Welcome to the December edition of the voice, Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce’s newsletter.
This month we reflect on what has been an epic year, not only for the business community, but our great city as a whole. We also share some tips and resources to help your business and finally, we wish you and your families a very merry and safe Christmas!
A Christmas message from our President, George Cecato:
President, George Cecato:
Written by our dedicated and passionate President, George, this wish list highlights what we as a Chamber believe can take our city to the next level.
George’s Wishlist:
1. SHOP LOCALLY
What happens when we shop locally?
• We help local business to hopefully make a profit and stay in business
• We help business employees to maintain their employment, they in turn will spend their earnings and increase the commercial cycle. (Food, rent, electricity, car expenses, fuel, education, entertainment, mortgages, etc.)
• We help the owner of the premises, the landlord, to have an income and an investment so he/she can continue to invest in our City and they in turn will spend their money (Real Estate Agents, tradies, finance institutions, food, rent, electricity, car expenses, fuel, education, entertainment, mortgages, etc.)
• We help all the suppliers of the business (stationery suppliers, couriers, accountants, mechanics, tradies, food, rent, electricity, car expense, education, fuel, entertainment, mortgages, etc.)
• We will help the apprentices, trainees, first-time employed to complete their time and become tradies or have a career
• We will help local charitable organisations, as local businesses are the major contributors to them
• You can buy it where you try it
• You will be able to purchase locally made products
• Product knowledge and advice
• Multiplier effect – the whole community benefits from it! Money stays local
• Profitable businesses employ more people. More employed people lessens crime committed in our area
Please buy locally!
2. COFFS HARBOUR BY-PASS
This is a great concern to us, the Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce because the Macksville by-pass is now open. So, we have become the next bottle neck. We are experiencing traffic congestion now – what will it be like over the coming weeks?
On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, I would like to ask our State Member, Andrew Fraser, our Minister for Roads, Maritime & Freight, Melinda Pavey, and our Federal Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker – what, as a business community we need to do to get the Coffs Harbour by-pass approved?!
3. BETTER SERVICE AND FRIENDLY TOWN
We are known as an unfriendly and poor service city. Please remember that every time we give poor or unfriendly service, not only your business loses future patronage from that person and all the others that they have told, but also if the unhappy customer is a visitor, we as a community miss out on their and their friend’s patronage. Let’s turn this perception around. Smile, be friendly, be nice and be helpful. Be part of making our city the best regional city in Australia.
4. PAYROLL TAX
The Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce has been lobbying the State Government for an increase in the Payroll Tax threshold, or better still, abolishing it all together. It was a great pleasure to hear the NSW Deputy Premier, John Barilaro at a breakfast presentation, comment that Payroll Tax will be a central topic at the next State Government budget.
5. MERRY CHRISTMAS
Above all, to all our Members and the Business Community at large, have a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.
CBD height and built form controls
Coffs Harbour City Council has placed a draft review of the Coffs Harbour CBD Height and Built Form Controls on public exhibition until Friday 16 February 2018. To view the documents and make a submission click here. The documents may also be viewed at Coffs Harbour City Council Administration Building.
Written submissions can be addressed to the General Manager, Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour 2450, or email and are to be submitted no later than close of business on Friday 16 February 2018.
Is safety first in your workplace this season?
In the lead up to Christmas, employers push their workers harder than ever to get jobs done. This is a time when accidents happen, so it’s critical to make sure workplace health and safety is not being treated as an afterthought. Click here to read about what can ignoring workplace safety cost you and the benefits of putting workplace safety first.
Part-day public holidays
On 4 December 2017 the Fair Work Commission made a decision to vary the part-day public holidays clause in a number of modern awards.
Changes:
– Deleting the words “2016 Part-Day public holiday” and replacing it with “2017 Part-Day public holiday”.
– Deleting the words “December 2016” and replacing it with “December 2017”.
To view the determination and the awards this decision impacts, please click here.
Is your tax or BAS agent registered?
The Tax Practitioners Board is currently encouraging those who use a tax or BAS agent to check their agent is registered.
