ensure the value proposition is translated to the attending businesses.
For Yarn Strong Sista, tailored engagement means invitations to mainstream platforms such as business expos, inter-council events and educational networks signalling that First Nations enterprises are essential to the economy.
Growth happens when council knows how to listen to businesses.
Step 4: Open procurement pathways Procurement is one of the most powerful levers councils have to support diverse enterprises. It’ s tricky though because local business owners who are not eligible for social procurement provisions also create employment.
Trust is not created through surveys; it’ s built through consistency, respect, and follow-through. By delivering on promises, councils create the foundations for genuine partnership.
Step 3: Tailor engagement Generic programs often miss the mark; engagement must reflect business realities.
Just as a breakfast is not a good meeting time for people with caring responsibilities( often women) or lunches may not be a good time for café owners, understanding which businesses are in your community and who owns them will give you a clear understanding, often of what not to do!
Friday events may exclude Muslim business owners due to mosque attendance. Dietary requirements may reflect religious beliefs if your business community is predominantly people from Jewish or Jain or Hindu faiths.
Hatim Abbas reinforced this,“ For business owners born overseas, learning about all the other services such as libraries, youth services and sporting clubs is also important as there could be opportunities there. I don’ t have a lot of time to invest in networking events but I’ d really like council to work with their sport department to offer sporting activities for founders so I can exercise and grow my business at the same time.
To facilitate the growth of Symphony 3, Fergal Coleman made the point that council networking events are often for businesses of the same size. He needed his local council to introduce him not to other small businesses but to larger, more established companies.“ We’ re busy growing our business so if we’ re going to attend council networking events, it needs to be something that results in new opportunities for us.” This requires structured interventions by Council staff to
The purpose of social procurement is to use a council’ s purchasing power to buy goods and services which result in a more equitable and inclusive community. Yet many migrantand First Nations-owned businesses find the social procurement system intimidating without additional support such as information sessions or conversations with Procurement staff or EDO’ s.
For First Nations businesses, safeguards against“ black cladding,” where companies falsely present as Indigenous owned, are critical. Councils that use certification systems such as Supply Nation, ensure genuine enterprises benefit. Similarly, procuring from‘ social washing’ business can be alleviated by using registers such as Social Traders. Training to ready social enterprises for procurement processes may be needed.
Step 5: Promote local enterprise Visibility builds momentum. Councils that promote diverse businesses help increase sales, attract customers, and foster community pride.
Finding out that Indian Australians have a WhatsApp group to advertise work, or that some English speaking business owners have low literacy skills and don’ t apply for business awards, or grants, only comes from knowing business owners.
A Hume EDO said,“ The only way we can know what businesses need is to meet business owners and listen to them. We do this at their business and also with businesses located at StartNorth, Council’ s co-working space.”
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