Welcome to the Hobsons Bay Business e-Works update.

As we complete a month of reduced restrictions and slowly return to a 'new normal' we are thankful for the continued support of our community.  

Over the past several months we visited businesses from around Hobsons Bay to cast a spotlight on local traders and encourage the community to continue to support their local businesses.  The interviews will be featured in a series of videos to be shared on social media over the coming weeks.  

We encourage all of our local businesses to share the videos on their social media channels and celebrate the warmth and resilience within our local precincts. 

For a sneak peak of the videos visit the Hobsons Bay youtube channel.

A State-wide Dining Voucher program is now available. Through the program, patrons can get 25 per cent of their bills reimbursed if they spend between $40 to $500 from Monday to Thursday. This new $30 million program will run until funds have diminished.

A $60 million Ventilation Voucher Program will also be introduced. It assists small businesses with equipment purchase and upgrades so that the spread of COVID-19 is reduced, and customer confidence improves. Rebates of up to $5000 as well as $500 vouchers would be provided through this program.

COVIDSafe Plan
It is important keep abreast of updates which may require changes to be made to your COVIDSafe plan while we protect our communities from the spread of the virus. For a free review of your COVIDSafe plan email: covidsafeplanreview@djpr.vic.gov.au

The Hobsons Bay Business Has Heart (HBBHH) 2.0 Quick Response Grants are still open.  

Limited value grants of up to $1,500 are available for eligible businesses to be used to engage a professional service provider to assist with building back your busisness in a 'COVID-normal' economy.

Eligible business sectors include (but are not limited to): 
  • tourism 
  • arts and creative services
  • health and fitness
  • hair and beauty services
  • cleaning and gardening services 
Are you a professional service business? This is a great chance to promote some deals with new or existing customers which they could access via this grant. 

Professional services include (but are not limited to):
  • marketing and promotion
  • accounting and tax advice
  • business planning, strategy or mentoring
  • online/e-commerce services like digital content development or website design
  • training
Applications for the Quick Response Grants will be assessed on a first come, first served basis and remain open until the grant pool is exhausted or 30 April 2022.  

Find out more on the Hobsons Bay Business website or give us a call on 9932 1616 to discuss eligibility.

Heritage Hobsons Bay Festival, part of the National Trust's Australian Heritage Festival,  will run from 18 April to 2 May 2022.

This year’s festival theme is ‘curiosity.’  As visitors learn about the local haunts through a range of performances, exhibitions, tours, and virtual events, why not also spark their curiosity and draw attention to the amazing hospitality and retail offering on display in Hobsons Bay. 

To view the full schedule of events visit the Heritage Hobsons Bay webpage and consider offering special promotions to coincide with events on near you that may bring additional foot traffic.  

Post about what you have on offer over this period and be sure to tag @creativecityhobsonsbay @hobsonsbaycc and @lovethewest for the opportunity to be shared and use #AustralianHeritageFestival, #HeritageHobsonsBay and #experiencehobsonsbay.

To celebrate World Environment Day, Sunday 5 June, Hobsons Bay City Council will be promoting local environmental events and activities for our residents to attend across two weeks (5 – 19 June).

If you are an environmentally friendly and sustainable business that would like to participate either by holding an event or communicating how your business is environmentally friendly then we’d love to hear from you.

Please email Ariel at adrmolina@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au for more information or to indicate your interest in being involved.

Small businesses looking for staff can access up to $20,000 wage subsidies to find and hire staff who have been most impacted by the pandemic.

Businesses can also find staff on the Jobs Victoria online hub by registering their business and posting jobs to connect with thousands of candidates.

All events below are subject to change given current uncertainty. In the event that COVID-19 restrictions do not allow for these events to be held in person, they will either be moved online or postponed.  Businesses registered to attend the events will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.  Please register in advance so that we can keep you informed of any last minute changes.
Council invites business professionals from across Hobsons Bay to come together for the Discover Your Own Backyard Coffee Connect business networking series.  This is a great opportunity to enjoy a coffee, promote your business and share ideas while meeting business owners from a range of different industries.  

Wednesday 06 April from 7.30am to 8.30am 

Favor and Grace Cafe
87 Railway Avenue
Laverton

To register and view future events visit Hobsons Bay Business.

The Partners in Wellbeing Helpline is a free, confidential service offering small business owners and their employees one-on-one access to trained wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisors. Call the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330 for assistance between 9am to 10pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends. A live chat function is also available on the website. 

For a list of other resources available visit the Mental Health in Business webpage.