1 April 2011

Advance Cairns’ Business Enterprise Centre, which offers free or low cost business advice to small to medium businesses is running an Introduction to Business workshop.

The workshop will cover:

• The structure and content of a business plans
• How to research your business markets
• How to create a business identity; from branding to customer service
• Business startup tips

Participants will apply their own business objectives to the learning activities ensuring the workshop both interesting and relevant.

Acting CEO of Advance Cairns Margaret Darveniza said this workshop was the first of many the Advance Cairns BEC would be running.

“We’re here to support small businesses in Tropical North Queensland and workshops are a great way to pass on vital skills to the business people of our region,” Ms. Darveniza said.

“Advance Cairns recognises that many business people are doing it tough right now.”

“I encourage you to come along to the workshop and learn some new skills and create new networks.”

Introduction to Business Workshop

Venue: Boland Centre, Spence St, Cairns

Date:  8 April 2011

Time: 8:30 am – 1:30 pm

Cost: $22 per person, includes lunch

Bookings: ring 4080 2900 or email pa@advancecairns.com

‘The services provided by Advance Cairns Limited are partially funded by the Australian Government’

21 March 2011

The Advance Cairns Business Enterprise Centre was launched last week by the Minister for Small Business Senator the Hon Nick Sherry.

The Centre offers low or no – cost business advice for enterprises employing up to 20 people.

Advance Cairns Business Advisor John Larkin will be in the Cassowary Coast next week to assist small to medium business owners with any business concerns they may have.

John offers:

• One-on-one business analysis and advice,
• Help with completing the necessary steps to establish a business,
• Support with business planning, legal and financial advice through a panel of specialists,
• Referral to other appropriate agencies
• Business training for managers,
• Referral to specialist agencies,
• Information provision and professional development opportunities.

John Larkin has been involved in the small business sector for over 30 years and has owned several small businesses.

He established the Northern Territory’s Small Business Advisory Service in 1980 and has held senior management positions in both the private and public sector.

John has wide experience in a variety of sectors including shipping and transport, construction, exporting / importing, training, retail and wholesale.

In addition he has established CDEP operations in several indigenous communities.

Acting CEO of Advance Cairns Margaret Darveniza said John will help find a way a way forward for regional businesses hit hard by the global slow – down and recent weather events.

“John has a great deal of business experience and will be on hand to help people of the Cassowary Coast in any way he can,” Ms Darveniza said.

“John is a Queenslander and understands the needs of Queensland business. Whether you’re just starting up, experiencing difficulty or ready to grow, John can give you the advice you need.”

“I encourage all small to medium businesses in the Cassowary Coast who feel in the need of some personal business advice to contact John on 4080 2900 and make an appointment.”

‘The services provided by Advance Cairns Limited are partially funded by the Australian Government’

The Minister for Small Business, Senator The Hon Nick Sherry will launch the AdvanceCairnsBusiness Enterprise Centre on the 15th of March 2011.

The Advance Cairns Business Enterprise Centre (BEC) will offer support, advice and referrals to businesses which employ up to 20 people.

The Advance Cairns BEC is an official member of Business Enterprise Centres Australia (BECA).

“Business Enterprise Centres are recognised as the first and best point of contact for small business operators seeking quality business information, advice and guidance,” said BECA.

“Business Enterprise Centres are designed to facilitate the creation, retention and development of sustainable business enterprises and foster local economic development.”

Advance Cairns Acting CEO Margaret Darveniza said a BEC was the perfect fit for Advance Cairns as small and medium sized businesses form the backbone of Tropical North Queensland’s economy.

“Small to medium-sized enterprises are critically important to our economy,” Ms. Darveniza said.

“Running a business can be challenging – when extreme weather events hit, business- as-usual takes on a whole new meaning.”

“We’re delighted to be launching our BEC now as we will be able to offer business support right at the time people need it most.”

“The Advance Cairns BEC will support businesses and business people to succeed.”

“Our BEC will provide business advice to people who are just starting out, those who have been around for a long time and everyone in between.”

“Advance Cairns’ BEC will provide mentoring services, business and strategic planning support, tips and tricks for small business and last but not least be a friendly face for people who are doing it tough.”

“As the peak economic development agency in Tropical North Queensland, Advance Cairns sees this as core business.”

“Helping small business helps everyone.”

