A collaboration between Port Stephens Council, the Nelson Bay and District Business Association and The Business Centre (Newcastle Region) is aiming to put Port Stephens businesses in touch with their customers.

 

The partnership will see a series of workshops held across Port Stephens in the coming months to help small business to better engage through branding messages, marketing and relationships – both virtual and face to face.

Topics will cover how to brand your business, mobile marketing, social media and cultural awareness.

 

Martin McKenzie, Australia Small Business Advisory Service coordinator at the Business Centre (Newcastle Region), said while the content of the workshops was valuable for businesses, there were also one-on-one sessions to target the particular issues for businesses in Port Stephens.

 

"There is the transient nature of customer flow during holiday periods that is an issue for local business owners," he said.

"We need to know how to make the most of it while visitors are in the area, and what to do while they're not."

Ryan Palmer, Nelson Bay and Districts Business Association president, was also interested in empowering businesses to deal with the seasonal nature of trade by focusing on customer service.

"We are working with the Business Centre (Hunter Region) to come up with specific training for businesses in a tourism-focused town and how business can not only maximize trade in the busier period, but also in the quieter period," he said.

"We want to ensure that all visitors and locals walk away from the businesses in Port Stephens with an exceptional customer experience."

 

The workshops are offered at little cost, with sessions scheduled for Nelson Bay as well as the Port Stephens Business Centre in Raymond Terrace.