The Business
Issue 02
Stories, insights and ideas from Darebin’s leading businesses
OCT 2015
Hoarding Innovation /
From wood shavings to cost savings / I, Franchise
THE BUSINESS CONNECTION
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CONTENTS
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Opportunities for Young and Old
Hungry for Growth
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Hoarding Innovation
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From Wood Shavings to Cost Savings
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MYOB is Dead… Long Live MYOB!
Long Life Cycle
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Steering Towards the Light
10 I, Franchise
Funny Business
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Retail Tips for the Christmas Season
12 Council News
Where are Council Investing Funds?
Got an idea for a Story?
Contact
Mayor’s Welcome
Cr Steven J Tsitas Mayor, City of Darebin
WE’RE BACK WITH ISSUE 2 A big thanks to you, our readers, contributors and business leaders, for making the first issue such a success! In this edition of The Business Connection, we’re all about sustaining our local businesses, looking at ways to improve value for employers and employees alike and have a few tips and tricks to get the most out of the rapidly approaching holiday season.
Today, we’re more aware than ever of the importance of being sustainable. Increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste and expanding the reach of renewable energy are among the most important challenges facing us, and our children. We’ve put programs in place to think about manufacturing waste in new, innovative ways - you can learn more about that in our feature story of this issue. We’re also proud to be running the Light$mart program to assist businesses make the move to energy efficient lighting. These projects and others form part of a wider movement of people and organisations taking action on climate change. We want an environmentally sustainable future for us, our children and our grandchildren; with these measures we’re making real progress down this vital path. Our business directory now lists more than one hundred ‘green’ businesses. I’m also proud to announce the opening of the new and improved Reservoir Community and Learning Centre. The redevelopment features function and meeting rooms for hire, as well as many other facilities that will benefit local businesses. I encourage businesses in Melbourne’s North to use these facilities. Finally, the Christmas period is almost upon us again. We‘re committed to supporting you and the community during this busy time, and wish everyone the happiest of holiday seasons.
NEWS BITES Manufacturing Change Growth Fund — Australia’s car manufacturing industry is on the verge of great change. With the announcements that Ford, Holden and Toyota will cease manufacturing operations in 2017, the Australian Government is lending a hand to everyone affected. The $155 million Growth Fund will assist in the adjustment, training and diversification of workers and businesses affected by these closures. This includes the $30 million Regional Infrastructure program, encouraging growth in industries outside of car manufacturing in Victoria. Transitioning workers are predicted to look towards the food and agricultural, health and biomedical, mining, tourism and education industries. Learn more here: www.business.gov.au/grantsand-assistance/growth-fund
Northland’s Win is the Community’s Prize — Northland Shopping Centre is this year’s winner of the Darebin City Council Award for Community Contribution, in recognition of their ongoing commitment to reducing crime and improving the health of the community in East Preston and West Heidelberg. Since their nomination in the same category last year, Northland has successfully implemented a number of initiatives including a youth diversionary program, the Quiet Room, and the Darebin Creek graffiti wall, in addition to a number of community development events. These initiates have produced a number of tangible outcomes for the local community and far exceed the core role of a retail centre.
Set Sail on the ‘Entrepreneurship’ — The Australian Government’s flagship initiative for business competitiveness and productivity, the Entrepreneurs’ Program is a businessfocused element of the Australian Government’s new industry policy. The program works in three ways. Firstly, the Accelerating Commercialisation component helps businesses address challenges and bring new services and products to market sooner. Secondly, the Business Management element provides advice to and facilitates increased business capabilities and networks. Finally, Research Connections helps small and medium businesses to access knowledge, foster innovation and engage with researchers. The Entrepreneur Program Workshop will be held at 10am-12pm, 22 October at the Reservoir Learning and Community Centre. For more information about the program, visit: www.business.gov.au/ advice-and-support/EIP
Finding the Next Generation — It can be hard to find the right employees for your business and, for young people entering the job market, it can be difficult to know how to find and apply for a suitable role. On Friday, 23 October the 2015 Jobs for Youth Expo seeks to tackle the problem head-on by connecting local businesses directly to the emerging youth seeking employment. Businesses are invited to come and host an event or stall at the expo and forge lasting connections with the next generation of potential staff. To learn more about becoming involved as an expo exhibitor call (03) 9384 2325. For more information about events currently on offer visit: www.inllen.org.au/events/ jobs-for-youth-expo-2015
upcoming events
THE BURNING ISSUE
What’s integral to your business?
