Business in Brisbane
Edition 10: July to September 2016
In this edition:
Page 2 | Growth through digital innovation | 2016-17 Budget highlights
Page 3 | Get a competitive edge | Business compliance needs
Page 4 | Events in Brisbane | Case study: The Print Bar
A message from Lord Mayor Graham Quirk
Council’s 2016-17 Budget is set to provide some terrific outcomes for businesses in Brisbane and will keep our city on the right track.
We’re continuing to support business growth and job creation with $18.3 million committed in this year’s budget.
Council will also undertake a number of precinct enhancements, with $18.7 million being invested in the coming year.
You may have noticed that this edition has a new look and feel. This streamlined approach is designed to provide more information to assist you with your day-to-day operations and highlight opportunities Council is providing for Brisbane businesses. Of particular note, more space has been allocated to the case study on the back page, allowing a more detailed look at innovative and long-running businesses, outlining the keys to their success.
Finally, tickets for the 11th annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards (www.lmba.com.au) are now available. This event celebrates the achievements of Brisbane businesses and entrepreneurs who have made outstanding contributions to the continued growth of our city’s economy. I’m looking forward to recognising some of Brisbane’s best businesses at the gala dinner on Friday 28 October at City Hall.
Graham Quirk
LORD MAYOR
Creating local jobs
$3.7 million attracting tourism and major events | $2.3 million supporting SME’s and start-ups | $1.4 million business hotline
2016-17 Budget highlights
Brisbane’s business economy is set to benefit from $44.3 million in Council’s 2016-17 Budget, cementing its reputation as a New World City.
An investment of $18.7 million will be made for the delivery of world-class economic precincts across the city, including renewing and activating key retail and entertainment precincts such as Queen Street Mall and Fortitude Valley.
CBD businesses will also receive a major boost with Edward Street set to transform into a high-end retail destination and vibrant pedestrian boulevard with an investment of $8.1 million this financial year.
Social enterprise groups will receive a kick-start with $50,000 distributed in the form of grants. A further $18.3 million will be provided to progress the Brisbane 2022 New World City Action Plan by promoting Brisbane locally, nationally and internationally as a place for business, investment and tourism.
By continuing to invest, Council will be able to build business capacity to support long-term growth and improve the economic future for Brisbane residents.
For more information on the 2016-17 Budget, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Business growth through digital innovation
A focus of the 2016-17 Budget is supporting local business growth through digital innovation and technology.
Building on Council’s Open Data project, a further $368,000 will be invested in providing economic and social benefits through additional releases of Council information on the public Open Data portal.
Council is currently exploring the opportunity to release a number of datasets, including land use and development.
This year’s budget will also see the creation of the Smart City Initiative – a $764,000 program designed to leverage information and advanced analytics to deliver more efficient city services and outcomes.
This initiative will enable Council to reach a level of information management maturity to leverage the Smart City opportunities, including the ability to capture, share, maintain, analyse and present quality information, both internally and externally to businesses.
Wi-Fi expansion to benefit business
Council will invest $250,000 to extend its current free Wi-Fi offering into eight suburban centres.
Wi-Fi installation works have been identified for Stones Corner and Sandgate Village. Wynnum CBD, Nundah Village, Hawken Drive in St Lucia, Beaudesert Road in Moorooka, Jackson Road in Sunnybank Hills and Boundary Street shopping precinct in Spring Hill will follow.
Free public Wi-Fi is a benchmark for new world cities and the expansion of Brisbane’s digital footprint will help increase visitors to suburban centres.
Know your business compliance needs
The Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) can help you find the permits, registrations, approvals, government licences, standards, codes of practice and guidelines you need to be aware of to meet the compliance responsibilities of your business.
If you are starting, operating or closing a business, you can use ABLIS to find out which registrations and government licences apply to your business and create and download a personalised report containing:
• a summary of local, state and Australian government requirements
• information about licence fees, periods of cover, renewals and applications
• how to access application and renewal forms
• where to go for more information and help.
To find out more, go to www.business.gov.au and search ‘ABLIS’.
For Brisbane City Council-specific business information call 133 BNE.
Get a competitive edge
Want to know your customers and competitors better?
Want information to help you identify new customers and areas of Brisbane to grow your business?
Interested in the latest trends in your local area?
Council and the Queensland Government have developed Brisbane Community Profiles, a tool that makes it easy to find this information and more with a few simple clicks. Brisbane Community Profiles provide detailed statistical information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and other Australian and Queensland government sources.
