Experienced business owners and those still dreaming of taking the leap can learn and expand their business at the upcoming Logan Business and Jobs Expo.
The networking and education event, which will run from 10am-3pm on 29 May at Distillery Road Market, is described as a one day business marketplace where locals can showcase their business, talk to other business owners, and make connections.
“They can update their skills and knowledge with some of the meeting workshops that we have,” manager of the expo, Dennis Hall said.
“For example, one of the workshops is called GovReady, aimed at showing local businesses how they can get their fair share of local government business and state government business.”
The 2032 Brisbane Olympics is set to offer an array of opportunities for local small businesses.
Mr Hall has urged businesses to take advantage of this.
“Local councils and the state government are actually mandated to try to do at least 30% of their procurement leading up to that with the local business community,” Mr Hall said.
“It’s a pretty straightforward activity. And there is just money sitting on the table there for local businesses that they are largely unaware of.”
Other workshops and exhibitions on offer include a rundown on artificial intelligence, how to launch your business, and how to become a business with employees.
“It’s open to the public and it’s free for businesses and members of the public to bingle together, have conversations, and just generally try to strengthen and unify the local business community.
Mr Hall’s Business and Jobs Expos have run across south-east Queensland for a decade.
According to him, these expos have helped connect more than 24,000 businesses and generate over $28 million in sales leads for local businesses.
He admitted running a small business was a “tough gig”.
“We’re after the local guys. We want to help the local business community at that grassroots level because they’re often the forgotten heroes in the community.”
One of the biggest jumps for small businesses, according to Mr Hall, is moving from a non-employee business to one with employees.
“It’s not that we try to help people with their careers. It’s that we’re trying to get local businesses switched on to the fact that if they’re going to grow their business significantly, they’re going to have to get staff at some point,” Mr Hall said.
“Because they hit a glass ceiling pretty quickly when it’s just them working in the business.
“We are very much about getting them to start to think about the things they need and the steps they need to take in order to become an employer rather than just a business which is just mum, dad, and maybe one of the kids that is helping out from time to time.”
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