This month is all about the Art & Industry Festival, which is taking place from 16 to 25 November. As part of the Festival, Council will be hosting the Industry Speed Networking morning in conjunction with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a number of businesses will be hosting open days.  

Local retailers are encouraged to participate in Shops on Show, a new campaign aiming to encourage local residents to shop local and vote for their favourite Christmas window display. 

Also this month, Council is partnering with Deakin University to deliver a business trends survey, which will identify the strengths, opportunities and challenges faced by businesses in Hobsons Bay. Make sure you are part of the conversation.

If you would like any further information, or have any questions about doing business in Hobsons Bay, please contact Council's Economic Development team on 03 9932 1654 or email business@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au. 

The second biennial Art & Industry Festival (AIF18) will present more than 30 events over 10 days as it celebrates and investigates the ever-changing industrial and manufacturing heartland of Australia that is Melbourne’s western suburbs. 

AIF18 aims to inspire the people to examine our local area and get to know it at a deeper level. It also presents interesting and engaging ways to reimagine our neighbourhoods by seeing them through the eyes of local artisans. 

The Industry Open Day program invites you to step into the west’s world of industry to see first-hand how and where boats, glass bottles, huge pumps, beer and even costumes are made, built, crafted, operated or created. Don't miss out on seeing the workshops of Link Pumps and C Blunt Boats, or the furnaces of molten glass at O-I Glass. 

The Festival is a partnership between Hobsons Bay City Council and Hubcap Productions, a small arts company based in Newport. For detailed information about the Art & Industry Festival 2018 program please click here. 

Calling all startups, collaborators, entrepreneurs, doers and creatives! Join us for the last #StartWest meetup of 2018.

Let's celebrate the year with a night of collaboration, networking and hear from local entrepreneurs about their startup journey.

Time: 6pm to 8pm
Location: Two Birds Brewery, 136 Hall Street, Spotswood
Cost: Free
To register: Please click here. Already have the #StartWest app? You can RSVP directly in the app!.

Council is seeking expressions of interest from local cafes and event spaces interested in hosting the successful Discover Your Own Backyard (DYOB) Coffee Connect program next year.

DYOB Coffee Connect is a networking morning, where on the first Wednesday of each month, businesses are invited to meet in a different location for a morning of networking and knowledge sharing. 

These mornings are also a great opportunity for businesses to showcase their cafe and allow businesses to experience (and perhaps discover) some of the many fabulous cafes and hospitality venues in Hobsons Bay. 

Let us know if you would like to be considered to host by sending us an email at business@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.

Are you delivering business workshops in 2019?

If you are considering running a business workshop or already have a program scheduled, you could potentially access Council’s networks to give your event more exposure and boost your attendance numbers.

Business service providers featured in the Hobsons Bay Business Calendar will benefit from:

 

If you would like your workshop or seminar included in the business calendar, please click here to fill out the online form. For consideration as part of Council's printed 2019 business calendar, please ensure your expression of interest is submitted before Friday 16 November 2018.

The monthly DYOB Coffee Connect Business Networking event was held on Wednesday 3 October at Mark’s Fine Foods in Williamstown North.

Attendees came together for an opportunity to network and promote their business, and an opportunity to tour the facility that has been supplying desserts to a plethora of cafes and venues for over 20 years. 

Thanks to the team at Mark's for hosting us and presenting your great business story. For more information about Marks Fine Foods, please visit www.marksqualitycakes.com.au.

Council's committment to support startups continued this month by hosting the second part of Marketing Entourage's ‘The Ten Steps to Marketing Success’ (a LaunchVic initiative). As part of the program, Marketing Entourage work with startups over the course of 12 weeks to help them take their business to their next level of growth. The webinars and drop-in sessions are available only to those selected to be part of the 12 week program and we are pleased to have held this live drop in session at Hobsons Bay Civic Centre on Friday 19 October. 

This section takes a look at our local business heroes. 

