Business in Brisbane (Edition 21) by Brisbane City Council

BUSINESSINBRISBANE EDITION 21: APRIL TO JUNE 2019 PAGE 2

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2019 Asia Pacific Cities Summit Multicultural Awards for Business

Q&A with Terri Cooper Small business workshops

Food business licences Economic snapshot

THIS MONTH’S CASE STUDY

EARTHCHECK READ MORE ON THE BACK

MORE GLOBAL BUSINESSES IN BRISBANE As Australia’s New World City, Brisbane is rapidly establishing itself as a highly desirable place to do business. Ongoing investment in digital innovation has seen Redgate Software, the world’s leading vendor of Microsoft’s SQL Server database management system, open its Australian base in the city. Other major businesses following suit include Dorabot, market leader in robotic logistics solutions; Scottish brewer BrewDog; Japan’s Asahi and food packing company, Hilton Food Groups, creating more than 700 new jobs in Brisbane.

133 BNE

A MESSAGE FROM LORD MAYOR GRAHAM QUIRK It’s been a great year so far for business in Brisbane and it’s only going to get better with the 2019 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (2019APCS) and Mayors’ Forum coming to our city in July. Bringing together world-class speakers, business and government leaders from across the Asia Pacific region, the 2019APCS is a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and make global contacts. It also gives local businesses the chance to showcase their business on a world stage. We are also putting the spotlight on the valuable contribution multicultural businesses make to the Brisbane economy and community through our Multicultural Awards for Business. The awards not only honour outstanding business achievements, but also offer the opportunity to network with business leaders at the awards ceremony in October. Supporting small business is important to us; it means a strong economy with more jobs across Brisbane. If you have a general business question or want to know how Council can support you to start, run or grow a business, visit our Business in Brisbane web page at brisbane.qld.gov.au or call our 24-hour Business Hotline 133 BNE (133 263). Graham Quirk LORD MAYOR

@brisbanecityqld

BrisbaneCityCouncil

BECOME TAX SAVVY TO AVOID SURPRISES With the end of the financial year approaching, it’s the perfect time to get up to speed on tax to help you avoid tax-time stress. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) delivers free workshops in the inner city, Chermside and Upper Mount Gravatt, covering a wide range of topics, including record keeping, tax essentials and Single Touch Payroll. You’ll also find online webinars at ato.gov.au that introduce you to the basic tax issues you need to consider if you are thinking about starting a business. For more tax tips and advice, visit ato.gov.au/newsroom/ smallbusiness

Market Square at the last APCS in Brisbane

ACCELERATE YOUR LOCAL AND GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AT THE 2019APCS From 7-10 July, more than 1000 business and city leaders will meet in Brisbane for the 12th Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS), offering local businesses a range of opportunities to grow their local and international ties in the Asia Pacific region. Hear from internationally renowned speakers including Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph and global sustainability leader Peggy Liu, and learn more about upcoming tender opportunities in local government. Council is committed to supporting small business and nurturing innovation, and we invite businesses to exhibit their brand or products in the 2019APCS Market Square or the inaugural Innovation Alley – a dedicated area for start-ups and new businesses. Single-day and full-time registrations are available. For more information and to register, visit apcsummit.org

BRISBANE METRO – A KEY PART OF BRISBANE’S GREATER TRANSPORT NETWORK Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and winners of the 2018 Multicultural Awards for Business

NOMINATE FOR THE MULTICULTURAL AWARDS FOR BUSINESS Council is seeking emerging or successful business people from multicultural or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to nominate for the 2019 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Awards for Business. The awards celebrate the contributions multicultural businesses make to our economy and community through their creativity, innovation and resilience. Last year’s winners included Kim Zoulek (Nick Xynias Multicultural Young Business Person of the Year), co-owner of Oktoberfest Brisbane, and Fiona Kee (Multicultural Business Person of the Year), co-founder of the Australia Institute of Business Technology. Mathew Tsin was named Multicultural Entrepreneur of the Year for co-founding 1ICT, one of the fastest-growing software development companies in the country. Nominations open on Monday 15 April and close on Friday 12 July. To nominate, visit brisbane.qld.gov.au/multicultural

Council is building a greater transport network to help you get from the city to the suburbs quicker and safer. New high-capacity and high-frequency Brisbane Metro services will run along dedicated busways and link with suburban bus and train services as part of a better planned network. That means more buses available for the suburbs and less bus congestion in the city. You’ll get home up to 50% quicker, so you can do more of what you love. To get to know Brisbane Metro and what it will mean for you, visit brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘Brisbane Metro’.

