It's been a big year!

It has been a year, more than a year, since I joined the Small Business Centre West Kimberley and proudly boasted that I would be posting much more regularly than my predecessor on this blog.  Well, I got that wrong, didn't !?  In my defence I will claim that it has been a very busy year, especially learning about what else is required of me in the role as Manager and Facilitator here at SBCWK, as well as realising just how wide the range of issues facing small business owners is.

It has been a tough year for many small businesses in the region, following the announcement by Woodside and its joint venture partners that it would not be proceeding with a proposal to build an LNG processing hub at James Price Point, north of Broome.  The announcement and timing came as something of a surprise, and rather than seize the potential opportunities that would flow from the decision, it seems much of Broome went into a state of shock.  A number of businesses have closed, or moved to other centres, and new businesses have been slow to fill some of the gaps left.

The overall feeling has not been helped by another patchy year in the tourism industry.  Some businesses, particularly some Indigenous tourism ventures on the Dampier Peninsula, reported good results, while others struggled,  The good news is that a new Tourism plan for the region has been launched by Tourism WA: "Experience Extraordinary".  It is now up to local operators to leverage off the back of the extra funding and support being put into the region.

Three elections in one year, local, State and Federal, probably hasn't done a lot to boost the confidence of small business owners either.  The less said about the potential for another Senate  election in the New Year the better.  For us at the Small Business Centre West Kimberley there is no doubt that we have seen a lot more clients since the September election than in the few months before.  Keep it coming!

It hasn't been all doom and gloom, of course.  There have been some successful start-ups this year, and other small businesses that have continued to improve their performance and their results.  We would like to congratulate once again Northwest Hydro Solutions and Bali Hai Resort and Spa for making it all the way to the finals of the Western Australian Regional Small Business Awards.  Maybe it will be your turn next year!

While I may have broken the rules of maintaining a blog, we've done a lot better with our Facebook page.  The number of "likes" has increased by over 150% (admittedly from a very small base!)  If you would like to find out how to get even better results than that, come along to our third Social Media and Your Business workshop, on Wednesday December 4th.  You will be amazed at how much you can discover in just two hours.  Please contact us here at SBCWK on 9193 6622 for a registration form.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

North West Expo May 4th 2013

My first NW Expo on the business side of the fence, having been here previously with an Aboriginal organisation (where is the KLC this year?) and an environmental group.  It's a different, experience, but not unpleasant  - everyone here is really nice and friendly.  

Congratulations to the organisers - registration and set-up went really smoothly for us and our fellow small  business stall-holders.  Big thanks, too, to our Administrator Vicki, for doing such a great job getting all our materials and information together! 

Someone else who has done a great job getting materials together is Liz Janney from LizArt Productions, the wonderful businesswoman behind Uniquely Broome and the East Kimberley Directory.  She has put together a great display of merchandise  from many of the people listed in her directories.  I think she must know everyone in Broome - there's always someone stopping to have a chat.  And the list of prizes in her FREE raffle is incredible.  Come and enter!  

Sitting next to me at our stall is another home-based businesswoman, Amanda McInerney from Kimberley Web Design.  Her work has led to her also having many business contacts across Broome and the Kimberley (which is also the name of her blog!)  Have a look at her portfolio of clients on her website www.kimberleywebdesign.com.au, then come down and have a chat with her about how she can help you.  

Marike Daniel, from Effloresce Make-up is one person Amanda has helped, and she is here with us too.  She is giving make-up artistry demonstrations, as well as promoting her new therapeutic massage business.  Need to be re-energised at Expo - Marike's team can help (and she has a free prize opportunity, too!)  

And to see some really talented young women, check out these incredible artists from Mowanjum.  Amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy Expo, they are still able to produce some amazing art.  And they are really enjoying their time in Broome, too!  Pop in and say hello.

We'd like to thank Ross Sullivan from the Derby Small Business Centre for being here at North West Expo, and for convincing the Mowanjum artists to come too.  He complains about the heat a lot for a bloke who has lived in the Kimberley for such a long time, but we'll forgive him that!  

Of course, Expo isn't just about business - I'm told this bloke a famous gardener and TV personality.  He's certainly been very popular. 

Then there is always a great range of very talented local musicians to listen to while you take a break (hi Tanya!)

Saturday afternoon was very relaxing as the sun lit up our stalls, but we spent too much time talking to each other.  We're here till four on Sunday- drop in and have a chat about your business ideas.

A Big Decision Brings New Opportunities

A month ago today Broome Shire President Graeme Campbell told the ABC that the Broome Community was tired of the uncertainty regarding the proposed LNG plant at James Price Point, and wanted to know what the decision would be, one way or another.  Well, now we know.

Here at the Small Business Centre West Kimberley, we are sure Mr Campbell will join us in congratulating and thanking Woodside for announcing their decision at the earliest possible opportunity.  In doing this, Woodside have given Broome businesses, small and large, certainty about what the future holds, enabling them to plan for that future with clarity and confidence.

And we think ‘opportunity’ is the key word here!  Of course, we have given advice to a number of people who recognised gaps in the market that would open up if the planned gas hub went ahead.  We would venture to suggest that most of those ideas still have strong potential, despite Woodside’s decision. 

More than that, we all know the old saying “When one door closes, another one opens”, and there is the opportunity.  The opportunity for small business owners, new and existing, to be entrepreneurial, to exercise their imagination, to think outside the box (in 3-D, of course, the square is no longer enough!) and come up with the ideas that will drive business and Broome into the future.

One WA Government initiative that is there to help small businesses in regional areas take advantage of opportunities is the ‘Industry Support and Facilitation Program’.  It provides financial assistance of up to $20,000 to small and medium sized enterprises supplying or seeking to supply goods or services to a range of industries (including Government) that are very active in Broome and the West Kimberley right now.  There is a lot more information here, but feel free to give Kevin Smith a call at the Small Business Centre in Broome on 9193 6622 for a preliminary chat.

Now, get those thinking caps on!

Make a name for your business!  It’s on again!

Enter the Broome 2013 
Small Business Awards

The Small Business Centre West Kimberley is pleased to announce that entries are now open for the 2013 Broome Small Business Awards.

These Awards help highlight the achievements of regional small business and recognise small business operators who demonstrate that success has no boundaries.

The winners can go on to compete in the Kimberley Regional Small Business Awards in September and the winners of those Awards will be in the running to become Western Australia’s Regional Small Business of the Year.

So give your business the recognition it deserves. You can enter in one or more of these categories:

• Home Based Business
• Micro Business (1-5 Employees)
• Business with 6 to 10 employees
• Business with 11 to 20 employees
• Indigenous Business
• Small Business Centre Business Achiever (any small business that has used the Small Business Centre West Kimberley to start or grow their business)
• Franchisee Business

This year, the entry process is as simple as in the past so 

GET THINKING AND BE ON THE STAGE AT THE AWARDS NIGHT 

ON THE 21^st JUNE, 2013!

Apply now, do your business justice. 

Entry forms and guidelines available

For further inquiries or to receive entry forms and guidelines, contact

 Small Business Centre West Kimberley on

9193 6622 or email admin@sbcwk.com.au.