Business programs and events

The small business workshops will be back in 2024, check out details below for the scheduled sessions.

Starting your small business
When: Wednesday 6 March 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Face-to-face, on site at Council Chambers, 27 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine
Cost: Free

This workshop is designed to help potential small business owners learn about the essentials of starting a small business.

The topics covered include:
- Understand the key success factors involved in starting your business
- Understand the key components of a good business plan
- Create business and action plans that will give you the steps you need to work towards starting your business
- Understand where to go for additional resources

Find out more info here.

We offer a free mentoring service to small businesses that are looking for guidance in their business journey.

Mentors are provided through Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS) and have diverse and interesting backgrounds. They have either owned their own small business or worked in an organisation that has had strong links to small business. They are extremely passionate about the role that small business plays in the economy and carry out their mentoring work on a voluntary basis.  They acknowledge that it can be difficult, lonely and at times financially worrying running a small business.

Some potential areas within your business that you can receive assistance from an SBMS mentor are:

• Starting your business
• Getting more customers
• Digital literacy and engagement
• Growing Your Business
• Running Your Business
• Budgeting and cash flow
• Working with People 
• Succession planning 
• Grant Applications - understanding the requirements of applying for grants
• COVID-19 Recovery - planning for recovery and reactivation

Vouchers are available once you have spoken with our Business Support Team.

Contact us:

• Use our online request form
• Phone 03 5471 1745
• Email: business@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Business Victoria offers free online business advice sessions to help you start or grow your small business.

Available Monday to Friday, the one-on-one sessions with a business expert will provide information on your business idea or how to grow your existing business.

Find out more info and book your session here.

Need some extra help on tax related topics for your small business, check out these free interactive webinars with experience tax officers.

Topics include:

• Claiming small business tax deductions
• Introduction to business records
• Goods and services tax (GST) introduction
• Running a home-based business
• e-invoicing – the future for small business

Find out more info here.

Ready for Growth is a Victorian Government initiative to support 1000 Victorian businesses with high growth potential to access new markets and create jobs.

Ready for Growth will help businesses:

• Develop a Growth Action Plan
• Build capabilities for growth
• Find grants and programs to support growth
• Improve connections to networks and ecosystems
• Connect to peers through the Ready for Growth Alumni Network. 

Find out more information here.

Get free mental health and wellbeing support for you and your loved ones.

Partners in Wellbeing offer professional advice and mental health support through wellbeing coaching to help manage business and personal issues. They also offer a Business Advisory Service providing professional and practical support for small business owners.

Get support today.