Fast facts:

• Small to medium businesses (1 – 19 employees) make up 94.4 % of registered businesses in Tropical North Queensland (Bureau of Statistics, 2007)

• Small to medium businesses (1 – 19 employees) make up 95.5% of registered businesses in Queensland (Bureau of Statistics, 2007)

• Small to medium businesses make up 95.4% of registered businesses in the Cairns Local Government Area (LGA) (Bureau of Statistics, 2007)

• Cairns LGA Gross Product: $8,190 million (2009) which makes up 3.4% of Queensland’s Gross State Product (Cairns Regional Council Economic Profile 2011

‘The services provided by Advance Cairns Limited are partially funded by the Australian Government’

As debate rages in federal parliament over the proposed carbon tax, it’s a good time to open up a discussion about the best ways for our region to adapt to a low carbon future.

Macro and micro changes will take place – these might include mandatory solar power for all new houses, a reinvigorated public transport system, retrofitting our plumbing to better utilise grey water or the take-up of hybrid vehicles.

While we don’t really what’s down the track, what’s not in doubt is that we are undergoing a clean industrial revolution and the repercussions of that will be felt, for better or worse, across our regional economy.

This, of course, begs the question: what does Tropical North Queensland need to do, to not only survive but thrive when reality starts to bite?

Federal Parliament is grappling with these issues as I write, and it’s an understatement to say there are no easy answers.

As move from a high consumption, high carbon economy to something approaching the opposite, we need to rethink and reframe what we do well.

One possible solution (and there will be as many solutions as there are challenges) lies in a concept known as the economy of ideas.

The economy of ideas covers everything from educational and research institutions to advisors, consultants and specialists. It is about experience and expertise: the ability to market your mind.

And, this, to borrow a phrase, is where Tropical North Queensland shines. We are home to a wealth of tropical experts and specialists working across every major economic sector in one of the most extreme and demanding environments on earth.

The tropical expertise sector is characterized by skills, systems, services, solutions, products and research developed in the tropics. It is growing, vibrant, viable and in demand.

Advance Cairns recognised the need to consolidate the vast number of people in our region who are quietly achieving great things in the tropical expertise sector.

This consolidation became Austropex. Austropex – the name is a conjunction of the words Australian Tropical Expertise – brings our tropical specialists together under one banner and across ten industry groups including Mining, Health, Education & Training, Environment, Built Environment; Energy; Agriculture; Food; Aviation and Marine.

Austropex.com offers tropical experts a platform from which to market themselves, promotes the collective strength of this sector to the world, connects and supports the discrete industry groups and is home to relevant news, events and business and work opportunities.

Most importantly, though, Austropex brands Tropical North Queensland as the home tropical expertise and front and centre of the ideas economy.

Whether someone from the Philippines needs a specialist to build flood –proof housing, re-vegetate denuded land or prevent mosquito borne diseases they can find them on Austropex.

If a Pacific Island needs a sustainability plan for its fisheries or a climate mitigation strategy, they know where to look.

If the government needs a report on the viability of wind-farming on Cape York or how to stop disease moving from PNG to the Torres Strait, Austropex members can assist.

Knowledge has always been valuable currency.

By consolidating our knowledge in a site like Austropex we can position ourselves as leaders in the new economy.

There has been much discussion about the level of customer service in the Cairns.

Advance Cairns has taken the challenge to address the bad press with a training initiative aimed at the restaurant and food industry.

Partnering with TAFE, the Aussie Host one day workshop will be held on the Tablelands on Friday 18th March at Eden House at Yungaburra and in Cairns at TAFE on Monday 21st March.

These workshops are designed to help participants develop positive attitudes to service, improve the way they relate to customers, exceed customer expectations and overall create a first-class experience for customers.

“Excellence in customer service is the key to any successful business.”  Said Nola Craig, Taste Paradise food project officer at Advance Cairns

“It’s what builds long-lasting relationships with your customers and ultimately results in increased profitability for your business.”

“Advance Cairns is committed to supporting in promoting the food sector in Tropical North Queensland, whether it’s in the paddock or on the plate.”

“We know how pivotal good customer service is in this industry and we warmly invite restaurants and food tourism operators to attend the AussieHost Training Workshops which will be held in Cairns and the Tablelands in the coming weeks.”

For information regarding the Aussie Host course, contact Linda Richardson at Advance Cairns on 4080 2900 or email linda@tasteparadise.com.au

Download your  Cairns Workshop Invitation here

Download your Tablelands Workshop Invitation here

View our March Advertorial here

Cairns Ship Repair Services are preparing to depart for the Asian Work Boat Expo in Singapore next week to boost awareness of the Cairns’ marine industry.