Positioning “Finding and sustaining a point-ofdifference in the marketplace.” O SEAS NS EE T I NGS GR
Innovation “Innovating and bringing something original to the table.” Relationships
A business needs a solid foundation to build on; a reliable and stable cornerstone upon which to grow. We asked a range of local businesses what they felt was the integral component of their business and here’s what we learned...
“Maintaining relationships with our retailers keeps the core of our wholesale business healthy.” Service “Being attentive to our customers, making sure they get the product and services that they really need.” Efficiency “Working as efficiently as possible, using the right tools for the job and delivering on the customer’s requirements.”
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ISSUE 02 / OCT 2015
Not Quite Santa’s Workshop: Making the most of Christmas — We’re all aware Christmas is fast approaching. Time to brace for the Christmas surge! In this one-off workshop, learn how to maximise your holiday sales by implementing a short-term marketing plan in the lead up to December 25. Tickets are $20 each.
6pm– 8:30pm, Tuesday 13 October Council Offices 350 High Street, Preston
THE BUSINESS CONNECTION
Whatever Works: An Entrepreneur Workshop —
At 2pm on 20 October the Reservoir Community and Learning Centre will be opened to businesses of all shapes and sizes to provide expert advice on: – Funding for training tailored to your business – Free mentoring and support – Available grants – How to reduce costs and become more competitive. Having recently undergone major renovations, the Reservoir Community and Learning Centre (RCLC) has become a local resource for businesses, with room hire available for functions and meetings. Make sure you check out this gem located in Edwardes Street, Reservoir. 2pm – 4pm, Tuesday 20 October RCLC, 25 Edwardes Street, Reservoir
Your Business + Mentoring = Success!
— Are you looking for a wise mentor? Someone to teach you the ways of business success like Mr Miyagi taught the Karate Kid? The City of Darebin is offering free business mentoring for local business owners. These small business sessions aim to strengthen and inform growth through practical strategies – working together to overcome obstacles.
With four sessions per date, there is ample opportunity to learn from experienced business consultants. These one-on-one clinics run for an hour in two different locations. Tuesday 24 November artDECL, 43 James Street, Northcote Tuesday 23 February 2016 Tuesday 29 March 2016 Darebin Council Offices Interview Room 2, Preston Customer Service Centre 274 Gower Street, Preston
To book an event contact Business Development on (03) 8470 8344 or visit www.darebinbusiness.com.au 3
Feature
HUMAN RESOURCES
Opportunities for Young and Old There are obvious and good reasons to consider hiring folk at what might be euphemistically called the more extreme end of the age spectrum, many of these reasons are inherent and well known. However, considering the large numbers of over 55’s looking for work and being unable to find it, as a community we’re clearly looking past potential benefits.
Why consider older workers? Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Experienced workers have accumulated knowledge and skills during their years in the workforce, making their insights and wisdom a valuable addition to any business. Additionally, mature workers have lower rates of absenteeism, are more likely to retain their position and typically need less training. The ‘Investing in Experience Tool Kit’ includes information on flexible working arrangements, superannuation and pensions for mature-age workers whilst providing a safe workplace, maximising training and development outcomes in order to remove unlawful age discrimination from recruitment practices. But, did you know about the support and specialised funds available to support businesses hiring older workers? As of November 2015, employers can receive $10,000 in assistance over twelve months if they have provided a job to a person 50 years of age or older through the Restart Program – see the link below for more information.
