidates Breakfast

Date: 21^st June Time: 7:00am to 9:00am Venue: Bomaderry Bowling Club RSVP: Invite to come --

June Lunch and Learn

Get the staff you need without breaking the bank! Shoalhaven Business Chamber invites business owners, operators and staff to attend the June Lunch and Learn event. Proudly sponsored by TAFE Illawarra Business and Education Faculty, supported by our business education and events supporter Shoalhaven City Council and hosted by Apprenticeship Support Australia. Join us for a sandwich lunch, great business networking and an informative discussion on financial incentives and assistance to help you hire the staff you need without breaking the bank. Our expert speaker panel includes Tony Keir from Apprenticeship Support Australia, Hayley Byrne from Greenacres Employment Solutions and Tonya Hughes from Mission Providence. Date: Thursday 23rd June Time: 12:30pm to 14:00pm Venue: TAFE Illawarra, 60 Beinda Street Bomaderry Cost: Free to members. Limited to 2 people per business RSVP: 2pm 20^th June 2016 Register Now --

Business Master Class Workshop 4 - Delegate or Drown

SOLD OUT Date: 28^th June Time: 8:am to 10:am Venue: Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre This Event is Sold Out --

Save the Date: July Breakfast Bites

Sponsored by SG Technologies Date: 7^th July Time: 7:00am to 9:00am Venue: TBA Topic: TBA RSVP: Invites to come

We are now into week four of the Awards open period, with three weeks remaining until entries close. Entries close 5.00pm AEST 30^th June, no extensions! The portal will be closed on 30^th June at 5.00pm, sharp. There is a huge amount of work in the judging process this year, so there will be no extensions beyond the advertised closing time. If you are logged in, but have not submitted your entry by 5.00pm, you will not be able to complete your entry, so please do not leave it until the last minute to enter. Be aware that the NSWBC’s portal server will get extremely busy when a particular region’s awards are closing. This means that 30^th June will have a lot of traffic, and is probably not a good day to be finishing your entry. Additionally, the Western Sydney Awards close on 29^th June so expect that the server will also have heavy traffic on this day. Aim to submit your entry well ahead of the deadline. Awards entry information pack This year we have a comprehensive 42 page document that covers everything you need to know about the Awards entry process, including how to enter, why you should enter, and tips on writing your entry. Every business that is thinking of entering the Awards is encouraged to download a copy of the information pack, and use it as a reference when considering and writing your entry. A couple of minor amendments to the pack have been made since we launched, the latest version is v3. You can find it on the main Awards page of the Chamber’s website at www.shoalhavenbusinesschamber.com.au/awards. Start your entry now! Businesses that are planning to enter the Awards, but have not yet logged onto the portal are encouraged to do so ASAP. We have already received a few enquiries from businesses that need assistance with logging in, password resets and validating ABNs, so please start the basic part of your entry now to make the process as seamless and stress-free as possible. Password resets can usually be done via the portal, however there are times when you may need to call the NSWBC for assistance. This is why it’s essential you start the basic part of your entry early, log in, enter your business details in your profile, and ensure that when you set aside time to work on your entry, technology is not a barrier to getting the application entered into the portal. There is a new contact at NSWBC, her name is Natasha Burgess (she replaced Danielle O’Keefe) and her phone number is 9458 7042. The Award Entry Info Pack and website have been updated with these new details. Workshops review In conjunction with University of Wollongong, Shoalhaven, we ran two workshops/information sessions to help our entrants get Awards ready. The workshops have now been completed but a number of tips provided by our expert speakers will be compiled and shared shortly. Sponsors We already have a huge number of sponsors on board, and we would like to thank every business that has shown support by taking up one of our sponsorship packages. You can see all of our Awards sponsors here. We have a couple of sponsorships still available, if you would like to get involved with the Awards as a sponsor, please contact Miranda Packer, Business Awards Event Manager on 0418885550 or awards@shoalhavenbusiness.com.au. Facebook posts We have been really active on our Facebook page, posting Awards-related content every couple of days. Some of the new activity we’ve done this year with Facebook includes Facebook Live discussions (you can see our first one here), interviews with our Awards sponsors, and posting recordings of our radio interviews. Ticket sales Tickets will go on sale later this month. There will be information shared via email, Facebook, media and our website.

June New Members

We are pleased to welcome six new members to the Chamber this month. Apricity Finance, Blue Berry & Co. Pty. Ltd McMurchie Solicitors, MDV Family Lawyers, Shoalhaven Services and Southern Windows (referred by Ory Purhonen) We look forward to welcoming them at the next Chamber event. --

Community News

Free Open Day…Flagstaff celebrates turning 50!

Flagstaff Group is proud to be celebrating its 50^th year anniversary, having been established in 1966. As part of our celebrations, we are having 2 free community open days at both our Nowra and Unanderra sites. Come along and help celebrate this wonderful occasion and join us for speeches, refreshments and tours of our facilities. It’s a great opportunity to meet our fantastic team and have a tour of our operations to see how we employ over 280 people with disabilities. Nowra Open Wednesday 15^th June 10am-12pm. Tours commence at 11am 102 Pitt Street North Nowra Unanderra Open Day 12pm – 3pm. Tours commence at 2pm. 254 Nolan Street Unanderra RSVP – neel@flagstaffgroup.com.au

View Invitation (PDF)

The Nowra TAFE Campus Annual Major Awards Ceremony

Most Outstanding Student in Business or Information Technology awarded to Brett Hansen. The 2016 ceremony was held last month and for a second year in a row, Brett Hansen won the Most Outstanding Student. Brett’s high quality work in his Diploma in Website Development has earned him the award this year following his existing accolades from his 2015 award. The ceremony was held at the Nowra TAFE Campus on May 11^th and the SBC Award was presented by Chamber Committee member Linda Marquis. As well as the award, Brett has received a 12 month membership to the Chamber to help him on his new career path and start networking with local business. Congratulations Brett.

View Award Details (PDF)

View the document"]