Area profiles are generated using the latest available demographic, social and economic data and provide detailed resident, workforce and time series information.
You can access information about population projections, income, reported offences, unemployment rates, how and where people are coming to work in your area, the types and numbers of businesses, building approvals and much more.
This information can be used to inform marketing choices, reach new customers and shape other business decisions.
For more information, and to generate a Brisbane Community Profile, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search for ‘Brisbane Community Profiles’.
Mobile food by the truckload
Brisbane’s burgeoning food truck industry is set to receive a boost with the launch of a new website in July.
Funded by Council, the mobile-enabled site will feature an interactive map allowing users to locate their nearest food truck, find out what it serves and trading hours, as well as viewing information about future food truck events.
It will also offer a streamlined process for food truck vendors to book sites and allow operators to create searchable profiles, upload menu information and take advantage of GPS technology to enable customers to track their location.
Up to 20 food trucks will participate in a six-month trial of the project, with sites available to book throughout Brisbane.
In addition to increasing the sustainability and long-term growth of the food truck industry, this will encourage activation of city spaces with unique and creative food experiences. Watch this space for more information, or call our Business Hotline on 133 BNE.
Do you have a business related query?
Call Council’s dedicated business hotline, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 133 BNE makes it easy to do business in Brisbane.
Brisbane City Council’s Business Hotline: 133 BNE (133 263).
CASE STUDY: The Print Bar
Jared Fullinfaw is the owner and founder of The Print Bar – the Windsor-based, nationally acclaimed Brisbane success story that began with an aspiring actor trying to pay his way to screen stardom via a start-up in his mum’s garage.
Having learnt the art and techniques of fabric printing to fund his acting aspirations while at university, Jared quickly grew the one-man Keperra garage operation, graduating to a small Stafford warehouse with a handful of staff. In 2013, Jared had to upsize The Print Bar to its current Windsor location to accommodate a 25-strong workforce and burgeoning business.
“I can still remember the first t-shirt I printed… it was a picture of someone’s puppy,” he remembers.
“I quickly realised that the business had to be an online experience for customers and that the busier I got the more I knew we needed a way of taking orders.”
Jared considers managing staff to be his greatest learning experience. “I had no previous business experience so the biggest learning was really about managing staff. When you’re on your own you can set your own personal structures but having a team around you enables you to solve problems much more quickly. It’s also great to feel that you’re uniting a team – it’s very exciting!”
Named as the Australian Small Business Awards’ Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015, show-business’ loss has certainly been Brisbane’s gain.
What three things should someone consider before starting a business?
“Know the intrinsic value of the work you’re doing. We print t-shirts but what we really do is unite people!”
“Be clear on why you’re doing what you do. We exist because we believe there’s a creative thread in everyone.”
“Make sure you have a plan. I drew a little sketch when we left our first warehouse of where I wanted us to get to and having that visual aid to refer to really helps.”
Events
20 July: Interactive Minds Digital Summit 2016
A full day of insights and strategy as marketing experts share their experiences, 8.30am-6pm, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, $449, to register visit www.thedigitalsummit.com.au
28 July: Tendering Fundamentals
Recognise and harness the capability of your organisation, 9am-1pm, Saxons Training Facilities, $400, to register visit www.eventbrite.com.au
2 August: Power-Up Small Business Program
This workshop covers online advertising and SEO techniques to help increase awareness of your brand, 6-8pm, Brisbane Racing Club, Ascot, $25-$35, to register visit www.digitalbrisbane.com.au
19 August: Kick. Start. Smart.
This conference takes your dream from start line to start-up and from established to exponential, 9am- 5pm, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, $293, to register visit www.eventbrite.com.au
24 August: Qld Futures Summit
Bringing together industry and business leaders, government, researchers and the community, 7.30am-2pm, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, $395, to register visit www.qldfutures.com.au
31 August: Accessible Documents
Learn how to create accessible Word and PDF documents, 9am-4.30pm, Cliftons Brisbane, from $675, to register visit www.visionaustralia.org
Council is continually working on plans and strategies to support innovation and economic growth. Your feedback is highly valued.
Contact Council’s Business Hotline 133 BNE (133 263), email or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Every effort is made to ensure that information is correct at time of printing
Brisbane Australia’s New World City
CA15-1043464-08-1682 © Brisbane City Council 2016
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434, Brisbane Qld 4001
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