Hungry for Growth
See the Business Connection page at www.darebinbusiness.com.au
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Changing social trends have fuelled strong growth for the Restaurant industry state-wide over the past five years: consumer demand for quality food and fine dining experiences increased in recent years; popular cooking TV shows have reconnected people with the pleasures of eating out; a developing food culture, along with increasing health consciousness and a focus on quality, generates demand.
1500
VICTORIA (SALES $m)
40 2013/14
2000
2012/13
50
2011/12
2500
2010/11
60
2009/10
3000
2008/09
70
2007/08
3500
2006/07
80
2005/06
Damian Lee one of the second group of titular Lee brothers of Lee Brother’s Fencing – the original Lee brothers are his uncles, who founded the business way back in 1948. Damian came into the business in the 1980s, and has been at the forefront of engineering advances in temporary fencing ever since.
figure is up over 11.4% from 2012/13, compared with a state average of only 7%.
2008/09
2007/08
2006/07
2005/06
2004/05
VICTORIA
DAREBIN
2004/05
+7%
+11.7%
In Addition: Local businesses are invited to take part in the Jobs for Youth Expo being held in October.
Food Retailing Sales ($m) 2004 – 2014
DAREBIN (SALES $m)
Food Retailing Sales % increase 2013/14
In the high-growth sector of Restaurant total sales, Darebin is leading the charge. As of 2013/14, Darebin accounts for 2.5% of Victorian restaurant sales – that means that one out of every forty dollars spent in restaurants across the state is being spent locally. The 2013/14 sales
“What we’ve done is to create a new telescopic anchoring bracket which uses precast 28kg blocks which are packaged into standardised plastic shells.
Evolving Regulations As an afterword, it’s important to be aware that age-management practices in the workplace are changing. To address the changes, government run initiatives have provided informational tool kits and 24-hour hotlines for employees as well as employers.
On the other hand… It’s not just over 50’s who may benefit from the many programs and services created to streamline the employment process - both ends of the age spectrum
New data from the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) published in 2015 has demonstrated what many have suspected for some time: Darebin loves to dine out.
Left: Damian Lee demonstrates the ease of deploying the EHS Hoarding system.
currently suffer discrimination from potential employers. Online resources like Generation Success aim to provide a balanced perspective regarding job seekers of all ages. In collaboration with the Australian government, Woolworths and News Corp began the Generation Success initiative to incentivise business owners to tackle youth unemployment. In addition to providing employers and eager-to-work youth with a wealth of information to benefit both them and the business community, there are also apprenticeship grants available for young employees.
ISSUE 02 / OCT 2015
Hoarding Innovation Lee Brothers Fencing Group / Preston / www.leebrosfencing.com.au Incredibly clever innovations often seems obvious in retrospect. When wheels were first added to luggage in 1972, humanity had already landed on the moon, which actually means that it was easier to figure out advanced rocket dynamics – and how to safely strap three human beings to the top of one – than it was for someone to think: “Golly, these suitcases would be easier to move if they could roll!” To find out more about the nature of innovation and how it can affect a business, we met with Damian Lee of Lee Brother’s Fencing, who has recently experienced great success by innovating a new product called EHS Hoarding. “Traditional hoarding – that’s the temporary plywood fencing that goes THE BUSINESS CONNECTION
up around construction sites or sporting events – hasn’t really changed since our business was founded,” explains Damian. “The wooden fence is supported by a stack of concrete blocks over a steel frame on the rear, which often need metal rods sunk into the ground to secure it in place. To say the least, things can go really wrong with that.” Inspired by the tragic and fatal collapsed wall collapse which occurred on Swanston Street in March 2013, Damian realised there had to be a better way. Recruiting the services of local manufacturers and designers, he laid out a bold plan to dramatically improve both the safety of hoarding while making it easier to install in locations where anchoring into the earth isn’t practical.
