Grant to Provide Free Business Advice Gippsland ACC Small Business Officer Alison Turner with Colin Pittard from South East Australia Training Services (a division of East Gippsland TAFE) and Stuart Cooper from Central Gippsland TAFE, meeting to discuss the new business service Small business owners to be provided with free advice and assistance By Gippsland ACC - 18th February 2003 - Back to News Small business owners throughout Gippsland will be provided with free advice and assistance under a Federal Government program announced today by Gippsland Area Consultative Committee (ACC).
Gippsland ACC Chair David Power said the Small Business Answers Program would involve field officers meeting with business owners throughout the region to help them become more successful.
"This project is all about helping small businesses to prosper by providing general advice, information and assistance," Mr Power said.
"Owners are normally too busy running their business to be attending courses or searching for information on the latest regulations or issues that affect them.
"Gippsland ACC has received $347,000 from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, through AusIndustry, to work directly with Gippsland small business owners over the next two years."
Mr Power said Gippsland ACC would work in partnership with Central Gippsland and East Gippsland Colleges of TAFE to deliver the services throughout the region.
"We are working closely with the TAFE business studies departments to make sure we cover the entire region, including some of the more remote locations which often miss out on these types of services," Mr Power said.
"The success of small business is fundamental to jobs growth and economic prosperity in Gippsland and we need to do all we can to help them grow and meet the challenges of a changing business environment."
Gippsland ACC Executive Director Maree McPherson said the committee had employed field officers in the past to meet with business owners at their place of work.
"Gippsland ACC had a great deal of success helping businesses adjust to the introduction of the GST, and we have also coordinated a Small Business Assistance program in the past," Ms McPherson said.
"This initiative is a great example of the Federal Government working in partnership with regional areas to deliver much-needed support for the business community.
"I am looking forward to working closely with the TAFE colleges to ensure the success of the Small Business Answers Program."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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