Fit for Business workshops

Stawell and St Arnaud business representatives have an opportunity to work alongside some of Australia’s leading retail consultants as part of a program aimed to strengthen and diversify the business community.

Business owners and operators from across Northern Grampians Shire have invitations to participate in Fit for Business workshops, which will see them work alongside consultants from The Retail Doctor, one of Australia’s leading retail consulting companies.

The Retail Doctor has worked with more than 400 customers from start-ups to national and global omni-channel retailers, retail service providers, shopping centres and not-for-profit organisations to provide improved business outcomes.

The sessions will be in St Arnaud Town Hall meeting room on April 18 and Stawell Entertainment Centre foyer on April 19, from 6pm to 9pm. The sessions will focus on identifying key gaps, barriers and opportunities in the shire’s business sector.

Program leaders will work with retailers to improve key skills to develop best-practice retail and determine the strategy to refine the commercial precinct in both St Arnaud and Stawell.

The Fit for Business workshops form part of the council’s wider Revitalise! project, aimed at developing a comprehensive retail and smallbusiness revitalisation and reactivation plan for Stawell and St Arnaud.

Mayor Tony Driscoll said the plan was designed to maintain the commercial primacy, vibrancy and amenity of the region’s two major townships and to ensure diversification of product offering to leverage greater benefit from the significant tourism market.