“What we’ve done is to create a new telescopic anchoring bracket which uses precast 28kg blocks which are packaged into standardised plastic shells,” he explains. “The advantages are numerous. On the one hand, the standardisation makes it easy and quick to erect, and the increased effectiveness afforded by the bracket’s leverage means it can be safely used on concrete without sinking anchors.” Not content with just making a safer and easier to use product, sustainability and cost effectiveness were also considered throughout the design process. EHS Hoarding is currently offered for rent as a premium product, necessitating a highquality finish. “We have begun to scale up the manufacturing as demand for the improved hoardings increases,” said Damian. “So we use brand new plywood for the EHS deployments, which are typically rented to high-end construction projects and sporting events – at the moment we’re gearing up to install the temporary fencing for The Australian Open. We’ll then recycle that into our regular line of hoarding, which are perfectly suitable for smaller or regional projects.” When just looking at the product, it’s hard to see why it took so long to be invented – but when Damian demonstrates the flexibility and ease of assembly, the innovative modular approach becomes clear. “We have now worked with 3D printers to do a scale model of the system,” explains Damian while constructing the demonstration unit, “So we can put the model onto a meeting table and demonstrate how the system works.”
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Feature
From Wood Shavings to Cost Savings Charles Sandford is known for creating bespoke, handcrafted furniture through environmentally aware practices. But while Charles Sandford: The Man can describe himself as “a carpenter who hates cutting down trees,” was going green a good deal for Charles Sandford: The Business?
Charles Sandford / Preston / www.charlessandford.com.au
“We’re old-school woodworkers. The majority of our work is commissioned, so it’s important that we deliver exactly what the customer wants.
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ISSUE 02 / OCT 2015
When it comes to being green, there’s no shortage of new wave consultants and green gurus extolling the value of an ‘environmentally friendly’ business. But do the hard dollar costs of new equipment and practices outweigh the lure of potential, uncertain savings? Do the brand benefits ever bear fruit? Do punters really care if their custom-built coffee table is green or brown? Stepping into the workshop on Bellevue Crescent feels like stepping into a world of two eras. While vintage 1940s lathes turn fine shapes from rare wood to the left, a press of a button to the right and laser-guided equipment cuts joinery to a size more precise than the human eye can perceive. As we toured the workshop to learn about Charles’ simple but effective green solutions, it was easy to see how small gains from sensible initiatives to save on material, energy and waste could start to add up – or rather cut down on costs – but by the end of the tour we were surprised to learn that the real value of going green can reach much deeper into the bottom line than the average bean counter might see… at first. Charles’ first enviro-friendly initiative began by exploring the potential that modern equipment could bring to the joinery side of his business. “We had a chance to choose between less expensive tools or buying more advanced equipment that saved on time and wastage.” Charles took the plunge and, years later, both the business and the man are quite happy with the choice. He went on to explain that savings on raw materials also come with inherent savings in terms of labour handling and waste disposal. And it’s these secondary, holistic savings which often go THE BUSINESS CONNECTION
unaccounted for that really opened our eyes – but we’ll come to that later. Right now we’re stretching our necks, gazing blithely at the workshop’s roof which is covered in photovoltaic cells. Charles installed his solar farm two years ago which produces an impressive 32 kilowatts of energy whenever the sun shines – that’s enough to power a dozen homes – and sells any excess power back into the grid. This fresh income combined with the reductions in energy costs means that Charles’ solar panels will pay for themselves in five years: providing his business with free energy for life along with a humble but completely passive income to cover any future maintenance or upgrade costs. His only disappointment? “We’ve got more roof capacity but the power company won’t let us put any more panels on.” Charles shrugs and leads us back inside the building to gaze at light bulbs now. “We took part in the Council’s Green Light program last year. It cost about $1200 to replace all our globes with low-power LED lighting but we’ve saved $1500 in the first year alone.” This success encouraged Charles to participate in another Council initiative, the waste reduction and recycling program for business. Charles turns our attention to the large vintage lathes sitting in the corner, “These are some of the best ever made. They’re big and bulky but when you’re turning wood that’s what makes them stable and wonderful to work on.” Wood lathes, by nature, produce a large amount of wood shavings, which until recently were considered a worse-thanuseless by-product. “Not only would we have all these wood shavings, we’d have to pay to have them disposed of. The council helped us to give these shavings to those
who need them. Each month we send all our shavings to the Bundoora Homestead where the local community can collect it for free for gardening mulch and compost.” It’s a simple and sensible solution that’s good for the community and good for Charles Sandford’s reputation and that’s what sustainability boils down to: simple, sensible initiatives that make Charles Sandford the business a little leaner; Charles Sandford the man happier with his environmental footprint; and Charles Sandford the brand an even better choice for customers. “It’s great for customers, it makes them happier about their purchase and it gives them something to talk about when they talk about our furniture.” The real benefit for any business to go green is simple: a dollar saved is worth more than a dollar earnt. While any increase in turnover is shaved down by material costs, labour hours and frontof-house expenses, “A dollar saved on resource costs goes straight to the bottom line, and might actually be worth seven or eight dollars-worth of turnover.”