Therapist owner of Lavanya Spa Retreat, Lisa Gowers started out in 2012 in a single room at Captains Retreat in Williamstown. Demand grew quickly and so she launched a larger day spa in Cox's Garden, also in the popular bayside suburb.

Lisa says the day spa retreat offers luxurious services, with a free consultation and scene-setting experience that optimises guest relaxation. The services menu includes remedial/relaxation massage, organic facials, body scrubs and wraps, spa and pregnancy packages and waxing and tanning. Group functions are also catered for, and new offers appear seasonally. To find out more about Lavanya Spa Retreat, click here.

JUDGES' COMMENTS:

"In one of the most competitive award categories, Lavanya stood out with their story of growing from modest beginnings, sustainable growth to a very professional operation in highly tranquil surroundings! Noted was their inventiveness, customer service commitment, confidence in their quality and customer fit for their offering. Lisa's (owner) partner left a long term job to train up and work full time in the business with their five other staff members as it has grown."

Shops on Show is a new Council initiative to encourage local residents to shop local at Christmas and vote for their favourite Christmas shop window.

The competition encourages customers to visit registered shops and vote by “liking” the photo on Council’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The Shops on Show competition will bring further festivity to the season, while business owners and lucky shoppers have an opportunity to win some great prizes.    

If there are any tourism, retail or hospitality businesses who would like to sponsor prizes and in turn receive free promotion, please get in touch with Emma Ciolli, Council’s Retail and Tourism Officer at eciolli@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.

For more information or to register to register your shop click here. 

With Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2015-2020 at its midway point, Council has partnered with Deakin University to deliver a business trends survey which will identify the strengths, opportunities and challenges faced by businesses in Hobsons Bay. The outcomes of this survey will ensure that Council’s work continues to align with local business needs and that Hobsons Bay remains a great place to live, work and invest!

Have your say - click here to complete the survey. 

It's only two months till Christmas! Are you planning to hire extra staff to help out during the busy period?

Use the ATO's 'Taking on an employee' checklist to help you. Click here to find out more information. 

- National Science Week Grants 2019, open

- CSIRO Kick-Start, open

- Landing Pads program, open

28-30 Marshall Court, Altona - Expressions of Interest
Contact Frank Vinci on 0418 375 375

68 Hudsons Road, Spotswood - For Sale
Contact Shaun Venables on 0411 860 865

2/134 Maddox Road, Williamstown - For Sale
Contact James Gregson on 0421 516 480

74 Railway Street South, Altona  - For Lease
Contact Tino Parisi on 0425 755 655

36 Mason Street, Newport - For Lease
Contact Gracie Howe on 0466 182 032

Looking for office space? 

Laverton Hub is seeking Expressions of Interest for businesses looking for office space in the west. To find out more click here.

Through its Economic Development team, Council takes a proactive approach to attracting and facilitating investment across the municipality. This includes assisting with site identification and selection. If you are looking for a commercial or industrial site in Hobsons Bay or to submit a business or commercial premises for inclusion in e-Works, please email business@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.

Did you know that 29 projects have been implemented through the Energy$mart program? These local businesses are seeing great energy savings from lighting upgrades and solar power systems –almost $290,000 per annum collectively! As a Hobsons Bay business you are eligible for a subsidy of up to $5,000!

Funding is available through Environmental Upgrade Finance – no upfront capital required!

Contact Callan Riley on 9932 1298 to start your project before the funding runs out.

Nominations are now open for the 2019 Hobsons Bay Citizen of the Year Awards. These awards provide a great opportunity to recognise the excellent work of individuals in the community and also provide the winners with a platform to shine a spotlight on the projects and issues which they are passionate about.

Nominees must be Australian Citizens who live, work, volunteer or study in Hobsons Bay and should be recognised for their outstanding contribution to the life of our City.

Nomination forms are available from the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre, local libraries or on Council’s website at www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/citizenawards. Nominations close at 5pm Friday 7 December 2018.