POWER-UP YOUR BUSINESS IN 2019

Small Business Liaison Manager, Terri Cooper

Brisbane Marketing is a subsidiary of Council which helps to deliver our economic development plan to build our local economy while creating new and innovative jobs. One way it achieves this is through the Power-Up Small Business sessions. This year’s sessions will cover a range of topics to help small businesses build their customer base, including email marketing, e-commerce, social media for business, SEO for websites and Facebook advertising. Power-Up sessions run for about two hours and provide a chance to network with other business operators before delving into an upskilling workshop led by an industry expert. For details, visit digitalbrisbane.com.au

HAVE YOU TRIED EMAIL MARKETING? Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your business to a large volume of people, with an average return of $32 for every $1 you spend, according to the Direct Marketing Association. More than just a promotional tool, email marketing can be used to connect with potential customers by delivering authentic and relevant content to build trust and loyalty towards your brand, strengthen existing customer relationships, and boost sales and brand awareness. Best of all, it doesn’t require a big investment to get started. Need help? Check out Brisbane Marketing’s podcast on the essentials of email marketing. Visit digitalbrisbane.com.au

Do your homework before presenting your pitch

RAISING CAPITAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs and start-ups is raising capital to bring business ideas to life. Before attempting to raise capital, you need to develop a strong business plan outlining the nature of your business, its goals and objectives and any costs or expenses to identify the right investors. Jock Fairweather, director of Little Tokyo Two at Council’s $5 million innovation hub The Capital, says it is vital that your pitch reflects an investor’s needs. “Whether an investor can work with you or whether your business has potential depends on proving how you will execute plans, if the investment aligns with the investor’s strategy and if you are globally relevant,” he says. The Capital’s tenants, Little Tokyo Two and Fishburners, offer mentoring programs and workshops to help start-ups and new businesses grow. For information, email info@digitalbrisbane.com.au

Q&A WITH TERRI COOPER As one of Brisbane Marketing’s Small Business Liaison Managers, Terri Cooper met with more than 300 business operators last year. Here’s the most common question she’s been asked. Q. How do I get my business name out there and find new customers? A. This is a key concern for both new and established businesses. The way people find products and services is changing, so you need a strong online presence. Telstra’s 2018 Small Business Intelligence Report found 50% of customers won’t use a business that doesn’t have a website. If you’re not sure where to begin, Brisbane Marketing’s Power-Up Small Business Program offers podcasts and workshops on all aspects of digital marketing. Visit digitalbrisbane.com.au Also, don’t forget good, old fashioned networking. People do business with people they know and trust, and the quickest way to build trust is face-to-face, which is an important part of Council’s business forums. Visit brisbane.qld.gov.au/business for upcoming events. To contact Terri, call Brisbane Marketing on 3006 6200.

THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR FOOD BUSINESSES IN BRISBANE Since 2010, Brisbane has experienced a 49% increase in the number of licenced food businesses. Before starting a food business, get to know Council’s licensing and food safety requirements.

When it comes to food safety, Council’s Eat Safe Brisbane star rating scheme helps businesses meet their responsibilities under the Food Act 2006 and the Food Safety Standards. All food businesses are given a star rating based on a Council food safety audit, with those achieving three stars or more receiving licensing discounts and free promotional material to display in-store.

Any business that prepares or handles unpackaged food requires a licence from Council, unless outlined in the Food Act 2006. This includes cafes, restaurants, takeaway outlets, food trucks, market stalls For more information, call our and food manufacturers, and some Business Hotline 133 BNE (133 263) home-based businesses. or visit brisbane.qld.gov.au Licensing and food safety protect you and your customers

Recycling is easy

EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS ECO-FRIENDLY Australian workplaces generate more than 12.5 million tonnes of waste annually, yet only 44% of this is being recycled. To help keep Brisbane clean and green: 1. Understand your waste streams. Look through your bins and identify what can be reduced, reused or recycled. 2. Use contractors that suit your needs. Investigate your options for waste and recycling collection. Council’s business recycling service provides wheelie bin and bulk bin collection. 3. Get stakeholders involved. Discuss your efforts to reduce waste with staff, customers and suppliers. Look for solutions together.

MT COOT-THA: BRISBANE’S GREEN LEISURE PRECINCT Council is creating more to see and do at Mt Coot-tha by creating a green leisure precinct to attract visitors to the iconic landmark. The proposed new scenic zipline, guided canopy tour and Indigenous heritage skywalk will provide $232 million worth of economic benefits to South East Queensland over 30 years. A number of upgrades and improvements to Mt Coot-tha are already underway as part of the

$14.8 million commitment by Council to protect and enhance what Brisbane loves about Mt Coot-tha, while making it easier to access and improving the quality of the visitor experience. The evolution of Mt Coot-tha as a green leisure precinct reinforces its reputation as a premier destination in Brisbane and enhances Brisbane’s global reputation as Australia’s New World City.

4. Strategically place bins and signage. Council’s website has free downloadable signs to help staff understand how to separate waste. 5. Continually monitor and improve. Evaluate cost-effectiveness, employee participation and environmental impact. Audit bin contents, record contamination and continue to educate staff as needed. Contact Council’s Business Recycling Officer for help with your initial waste audit. Email businessrecyclingcc@brisbane. qld.gov.au, or visit brisbane.qld. gov.au for more tips.