Did you know… Darebin Council have a number of programs to assist businesses to make the move to green practices. Contact Emma Hopkins in the Business Development Team or visit www. darebinbusiness.com.au to learn more!
Left: Shavings fly as a block of wood is turned on a vintage lathe into a piece.
Top Right: Charles Sandford points out the precision achievable by the latest technology. 7
TECHNOLOGY
MYOB is dead... long live MYOB! Once upon a time, in the kingdom of small-to-medium business management software, there was an undisputed king named MYOB. One day, a small group within the king’s court rebelled and ran off with the prince named Xero to found their own kingdom, a move so successful that many others followed suit. Today, there are more online, cloud-based, lightweight business management software solutions than one can shake a receipt book at. The question we wanted to answer: Is MYOB still the king, or are Xero and its many imitators the answer moving forward? We spoke with some local accounting wizards who were able to explain some of the features and benefits of each. “For many businesses, a lightweight package like Xero is all they need,” said John Wright of Herman and Berry consultants. “For many businesses, tracking incoming and outgoing expenses is enough, they don’t have to be divided endlessly by category. A larger, more
feature diversified business might need to examine profitability of sub-sets of the business, maybe they’ve got retail and wholesale arms that need to be tracked separately.” This might have led to the initial MYOB exodus – the bulky software package came at a premium price and had more tools than most businesses would ever use. The team at MYOB were clearly watching Xero and its adopters carefully, and when they realised the young upstarts were doing something right they followed suit. “Seeing the success of Xero, the team at MYOB also created a cloud-based service, which was initially released at a lower price point than Xero,” explains Theo Mitsinikos of TNM Consulting. “They’re presently evenly priced and, since they’re all online, now they’ve got add-ons that automatically cross-reference bank statements, deliver online invoices, support email integration and so on. But none of that matters as much as using the tool correctly in the first place, which is where getting professional advice comes in.” That might be the real key to the matter – both MYOB and Xero are, essentially, glorified spreadsheets with some tidy equations running in the background to balance things out. But they don’t know your business’ needs, and are quite willing to process faulty data without complaint.
Long Life Cycle Richard Finnigan is a man on the leading edge of history. His bicycle shop, Finnigan Cycles, has passed down through four generations and 112 years of the Finnigan family, and boasts the title of Australia’s oldest bicycle shop. We went to find out how that kind of longevity is earned.
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Top left: Jo Schoof extracting a big candle from the mould at A Little Light.
“There was a massive learning curve but I quickly learned how to make it work for me.
