[New] Business outlook for 2023

Peta believes that businesses should always look for opportunity, and try to bring something niche into their market.

”I can say that because my husband and I are business people," she says. "I look at life through a commercial lens and would advise businesses to invest some time in growing their own personal worth as well. Find mentors, read books, go on and look at blogs or podcasts, because it's really important that you surround yourself with energetic, motivated people. There's nothing worse than feeling unmotivated, disempowered, frustrated and sad about a business that you're creating. If you don't feel great about your business, what are your customers going to feel? I think 2023 is going to be a difficult time for some industries. But for others, they're going to flourish because opportunities are going to present themselves.

The past 3 years or so have been a challenge. It’s come from everywhere. If we haven't been in a pandemic, we've been in flood, bushfires and drought.

“From a business perspective, if there's any advice I can give business people is to surround yourself with good people that are there to support you. Because when you're in business, goodness knows you need support. Look for those opportunities in business. They're there if you look hard enough.”

vFinal words from Peta

"We sit in a very opportunistic time here in our region, we're a well known region. Certainly we were put on the map at Christmas time 2022, with our wonderful decorated Christmas tree. And, you know what I love about that story is that Australians are quirky, and it was a quirky tree, and a lot of people embraced that.

"But, there were so many people that in the beginning were so upset, and I don't want to see my community upset. I will do my utmost to make sure that their wants, wishes and needs are represented. So it was decided the best thing we could do was put up the traditional Christmas tree and take down the other.

The Christmas tree represented the resilience that we'd been through over the last few years. I think we all sort of aligned with that Christmas tree thinking, 'Yeah, we all feel a little bit that way'. You know, our lights are a bit dishevelled and our baubles are a little displaced. But, for me, I guess that was the moment where Port Macquarie was put on the map. So something really great came out of something that was challenging.

"We're going to have another crack at that Christmas tree, and we're actually going to come back bigger, better and stronger than ever in 2023."