Small Biz Bus Connect team wins award

Enterprise and Training Company (ETC) has won the Overall Improvement Award 2014-2015 at the recent Small Biz Connect Conference held in Sydney.

ETC Team Leader Annelies Voorthuis was thrilled for the Illawarra Small Biz Connect team to be awarded as the most improved provider in the state.

“We are delighted to win this award because it recognises our dedicated staff for the great work that they do through the delivery of our business services,” Ms Voorthuis said.

The ETC Small Biz Connect team provides business advice to small businesses in Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Ms Voorthuis said that a number of the businesses ETC Small Biz Connect had worked with were featured among the finalists at the recent Illawarra Business Awards.

“We are very proud of Learning e-Fex, Home Instead Senior Care, Projectivity, Bohmers Tree Care and Need a Feed for their recent achievements,” Ms Voorthuis said.

Natasha Woodnutt from Bohmers Tree Care said she felt completely honored to be a finalist for such a prestigious award.

“I was really proud of our team being a finalist in the Excellence in Small Business award. This concretes what we’ve achieved over the years as a small business,” Ms Woodnutt said.

Ms Woodnutt said the ETC Small Biz Connect team helped her to develop the application for their award.

“The Small Biz Connect team gave me some interview tips and even did some role plays to help build my confidence. The support they provided was excellent,” Ms Woodnutt said.

“I said to my husband that if we win this award – we have to mention the ETC Small Biz Connect team. What they have done for us is priceless.”

Ms Voorthuis said in the current economic climate in the Illawarra region seeking advice was vital to ensure local small businesses succeed.

“Being able to access an experienced business mentor to use as a sounding board and to help you through the challenges of growing your business is a fundamental step towards creating a successful business,”Ms Voorthuis said.

Ms Voorthuis shared some of the issues that many small businesses face:

• Understanding that other people are on the same journey
• Planning: understanding what you want from your business and how to get there
• Marketing: Who is your market and how do you reach them
• Financial Incentives: There are small pockets of financial assistance that can assist your business, especially if you are employing staff
• Finances: how to keep your accounts so you can see how the business is progressing, setting a budget and achieving it

“Participating in workshops and face to face mentoring can also be invaluable for a business to grow,” Ms Voorthuis said.

People who are thinking about going into business or are already in business can contact the Small Biz Connect team.