“You need to surround yourself with an expert support network, particularly in the first few years,” says consultant Glenn Beard, of Beard Financial Services. “The software you use is less important than the quality of the information you enter in to it. This is where people fall down in running their own books – the software will keep track of what you tell it to, but ultimately there’s no substitute for knowledge when it comes to managing a business – use an accountant or have an expert book-keeper on staff, even for just for a few hours per week or month.” Herman and Berry consultants
2/13 Albert St, Preston TNM Consulting
150 Plenty Rd, Preston Beard Financial Services
G8, 215 Bell St, Preston
“We’ve been in business well over a century,” Richard says pointing to a picture of a young child on the wall. “That’s my father in that photo – he is 2V year old and that was 1927. His father would get him to ride that bike in the front widow of the shop in the 1920s.” Richard then produces his own childhood bike – it’s certainly old, but it’s been well serviced and is in fully functioning condition and serves as a good metaphor: The care and attention spent looking after his customers and maintaining his products carries over to the business as a whole. “I look after people by making sure they get what they want,” says Richard, who has identified some simple methods over the years to make sure people get the bike and the service that they deserve, starting by encouraging people to test ride. “The right bike for a person is the one they like during the test ride,” says Richard. “I’m careful to make sure it will serve their needs and that they’re happy with what they’re getting. And it works! People still come in because of the relationship they had with my father – they remember that kind of service… for more than a lifetime, as it turns out.” Finnigan’s Cycles 507 High St, Northcote ISSUE 02 / OCT 2015
Steering Towards the Light A Little Light www.alittlelight.com.au
THE BUSINESS CONNECTION
When building and growing a business, it’s important to keep an eye on your destination, but the journey to reach it isn’t always the simple straight line that many imagine it to be. Like a ship’s captain, it’s critical to look ahead and adjust your course to adapt to changing circumstances and goals. Such is the story of A Little Light, a locally-grown business producing handmade artisan candles. Over 14 years, the business has progressed from a small stall at a local craft market to a booming online business. Owner and operator Jo Schoof founded A Little Light while staying with her parents after returning from travel at the tender age of 22. Her lack of responsibilities at the time gave her the freedom to explore a creative business venture. Her maiden voyage into business was a humble one beginning at craft markets and sending out samples to various retailers. Jo then sought out various trade fairs to showcase her wares to buyers of a
different scale, a plan which worked out better than she could have dreamed. To her surprise she received significant interest in her work from retailers rather than purchasers which led her to steer her business model to focus on wholesale, rather than retail. In 2008 Jo found an affordable warehouse space to use for manufacturing. This came with an unexpected bonus – a small retail store front which lay dormant for a few months before Jo fitted it out. “I’d never worked in a retail shop when I opened my shop,” says Jo. “There was a massive learning curve but I quickly learned how to make it work for me. Initially, the candles on display in the store were the same as ones that were available wholesale – but I eventually realised they needed a point of difference and therefore the shop became a showcase for hand-crafted artisan gifts from around the world.” The new approach worked wonders – the manufacturing and wholesale side of the business dealt in significant quantities and more than justified the cost of the warehouse and retail space which continued to evolve with bespoke offerings in store. The brand recognition and reputation of quality began to grow until the retail space came to be a major part of the A Little Light brand. After working out of the warehouse space for seven years, A Little Light changed tack towards increasing profitability by returning to its roots as a home operated business and replacing the physical shop front with an online store. With the reduced overheads and a growing and loyal customer base, after only 6 months the online store is rapidly approaching the same level of profitability as the physical storefront. “When my partner and I bought this house, there was space available to manufacture from home, which meant I was able to shut down the warehouse. This has significantly improved my outlay and profits and considerably reduced the costs of doing business. On top of that, it’s greatly improved my work/life balance, and that’s what really matters.” 9
feature
feature
I, Franchise There are as many types of players as there are games. Some like to be on a team and a part of a larger whole, while some prefer to fly solo and blaze their own trail – the world of business is no different.
