Small business champions helping locals achieve
After spending nearly 7 years based in Nhulunbuy, acting Senior Small Business Champion (SBC) Jarrod Ellis has had the opportunity to see community start-ups grow into small and medium business enterprises.
Jarrod has a history of helping local companies, bringing the skills he picked up while working for Many Rivers in the region in his current role for the East Arnhem team.
Over the past year, Jarrod has been working with businesses from Milingimbi to Angurugu and Yirrkala to Ramingining to help them improve their business skills, financial literacy, marketing strategies and upskill business owners and staff.
“What we really want to see is these businesses thrive and survive.”
Jarrod said being a SBC can be rewarding, including when the team is able to help local employers go from strength to strength.
“There’s a couple on Galiwin’ku, Nhawe Enterprises, that’s a 50% owned Aboriginal business. They’ve gone from operating out of a shed, they’ve got a block of land now and they’ve got a grant to put a new shed in.
“The SBCs helped them with an Aboriginal Business Development Program grant and a Business Growth Program to then get their business plans in order, which helped them to put in for the grant to get the workshop built.”
The commercial mechanical repairs workshop on Elcho Island has also been able to open a café as well, which Jarrod said has some of the best food in the region.
With newcomers describing East Arnhem Land as having a lot of opportunities, SBCs are able to help small to medium sized businesses realise those dreams.
To get in contact with a champion in your region or find out more about the assistance available, go to the Territory Business Centre website.
