Welcome to the Hobsons Bay Business e-Works update.

The Victorian Government has released its vision for the future of the state's manufacturing sector and has introduced a range of initiatives to support the state's advanced manufacturers including the Breakthrough Victoria Fund. Through this program, the government will be investing $2 billion over 10 years to support businesses to commercialise, boosting innovation and creating high paying jobs in key industries.

If you have a BIG idea, now is the time to do it and Hobsons Bay is the place! With an established industrial legacy, strategic location, and skilled workforce, there is an opportunity for new and emerging industry to locate in our unique industrial precincts.   

To learn more about the Breakthrough Victoria Fund and other support to increase the state's innovation sector visit Business Victoria. 

To learn more about opportunities to invest in Hobsons Bay visit the Reimagining our Industrial Areas webpage.
Hobson Bay City Council’s Economic Development Team, in partnership with Hobsons Bay Youth Services (HBYS), will be piloting a Youth Summer Jobs initiative in the lead up to the 2022-23 summer period. This is an opportunity for local businesses to promote local job opportunities to young people (aged 15 years+) looking for work over the summer.

The initiative will involve: 

  • Opportunity for up to five (5) exemplary local businesses who are looking to recruit talent to be showcased through this initiative 
  • Promotion of summer jobs directly and indirectly to young people, using HBYS social media and virtual spaces such as Councils website 
  • Access to employment resources for young people when entering or changing jobs in the workforce 
  • Piloting this in the lead up to the 2022-23 summer, with review and opportunity to replicate and extend in future years

Expressions of interest are now open for local businesses interested in participating in this pilot round. Click here to submit an EOI now! EOI will close Friday 14 November 2022.

Traders must obtain a Footpath Trading Permit to place advertising signs, display of goods, tables, chairs, heaters, screens, planter boxes and street furniture on footpaths or in Council approved parklets. 

Permits for the 2022-2023 year were due on 1 September 2022.  All businesses with outdoor trading who have not yet applied for their permit should do so by visiting the Footpath Trading webpage. 

To make the process as streamlined as possible please follow the step-by-step instructions below:

1. Have your documentation ready including details of your $20 Million public liability insurance policy 
2. Register and complete the application form
3. Upload required documents
4. Submit your application
5. Credit card payment is required
Businesses are invited to share a photo of their decorated Christmas window in November with the shops on show competition launching in December.  Photos of participating businesses will be shared on Council's Facebook and Instagram channels and our community will be encouraged to vote for their favourite shop on show.   

The six winning businesses (two businesses from each ward - Wetlands, Cherry Lake, and The Strand) will each receive a prize of a supplier voucher valued at $700. 

How to enter: 
  • Decorate your window by Monday 14 November 2022
  • Submit photos of window displays here by Monday 21 November 2022
  • Community voting is from 1 to 14 December 2022

Nominations are now open for the 2023 Hobsons Bay Citizen of the Year awards! The awards celebrate the outstanding contributions or achievements individuals make to the Hobsons Bay community.

If you know someone in our business community who makes a notable contribution to improve our city, show them you value their input and nominate them for the 2023 Citizen of the Year or Young Citizen of the Year on the Hobsons Bay City Council webpage.

 

To fight plastic pollution, some plastic products will be banned in Victoria from February 2023.

To help your business prepare, the National Retailers Association is holding weekly drop-in sessions online. It’s free to attend with sessions running until January 2023. 

To learn more about the ban visit Sustainability Victoria’s website. 
To register to attend an info session visit the Eventbrite listing.
Food waste costs Victoria a whopping $6 billion each year in product value and disposal.  For a business this is not only an issue of waste, but an issue of lost revenue opportunities. Figures show that on average, restaurants would save $7 in operating costs for every $1 invested in programs to reduce waste. 

To learn from a panel of industry leaders tackling food waste by creating new products and revenue streams, watch this webinar from the team at Better Building Finance. 

Are you looking to build digital capability in your manufacturing business? The Digital Jobs for Manufacturing program offers grants of up to $5000 to assist Victorian manufacturing businesses adapt to a digital operating environment. 

To learn more about the program guidelines and eligibility criteria visit Business Victoria. 

The $10 million Distillery Door program is open for applications offering two types of grants.

  • Grants of up to $70,000 to establish or enhance a distillery door and attract visitors
  • Grants of up to $20,000 to support investment and improvements in on-site infrastructure

To learn more about the program guidelines and eligibility criteria visit Business Victoria. 

Council invites business professionals from across Hobsons Bay to come together for the 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.  

Tuesday 8 November 2022 from 7.30am to 8.30am

Fifi's by the Beach
81 The Esplanade, Williamstown

To register and view future events visit Hobsons Bay Business.

You could save thousands on your energy bills each year with Environmental Upgrade Finance. Join Better Building Finance, Hobsons Bay City Council and a panel of experts to learn how Upgrade Finance can help your business access building upgrades with no upfront costs.

Thursday 24 November 2022 from 10am to 11am

Altona Civic Centre 
115 Civic Parade, Altona

To register visit the Eventbrite listing. 

We've heard from many of our businesses how difficult it is to recruit and retain staff currently. In a competitive employment market, the best thing a business can do is to improve their employee value proposition (EVP) to stand out from the crowd and ensure good staff don’t leave.

This workshop by the Workplace Wizards is designed to provide training around what EVP is and how it helps recruitment and retention strategies. 

Tuesday 29 November 2022 from 10am to 12pm

Altona Civic Centre 
115 Civic Parade, Altona

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.