Brazilian Butterfly / Fairfield / www.brazilianbutterfly.com Grill’d / Fairfield / www.grilld.com.au Joining a franchise is a bit like the team sport of the business-ownership world. A franchised business offers licences to other business owners to use their business model and brand, in exchange for a licence fee and an established code of conduct for all franchisee’s to follow. What are the upsides, and what potential pitfalls might trap an unprepared player? We spoke with the proprietors of two successful Fairfield franchises: Damian Black of Grill’d and Kate Mackie of Brazilian Butterfly. “I think it all comes down to risk management,” explains Damian. With years of experience providing marketing and brand development insight to several major brands, he knows something about risk. “The existing brand recognition that exists when you open a franchise of any kind goes a long way toward mitigating a lot of uncertainty – and you benefit from the brand-as-a-whole’s existing marketing.”
“When you buy into a franchise you’re buying into a proven business model and a recognised brand,” agrees Kate. “We looked at a range of businesses, the standard of service offered by Brazilian Butterfly was the best we’d seen. That gave us confidence to invest money and so much time into building our own salons under the larger brand.” Of course, there are counter-arguments such as: Investing so much of one’s own time into developing a brand started by others may not appeal to everyone. This is something that the franchise operators we spoke to acknowledged. “I think it’s really important for anyone considering opening a franchise to be an existing customer, fan or supporter of the business,” says Damian. “I was familiar with Grill’d and thought that they had an excellent business model so when it came time to buy-in to a business, this was one of my first thoughts.”
FUNNY BUSINESS Keep On Truckin’ Welcome to Thornbury
520 High Street, Northcote The Food Truck Park™
518 High Street, Preston
Did you know… Council has a free business directory for local businesses. Go to www.darebinbusiness.com.au
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“While it is part of a larger brand, this particular salon on Station Street, Fairfield and the second salon we’ve purchased in Richmond are very much ours,” says Kate. “My husband and I spend so many hours here every single day that we’re as physically invested as we are emotionally and financially. So, the day-to-day running of the business is very much in our control.” “There is an initial cost to joining a franchise, which can be much higher than creating an original business or brand. In exchange for that, the franchise gives you all the pieces to build a business and a big advantage when it comes to brand recognition and administrative support… but it’s still up to you to put those pieces together in a way that works for your particular restaurant or outlet,” concludes Damian.
Retail Tips for the Christmas Season
Christmas is almost upon us once again and with it comes the throngs of shoppers seeking their retail fix. In the spirit of the holidays, here’s our pick of tips to make the festive season flow smoothly.
Send In the Crowds Make sure customers choose your store over competitors – you’ll need something to distinguish yourself. 1 Special sales at special times generate great word-of-mouth as locals tell one another about bargains ‘on the down-low.’ 2 Social media is powerful. Try a ’12 Days of Christmas Sale’ and promote one item per day on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.
Ever since someone first had the idea to convert a truck into a mobile restaurant, food trucks in the right place at the right time have turned many a typical night out into an impromptu street-side feast to remember. Northcote based “Bar and Food Truck Stop” Welcome to Thornbury kicked the relationship between bars and food trucks up a notch: New trucks arrive all the time, taking up residence in one of Melbourne’s largest beer gardens, which continues to be a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. Welcome to Thornbury is open from 5pm Mondays to Thursdays and from 12pm Fridays to Sundays. Now, a new Food Truck Park™ has opened on High Street in Preston. Launched on 11 September, it will be open for lunch (12pm – 2:30pm) and dinner (5:30pm – 9:30pm) from Wednesdays to Sundays. The food truck park has a festive atmosphere and features ‘uniquely Melbourne’ street art. ISSUE 02 / OCT 2015
Remember that the shoppers are stressed, too.
Scout’s Honour: Always Be Prepared
We all know how rough Christmas can be on retailers, but what about the customers? They’ll remember your efforts to make it easier for them.
Organise your stock, shop front and staff before the influx of eager Christmas shoppers pours in.
1 Set up a gift wrapping station. If you’re short on employees, perhaps some charity workers will do the wrapping for a donation to their cause.
