In early 2021 a group of like-minded small businesses got together and realized the concept of a small business association to represent the various micro / small businesses in the Tarneit Area. Tarneit is one of the fastest growing catchment areas in Australia and falls under Wyndham City Council. Wyndham municipality area is currently within the top 3 fastest growing areas across Australia.
The proposal was supported by all three facets of government with the local council and state government stepping in to help realize the dream and give a voice to scores of small businesses that were operating within the Tarneit area. This concept has also been supported by the Tarneit Revitalization Project that has worked towards strengthening the community and increase networking and support activities across the small business community in Tarneit.
The Tarneit Business Association is open to all and any business registered in or operating in the suburb of Tarneit, (as indicated in the map below) would be eligible to participate in the activities of the Association. This would include:
- Home based businesses
- Hospitality and catering
- Personal services
- Service businesses
- Businesses operating within a shopping centre
- Managers of Shopping Centres within Tarneit
- Trade and construction businesses
- Professional and medical businesses
The types of activities that an Association could facilitate include:
| Networking | To run regular functions that enable business people to socialise, share ideas and listen to guest speakers. |
| Professional Development | To run programs to improve the skills of business people, for example “e” business, website development, on line selling, web presence, small business management, customer service, business presentation, business marketing, financial management. |
| Forge partnerships | Enable businesses, as a collective, to work with the Council and other government agencies. |
| Planning and Development | Enable businesses to participate in the future planning and development of the area in a collective fashion. |
| Information Sharing | Regular distribution of digital material to keep businesses up to date with Council and State Government policies, provisions and grants. Information on community events, |
| Events | Local makers markets, Local business involvement in local Cultural, Sporting and Education celebrations. |
| Advocacy | Taking local business issues to Council or the State Government in a collaborative fashion. |
| Marketing and Promotion | Promoting Tarneit businesses and their goods, services and facilities in a coordinated fashion. |
| Relationship Building | Enabling Tarneit businesses to forge strong relationships with local schools, health and sporting clubs, community groups, other business associations, the Tarneit community, Council and State Government. |