Prosper in quiet periods
FAR North Queensland is a home away from home for Sydney’s Naomi Simson.
From her occasional hideaway abode at Port Douglas, she has seen the beauty of the region, strength in local businesses and the challenges they face.
The RedBalloon founder and Shark Tank Australia judge was the guest speaker of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce February lunch yesterday, presenting a workshop aimed at helping small business owners take the next step up.
“Every time I come up here, I’m excited at the creativity from local designers,” she said.
“When we’re here we’re at peace, we feel relaxed, it’s not the dirty bustle of the big cities.”
While the Far North benefits heavily from the tourism dollar, Ms Simson said small businesses looking to stay open should come up with ways to attract a dedicated local customer base.
“The challenge with any business is the seasonality – businesses might be doing OK for a certain time of year, but then they’ve got the long haul,” she said,
“If you’re running a restaurant looking to stay open, for example, you could run a cooking class in an off time of year aimed at locals.
“Serving locals is very important because they’re the ones who are here all year.”
Ms Simson said she preferred to visit the Far North during the summer months, when the region was generally quieter.
She said it was these quieter months that were ripe with opportunity for businesses to improve their survivability.
“It’s really easy to start off a business. There’s lots of online services available to help you,” she said.