2 Pre-wrap some of your best sellers. They’ll be great props that sing out holiday cheer, and be seen as the perfect ready-to-go gifts. 3 Display all your items under $10 in one, easy-access area. Label it: “Stocking Stuffers!” Shoppers will be grateful for the easy-pickings.
THE BUSINESS CONNECTION
1 Make space for people – think about the layout of the store, and where your popular products are located, and keep an eye out for potential bottlenecks. Also ensure there is enough space for customers with a pram or in a wheelchair so as not to miss out on any potential sales.
2 Turnover can be as high as three or four times the average, so be sure to have adequate staff on hand. Students on their summer holidays are a great source of casual workers. 3 Prepare your staff. With the right product knowledge and sales techniques they can assist a customer with any product purchase.
3 Pay attention to your shop window, an attractive window is an invitation for customers to enter your store and explore what else you have on offer. It Ain’t Over ’til it’s Over…
The holiday season isn’t over when the fat man comes down the chimney. Bargain hunters often come out after Christmas to snap up the unsold merchandise – it can be a good idea to coordinate with your neighbours - or even whole street or shopping strip – to decide on the schedule so shoppers know when to get out to hunt a bargain. If you make it through all that with a cool head in the hot weather, you’ll be sure to secure a very Merry Christmas for you, and your business. Did you know… Darebin Council are running a workshop to help you prepare for Christmas. See page 3 for more details.
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COUNCIL NEWS
Budget write-up
Paving the Way — The automobile – or simply ‘car’ to us laymen – has been dominant throughout our city streets for over a century, but renewal with Footpaths increasing numbers of pedestrians and cyclists our expectations from our streetscape are changing. To reflect this change, Council is improving the street-scape of Edwardes St and Broadway in Reservoir by reducing speed limits, increasing pedestrian walkways, seating and bicycle racks to improve safety and usability while the landscaping operations will add some natural beauty to the space.
Licenced to Wine — What is the technical difference between a bar and a tavern? That’s not a trick question, it’s actually one that many businesses had to answer in the very earliest stages of establishment in order to obtain the correct planning permissions. Council has completed liquor licence reforms to simplify the liquor application process. Exemptions from the need to
GOT AN IDEA FOR A STORY?
Budget write-up
Budget write-up
Footpaths renewal
Sustainable Living on Display Shopping strip & business support — acquire a permit for businesses Running since 2013, the Darebin Sustainable Living Expo is a Budget write-up great, free opportunity to promote your green-minded business in Darebin’s Commercial to the residents of Darebin, and beyond. The expo features more Zones are now available for Footpaths renewal than thirty businesses exhibiting and hundreds of attendees on-premises, general and every year. restaurant and cafe licenses. Expressions of Interest are now being taken from business This simplifies the process for wishing to exhibit in January 2016. The event is open to obtaining a liquor licence in Footpaths renewal all businesses that hold sustainability as part of their City of Darebin. business ethos. For more information or to find For more details or to register your interest, please contact out your permit requirements please contact Darebin’s Planning business@darebin.com.au Department on 8470 8888.
Shopping strip & business support
beautification pu-ecity-wide tirw tegdu B
strip & business support Where are councilShopping investing funds?
Here are some highlights from the current budget allocated for business.
support laweShopping nerRenewal, shtaptstrip ooF & business Footpath Shopping Strips, Like any good business, The $800,000 $800,000 Business Connection exists to provide a valued service to customers – or in our case, our readers. We’re always on the lookout for stories that answer a burning question for business, or real world examples that city-wide beautification city-wide beautification showcase innovation in action. art in public places So if you have an idea for a story, please contact City of Art in Public Places, City-wide Darebin, Business Development $65,000 Beautification using the contact details below. Projects, troppus ssenisub & pirts gnippohS $2mil
CONTACT US
city-wide beautification
T 8470 8344 E business@darebin.vic.gov.au www.darebinbusiness.com.au 12
ISSUE 02 / OCT 2015
art in public places