The industry group, made up of Cairns’ three leading slipways Cairns Slipways, Norship Marine and Tropical Reef Shipyard will attend the Asian Work Boat Expo in Singapore from March 1-3.

Asian Work Boat attracts 3000 visitors over its three days and features exhibitors from 36 countries.

Cairns Ship Repair Services sees the Asian Work Boat Expo as an unparalleled opportunity to promote the capacity of Cairns’ maritime sector which has the leading slipway/travel lift capacity in northern Australia, with the ability to handle a full range of vessel types (steel, timber, aluminium, and composite) of up to 3,000 tonnes.

Acting CEO of Advance Cairns Margaret Darveniza said the trade show will help put Cairns’ marine sector on the map.

“Advance Cairns exists to diversify the Tropical North Queensland economy and supporting the marine sector is a vital part of this work,” she said.

Cairns’ maritime sector employs around 4,500 people has an annual turnover of $700 million. Cairns Seaport is home to more than 1000 registered commercial vessels, over 300 commercial passenger vessels and one of the largest fishing fleets in the country.

“Our marine sector plays a pivotal economic role in our region and we are proud to support Cairns Ship Repair Services,” Ms Darveniza said.

“As exhibitors at the Asian Work Boat Expo I believe Cairns Ship Repair Services will shine in Singapore and their activities will drive economic growth in this sector.”

Australian Tropical Expertise as a globally marketable product has finally come of age with the rebranding of the former Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium (A.T.E.C) as the new and exciting web platform ‘Austropex’.

The tropical expertise found throughout Northern Australia is forged from our ability to work around the challenges of health, climate, natural disaster, fragile or remote locations and working with indigenous communities.

Since 2006, Australian tropical expertise has been evolving and Austropex formalizes this regional brand with ten industry specialist categories; Mining, Energy, Built Environment, Environment, Marine, Aviation, Agriculture, Health, Food, and Education & Training. Strengthening these industry groups diversifies the region’s economy and creates resilience and robust economic growth.

At its core, the Austropex web platform is a comprehensive database offering expertise for both domestic and international clients. It brings together knowledgeable and experienced industries, consultants, businesses and researchers delivering innovative and practical solutions across the tropical world.

Austropex vision is to grow a dynamic and resilient ‘Tropical Expertise’ industry that works together to maximise present and future business opportunities in the global tropical economy. The current success of Austropex is attributable to the support of Advance Cairns, the Queensland government and local industry from the region.

On a practical level, we promote and support the tropical expertise sector by connecting members, partner agencies and clients to each other. Austropex provides information and co-ordination services using an online platform to deliver news, events, business opportunities and a database of industry specialists.

The Austropex Industry Advisory Group is comprised of business leaders from across Austropex’ ten industry sectors and most represent clusters or economic development organisations already existing within each industry. The inaugural meeting will involve an information session about Austropex and how it can work alongside these groups to support and promote their activities, as well as a discussion between the industries to identify opportunities they may foresee by working together.

The industry representatives in this group are interested in exploring ways they can collaborate to foster business growth in the region, to build capacity in the regional workforce, to market their collective tropical expertise, to jointly promote a regional brand and ultimately, to raise the profile of Tropical  North Queensland. To this end, we look to our industry groups, the business community and the media to become ambassadors for our region and drive the tropical expertise economy.

Austropex strengthens our unique competitive advantage in an increasingly demanding global economy. Austropex builds industry cohesion and stimulates economic growth using an online business network that will ultimately bring global attention to Northern Australia.

You are warmly invited to explore at Austropex at www.austropex.com.

Our Key Projects

As the region’s peak economic development agency, it is the Advance Cairns mission to research, develop and enact an array of projects that will build on and diversify the Tropical North Queensland economy in a sustainable manner.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Advance Cairns utilises funding from various local, state and national sources to carry out its role in the TNQ region, and from the contributions of the region’s business community through its Patrons’ Program.

Locally-funded projects

Locally, the organisation is jointly funded by the Cairns Regional Council, the Cairns Airport, and it’s Patrons’ Program to carry out a raft of projects in collaboration with the activities of some of the region’s leading business groups and research institutions, such as the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, James Cook University and the Far North Queensland Region of Councils (FNQROC).

