Sharing positive stories of rural businesses and communities.
Could a life changing event when eight-year-old Janine McLean’s farming father passed away have subconsciously set her on a path decades later to specialise in succession planning? Whatever her reasons, Janine loves living and working in regional Victoria and is a strong advocate for family run businesses to better plan for their future.
Read MoreCOVID-19 has affected businesses in multiple ways with uncertainty being a common denominator. What has been most heartening is seeing new ways of thinking and doing business emerging. Quite literally, it has taken a pandemic to shake us out of our complacency and clearly, it is the most adaptable who thrive. Why would we want to return to ‘normal’?
Read MoreCOVID-19 has presented a unique opportunity for local government to effectively engage with their business community. This is one of those rare times, prompted by a global disaster, to throw out the position descriptions, roll up the sleeves and work side by side as we prepare for a government stimulated bubble to burst in September.
Read MoreAnother great chat with Zoe from Smart Connected Cities about the positive and negative impacts of COVID on rural businesses and communities.
Read MoreEvery individual of a rural town has the power to make positive change. It may not be easy to visualise or measure, but it is important to recognise that the positive attitudes and actions of many different individuals, no matter how small, can collectively make a big difference.
Read MoreKerry Anderson shares how we can we be proactive rather than reactive during this difficult time as the COVID-19 impacts on Australia. It's time to bring the team together and have some important conversations. Kerry has come up with a few suggestions to get you started and reminds us that tough times also present a wonderful opportunity to innovate and improve our businesses.
Read MoreHow is the Corona Virus, or more importantly public reaction, going to affect your rural business? We are a long way from the cities and the crowds, but we know that the impact – real or perceived - is inevitably coming our way. How can we be proactive rather than reactive?
Read MoreWhy aren’t we investing more in the GOOD news stories and creating a positive narrative for our community? Let’s do it in March!
Read MoreWith an increasing number of remote workers and home-based businesses operating in rural and regional areas, it is not surprising how little we know about who is operating in our own back yard.
Read MoreDespite being created in response to adversity, these social media platforms are pure gold and full of so much positivity. I encourage you to use them to plan your next trip, buy a gift, or just to learn more about our awesome rural businesses and communities.
Read MoreUnderstanding the difference between a ‘clean’ and a ‘dirty’ flood is not part of the usual volunteer learning but incredibly this has been the experience of the Greens Gunyah Museum volunteers in Lockhart NSW.
Read MoreThanks to the ongoing efforts of an incredibly strong-knit community Lockhart in the Riverina region of southern NSW has farewelled 2019 on a high and is already enthusiastically planning for the next decade.
Read MoreLike many rural agricultural towns Sea Lake in northern Victoria’s Mallee district has visibly struggled with a declining population in recent decades. While the big dollars are still in cropping, a new generation of diverse small businesses are now popping up in this township thanks to Lake Tyrrell’s sunsets and Silo Art.
Read MoreWhen Ross Williams left his hometown of Sea Lake in 1986 for a career, he never envisaged himself returning. Twenty years later he was back discovering new opportunities for himself and his community.
Read MoreA local pub is considered integral to every rural Australian town providing an important social meeting place. In April 2017 when the Sea Lake Hotel burnt down and the only other pub in town was closed, action was clearly needed. Local resident, John “Bull” Clohesy picked up the phone and started calling a long list of people.
Read MoreShopping local is great but shopping rural is even better this holiday period according to rural business advocate Kerry Anderson. “Every dollar spent in a rural town has a multiplier effect and helps keep businesses alive and retain jobs for rural people,” says Kerry, author of Entrepreneurship: It’s Everybody’s Business.
Read More30 years ago in 1989 the internet came to Australia. For the younger generation this may seem incomprehensible. How could you possibly exist without basic life necessities such as Google, Netflix and Snapchat? But for those like me that survived our early decades without these tools it is interesting to reflect back on how much has changed in the way we work and play.
Read MoreWith every announcement of a grant program opening for applications, the hopes of community groups rise across Australia. But are we demonstrating the collaboration and community wide benefit that grant providers are looking for?
Read MoreIt’s never too soon to instil a sense of civic duty in our young people and remind them that it is up to us to take charge of our own destiny.
Read MoreBuilding a successful business takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Sometimes it can take up to five years and longer to get established, but every savvy business owner understands that you can never truly get comfortable.
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