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Business incubator industriously into relaxation

Latrobe City’s business incubator, the ‘Latrobe Business Centre’ in Newborough now boasts a full house of tenants.

By Latrobe City - 11th April 2003 - Back to News

Latrobe City’s business incubator, the ‘Latrobe Business Centre’ in Newborough now boasts a full house of tenants. While ‘thriving, busy, active and industrious’ best describes the twenty tenants operating their businesses there, three of the tenants take no offence when accused of being ‘deeply involved in relaxation’.

Investment Manager, Leo Billington, from Latrobe City’s economic development team, ‘Invest Latrobe’, explained that three of the businesses are combining their accumulated talents to make the incubator a centre of relaxation expertise.

The three tenants comprise massage therapist and Rieki master, Susan Samson, who runs Heartwave Massage, specialising in relaxation and meditation therapies; long time tenant, Rhonda Clark, who is a qualified Bowen therapist, trading as Newborough Natural Therapies; and Karen Wetherman who is internationally qualified in holistic aromatherapy, kinesiology and remedial massage, and has been based at the business centre since last year.

"Susan, Rhonda and Karen have combined their talents, which is only natural to do when they have such shared business interests, and as a consequence they are likely to attract additional business by networking," Mr Billington explained.

Susan Samson said the incubator is an ideal location for her business. "I am able to grow my new business the way I want to but, at the same time, there are other tenants with whom I discuss strategies such as combined marketing," she explained.

Rhonda Clark explained her clientele were largely residents from Newborough and Moe as well as Morwell. "My clients can access the incubator very easily. It is a neighbourhood location offering an interesting range of small business services and products," she said.

Karen Wetherman said the centre was ideal for her to conduct workshops covering a range of modalities. "There is privacy while at the same time, our combined talents make this centre very unique in Gippsland," she said.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss, said the three businesses were testimony to what the business incubator aims to do. "The whole concept is to encourage and nuture new businesses which have exciting products and services to sell and this is amply demonstrated in this example where we see similar businesses combine their talents," Cr Middlemiss said.

"Presently, over 20 tenants are reaping the benefits of sharing their business skills at the business incubator, and plan to grow with others who are starting along the road to business independence.

"The current level of tenants at the centre is very encouraging and has resulted from plenty of hard work by the centre management and the Invest Latrobe team," he said.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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