A formal agreement with the FNQROC has produced a key project for Advance Cairns, which involved the appointment of a Regional Development Officer in July 2009. The RDO position was established to:

• Address the economic needs of councils from Cardwell to Cooktown by developing and championing robust economic linkages between Cairns and the surrounding council areas
• Provide linkages between and liaise with the Cassowary, Tablelands and Cook shire regional councils, as well as local government bodies in Yarrabah and Wujal Wujal
• Work across the region on a range of economic projects prioritised by FNQROC, including lobbying for improved road networks across TNQ, identifying opportunities and costs that arise from the carbon reduction trading scheme for a range of the region’s industry sectors, seeking funding for high-priority infrastructure projects, and developing economic development models for regional councils.

In an unprecedented alignment of effort, elected representatives of the three tiers of government have joined with industry, business, environment, education, and community interests to form and support the Sustainable TNQ initiative. The initiative, funded through the generosity of the wind-up of the former Far North Queensland Consultative Committee, aims to establish a locally-driven process and framework, based on sustainable development principles, for engaging community, government and industry in the development of a long-term regional vision and action plan to 2025 which:

• Provides the region with a sustainable economic competitive advantage by diversifying the economy based on clean, green and smart principles;
• Reduces regional impact on the environment and protects and improves natural assets;
• Establishes indicators for measuring our sustainability performance;
• Obtains better efficiencies from government resources in the region; and
• Identifies, aligns and connects regional sustainability initiatives, with reference to and in support of government planning.

Sustainable TNQ is a collaboration of existing organisations, hosted by TNQ’s peak economic development agency Advance Cairns, with a focus on creating a socially, environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable future for our region.  

In response to the rapid growth in the mining industry in Papua New Guinea and the opportunities they present for North Queensland businesses and service providers, Advance Cairns enacted a new project in January 2010 to develop a strategy to strengthen ties with the Pacific nation.

The Strategic Connection with PNG Business project will be carried out by Blockey Consulting, with the scope of the project to:

• Prepare an overarching PNG strategy for TNQ capitalising on opportunities in the PNG mining procurement market in a structured and coordinated manner;
• Develop a data base of the PNG project spend in Australia (particularly Cairns);
• Work with DEEDI to value add to the Shipping study they have commissioned FNQ Ports to deliver;
• Develop a capacity database of skills and services applicable to the PNG market;
• Develop stronger relationships with the PNG market particularly with project proponents; and
• Act as a central point for advocacy on emerging issues related to trade with PNG – develop briefing papers on specific issues.

State-funded projects

At a state level, Advance Cairns undertakes a variety of projects funded by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI). The most recent DEEDI contracts,  which were in place for the period between September 2009 and March 2010, include five major projects, with a funding value of more than $262,500, across a broad scale of economic development areas. All five projects are now complete and Advance Cairns is currently in the process of formulating three major projects for consideration in the next round of DEEDI funding.

Currently, Advance Cairns is working through an investment attraction project, funded by DEEDI, designed to strengthen trade links between the Far North and Papua New Guinea. The project requires Advance Cairns to research, develop and publish a Cairns Prospectus (in electronic and hard copy) to be distributed to PNG businesses looking to do business with the Far North.

A final version of ‘The Cairns Prospectus – A Regional Profile‘ has been produced, while an abridged version was distributed in PNG by Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser on a  Trade Queensland trade mission to the Pacific nation in March 2010.

                                                              ========================

Here is a synopsis of the five recently-completed projects:

• Implementation of the TNQ Food, Produce & Value-adding Market Improvement Strategy

Advance Cairns will work with regional agriculture and food manufacturing industries to investigate opportunities to diversify, value add and improve their competitiveness in order to increase their share of the large regional food market. The project will work with the producers and downstream businesses of Cairns and surrounds of Tropical North Queensland to create a high standard of products, services and visitor experience. The ultimate outcome of this project will be to create a signature TNQ brand which will be self-certified, and to educate the businesses that produce and use these branded produces so that they can capitalise on these benefits and increase market share.

• Investment Attraction

This project will investigate ways of attracting domestic, interstate and international investment into the Tropical North Queensland region, through;

• Industry marketability, growth and diversification,
• Facilitation of significant business regional opportunities; and
• Attraction and retention of skilled workers to Tropical North Queensland through business opportunities facilitated.

The development of the Think TNQ web portal formed the basis of this project. Think TNQ is a gateway to up-to-date, relevant and reliable data for potential investors, individuals considering relocating to TNQ and new businesses looking to set up shop in the region. It is a collaborative project managed by Advance Cairns, with the support of the Department of Employment, Economic Development & Industry, and has been developed with in-kind support and significant contributions by the regional councils of Cassowary Coast, Cook Shire, Tablelands and Cairns, Cairns Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, James Cook University, and the Office of Economic & Statistical Research. Advance Cairns has also partnered with highly respected TNQ firms Cummings Economics and Herron Todd White Cairns in bringing regional information to the users of Think TNQ.