If you use an agent to prepare or lodge your tax and/or business activity statements, make sure they are registered with the Tax Practitioners Board. Using an unregistered agent puts you and your business at risk! There are a couple of ways you can check to see if your agent is registered:
● Look for the registered agent symbol
● Search the TPB Register
If you find out that your agent is providing tax services without being registered, let the Tax Practitioners Board know.
Value of tourism in the North Coast reaches $2.8 billion
A recently released study commissioned by Destination NSW, and undertaken by Deloitte Access Economics, the North Coast Tourism Satellite Accounts 2015-16 provides a great snapshot of the contribution of tourism to the North Coast regional economy. The gross value of tourism to the North Coast is estimated at $2.8 billion, more than double the tourism impact on the whole of Tasmania. Domestic tourism is the mainstay however the growing international market contributed over 17%.
Pour yourself a coffee and set aside a few minutes to review this short report as it makes for interesting reading for anyone directly or indirectly involved in tourism on the North Coast.
How to optimise your Google Maps listing in Google My Business
Insights from Tourism eSchool
There is one simple digital marketing opportunity that all tourism businesses must invest in, and that is Google Maps.
Google Maps is one of the ‘stayers’ of the Google product suite (along with their search engine) with over a billion users worldwide. Google Maps is used widely, across domestic and international tourists visiting Australia to access map information in their planning, booking and experiencing stages of travel, therefore being an important, influential tool that tourism brands need to effectively manage.
Learn how to claim and optimise your Google Maps listing via your Google My Business Dashboard in 5 easy steps!
Rally Australia sets new goals for 2018 World Rally return
Rally Australia will assess a range of potential new spectator attractions as it plans the return of the FIA World Rally Championship to the Coffs Coast next year.
Organisers have set a goal to increase attendance beyond the record 63,415 achieved at the most successful event to date, which wrapped up the 2017 WRC season on 16-19 November. Read more here.
More awards for the North Coast
At the Australian Hotel Association NSW Awards for Excellence held in Sydney recently, North Coast establishments did the region proud.
The team from the North Coast Hotel Group came home with some pretty impressive wins under their belts. The Seaview Tavern in Woolgoolga took out the much coveted “Best $15 Meals Category” and the Moonee Beach Tavern was Highly Commended for “Best Family Friendly Hotel Award.
Settlers Inn, Port Macquarie, won the Heart of the Community award and Settlers Inn Publican Alistair Flower, took out the Individual Hotel Operator award.
To put these wins into perspective, over 600 hotels enter these awards every year and only 45 awards are handed out covering all of NSW.
$11 billion spending bonanza tipped this Christmas
Australians are forecast to spend a massive $11 billion this Christmas, contradicting the revenue expectations of business owners.
The Commonwealth Bank’s Christmas Consumer Spending survey suggested overspending on Christmas presents will also increase this year to $625 million.
View the results and statistics here.
Have you got a groundbreaking idea, invention or business proposal that needs to be taken to the next level?
This is a call out for all budding entrepreneurs and businesses looking to pitch the next big thing! Endermolshine Australia, the producers of the television program, Shark Tank are currently sourcing outstanding businesses, concepts and inventions for the next series.
Pitching an idea to these industry heavyweights is a priceless opportunity for any entrepreneur looking to start their business or take it to the next stratosphere. If you are or you know of anyone who would be interested in applying, applications are now open for the next season of Shark Tank.
SKILLSROAD 2017 Youth Census
As we face rising youth unemployment and at the same time, a national skills shortage across many industries, Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA) have took the initiative and commissioned important research on youth living in Australia to better understand their fears and hopes for the future and how they are traversing the journey into adulthood and specifically, the workplace.
Backed by the Business Chamber movement in Australia, Apprenticeship Support Australia and their careers program, Skillsroad, are committed to taking action to improve youth employment outcomes. Read the full report and survey results here.
Save the date for the Chamber’s 2018 Golf Day!
Click here to RSVP and here to put it in your calendar.
Does your business have a great story?
We’d love to hear it (and put you in the spotlight!). If you have something you’d like featured in our future newsletters, please contact us via email.
We’d love to showcase your business and foster collaboration opportunities and learning and growth among our local business community.
On behalf of the Chamber, George & Garth would like to thank you for your support.
We wish you & your family a very Merry Christmas & prosperous New Year.
