A NUMBER of workshops have been organised to help Scone businesses prepare for challenges and opportunities in the coming years.
The Scone Chamber of Commerce and The Business Centre (Hunter Region) combined to schedule the workshops over the next 18 months.
The Centre’s Regional Business Advisor and Trainer Andrew Powrie introduced ‘Destination Scone’ during a presentation at the Belmore Hotel on Thursday night.
Workshops will have a range of topics such as “Marketing Strategies for Success”, “Presence in the Digital Space”, “Work our Customers & Clients”, “Create a Smart Marketing Plan”’ “Understanding Business Diversification”, and “Working Together”.
The topics are proposed to be about two and a half hours each in duration.
Upper Hunter Shire Council’s Business Enterprise and Tourism manager Sean Constable said it was a terrific opportunity.
“These [workshops] were developed in response to the need to ensure that local businesses are prepared for the challenges and opportunities that a town bypass will provide to the town, and also to assist businesses in managing a changing business environment whereby face-to-face shopping is no longer the only option for people,” he said.
“The workshops and advisory services are heavily subsidised by the Government, and it is not often that we get this opportunity locally.
“The Business Centre generally focuses on the Lower Hunter region because there is a larger mass of businesses to work with.
“We should grab this opportunity and make the most of it.”
Apart from the workshops, the draft Masterplan for the Scone CBD was also presented.
Council is encouraging residents to view the plans and provide feedback by Tuesday, May 3.
The draft plans have been created by the design team at Studio GL following community consultation over the last six months, and can be viewed at council offices, libraries or on council’s website www.upperhunter.nsw.gov.au under ‘Hot Topics’.