The portal profiles the four key local government areas in Tropical North Queensland against key criteria, it showcases TNQ business, investment and lifestyle opportunities, and acts as a conduit to key information through tools such as the TNQ Investment Opportunities register and TNQ Research Hub.

The TNQ Investment Opportunities register is designed to facilitate connections between private enterprise, industry, community and government agencies, by connecting investors with investment opportunities to encourage economic development in Tropical North Queensland. The TNQ Research Hub is a free resource designed to help users quickly and efficiently locate regional research, statistics and industry data.

These three investment tools are designed to attract business and industry to the region and to increase the consumer base which will provide increased employment opportunities and economic wellbeing.

• Economic Diversity Through Creative Industries

Project funds will be used to develop a Business Case which first and foremost, substantiates existing activity in the industry and secondly, identifies how we can capitalise on this further, by improving services and infrastructure in the region.

Under the second phase of this project we will quantify the economic viability of constructing sound stages and associated business complex, developing up-to-date financial projections (capital and operational) in today’s market. This will enable us to quantify what additional production activity can be attracted to the region, and how much it will contribute to the economy in terms of jobs, education linkages, up-skilling and business-to-business economic stimulus.

This project will support the development and implementation of an agenda which will provide a clear direction for the strategic growth and development of film and television industries in Tropical North Queensland that is complimentary to PTFC and Arts QLD strategic initiatives.

• Regional Development Strategy 

Advance Cairns will implement a series of activities that will genuinely assist the region in the field of Regional Economic Development by working with stakeholder organisations such as DEEDI, Cairns Chamber of Commerce, Tablelands Futures Corporation, Gulf Savannah Development and other like-minded organisations.

• Tropical Expertise Business Enhancement for International Business Development Project   

This project, ’Business Enhancement for International Development Business’ includes activities which complement both the DEEDI-Cairns and Townsville funded projects through the provision of professional development and networking events for new and existing members of the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium (ATEC). These activities will enable SMEs and R&D institutions to become ‘market ready’ and provide a basis for networking which will:

• Increase the number of  and capability of SMEs able pursue international business development opportunities through improved understanding of the tender writing process and operations of Australian Managing Contractors;
• Facilitate opportunities for  SMEs to meet with R&D institutions and discuss potential partnerships improving relationships and knowledge of potential partners to pursue bids; and
• Increase opportunities to build critical mass amongst Tropical Expertise firms through linkages with other tropical Queensland regions.

In addition to a variety of annually-contracted, State-funded projects Advance Cairns undertakes, the organisation carries out a range of State-funded projects granted throughout the year. The most recent addition to its project portfolio is the Marine Services Business Matching project, which aims to establish and build sustainable business relationships with national and international customers for the region’s marine industry.

The economic development agency has partnered with the city’s three major slipways and shipyards to expand their client base and assist in the promotion of their marine services expertise to the Pacific and South East Asian regions.

The $90,000 Marine Services Business Matching project, funded by the State Government, is designed to mitigate the impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Cairns’ marine services industry by promoting its capabilities to national and international markets, identify potential opportunities and match them to the region’s capabilities.

A steering committee of representatives of local marine service providers, the state government and Advance Cairns will ensure the project deliverables are met. They include:

• Researching and compiling a database of marine industry contacts;
• Identify business matching opportunities;
• Develop marketing collateral to promote the region’s marine services capabilities to the Pacific and South East Asia regions; and
• Coordinate three trade missions and an international trade show.

Federally-funded projects

Nationally, and Advance Cairns regularly applies for Federal Government grants to carry out projects that will be of benefit to TNQs diverse economy. The most current federally funded project to be carried out by the organisation is a food tourism project, which was recently given top priority by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. 

In December 2009, Kevin Rudd announced  $446,000 in TQUAL funding to the project, fast-tracking the application ahead of the first round announcements which were announced late last year.

The project will position North Queensland as an emerging tropical agri-food tourism destination by building an alternative tourism theme for the Cairns region, based on tropical agri-food experiences. Developed with a long-term strategic approach, the project has a clearly targeted action plan to assist existing businesses to adapt, and new enterprises to emerge.

The project will provide the framework for complimentary products, with funding to be used for research, developing action plans to implement the food strategy, building capacity, and developing and delivering a regional food brand and marketing strategy.