BRISBANE ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT KEY FACT HIGHLIGHTS

$162 BILLION GREATER BRISBANE ECONOMY

198,863 GREATER BRISBANE BUSINESSES

2,413,457

LIVEABILITY – A KEY BUSINESS ATTRACTOR Liveability is a key factor in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. The question of what makes a city liveable is important to the development of cities worldwide, and one of the themes being explored at the 2019 Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Brisbane (7-10 July). A liveable city means more than better roads, it’s about creating lifestyle and leisure opportunities that contribute to the overall quality of where people choose to live and work. Environmental aspects such as green space add economic value to cities by enhancing living standards. Brisbane’s Future Blueprint recognises the importance of green space to liveability through the guiding principle to protect and create green space. According to the World Council on City Data, Brisbane has a higher rate of green area per 100,000 population than several major world cities, including Helsinki, London and Portland. Green area per 100,000 population 5000

GREATER BRISBANE POPULATION

4500 4000

GREATER BRISBANE EMPLOYMENT

3500 Hectares

1,251,196

4316

3000 2500 2000 1500

1489

1000

1,622,626 GREATER BRISBANE EMPLOYMENT FORECAST 2041

3533

872

500 0

741 297

Brisbane

Helsinki

London

Portland

Surrey

Our clean, green and sustainable city also has a higher number of trees planted annually than several major cities, which is underpinned by Council’s efforts in developing Brisbane’s urban forest, increasing shade cover and transforming major entry roads to the city into subtropical boulevards. Trees planted per 100,000 population

NUMBER OF TREES PLANTED IN BRISBANE PER 100,000 POPULATION (2018)

4000 3500

3533

3000

Number of trees

2500

For the full Brisbane Economic Snapshot, please visit brisbane.qld.gov.au/business and search ‘Economic Snapshot’.

2000 1500 1000

960

500

SOURCES Brisbane City Council uses a range of sources (available at time of print) to compile this information, including Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Queensland Treasury.

853 527 200

Brisbane

Surrey

Portland

London

Barcelona

A proactive approach to liveability will continue to make Brisbane a great place to live, work and relax, for our children and their children to follow. For more on how Brisbane compares to other cities, visit dataforcities.org

EVENTS

EarthCheck – At a glance Industry Sustainable tourism Business type Partnership Headquarters South Bank Years of operation 8 No. of employees (Brisbane) 32 Overseas offices 4

8 May – Tax Essentials for Small Business Get a handle on everything from tax rates and deductions to quarterly reporting, 9.30am, Australian Taxation Office, Brisbane City, free, eventbrite.com.au 15 May – Supplier Communication Forum Find out about upcoming Council tenders and procurement policies, 5.30pm, SunPAC, Sunnybank, free, brisbane.qld.gov.au 15 May – Lord Mayor’s Social Enterprise Forum Network and learn from social enterprises that are transforming our city, 5.45pm, Figs on Sylvan, Toowong, free, brisbane.qld.gov.au 21 May – Power-Up Small Business: Facebook advertising for Small Business Pick up expert tips for getting the most out of your Facebook business page, 5.45pm, Broncos Leagues Club, Red Hill, from $27.50, digitalbrisbane.com.au 22 May – Lord Mayor’s Business Excellence Workshop Learn and network with local business leaders, discussing managing change, growth and technology, 1pm, Broncos Leagues Club, Red Hill, free, brisbane.qld.gov.au 29 May – Lord Mayor’s Small Business Forum Hear from industry leaders and bring your questions for the Lord Mayor, guest speakers and Council officers, 5.45pm, The Lion Richlands, free brisbane.qld.gov.au

Brisbane City Council GPO Box 1434, Brisbane Qld 4001

CASE STUDY

EARTHCHECK Stewart Moore is the CEO and co-founder of EarthCheck, a global business advisory group specialising in sustainable tourism. The company helps businesses, communities and governments plan, design, build and operate clean, safe and prosperous places for people to visit, stay, work and play. “There are two key parts to our business,” he explains. “Our business advisory group which specialises in strategic planning, business development and marketing, and our certification team which focuses on benchmarking and certifying tourism operations. “We work in more than 70 countries, in seven languages and across 32 sectors,” adds Stewart, whose business won the HSBC Award for Doing Business in Asia at the 2018 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards. HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA TO START YOUR BUSINESS? EarthCheck is a patented scientific program for benchmarking and certification developed by the Australian Government’s Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) in Queensland. When the STCRC finished its government contract in 2011, the business was purchased through a management buyout.

Printed on sustainable paper

Council is continually working to support innovation and economic growth. Your feedback is highly valued. Every effort is made to ensure information is correct at time of printing.

HOW DID YOU RAISE CAPITAL TO FINANCE YOUR VENTURE? We had to bootstrap the company ourselves and raise our own funds, as you do when you have a start-up! WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND? I started out as a bartender and studied regional and town planning, finance and economics. I worked in the health, tourism, planning and consulting sectors before EarthCheck, but I can still mix a mean cocktail. HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR BUSINESS? We do a lot of social media as well as host and attend international sales and research forums and events. Winning local and international business awards has also helped build our credibility. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? I would have learnt Mandarin. We are in the Asian Century and you need to be able to speak another language and understand cultural nuances. EarthCheck is a supporting partner of the 2019 Asia Pacific Cities Summit. Visit earthcheck.org

133 BNE (133 263) Council Business Hotline 3403 8888 Council Contact Centre economic_development@brisbane.qld.gov.au brisbane.qld.gov.au