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NEWSLETTER

Monday 12th March 2007.

The newsletter is being sent out a little early as on Monday 12th March we will moving to the new office premises at 81 North Street Nowra. The telephone and fax lines will be installed later in the week the numbers will remain the same.

Shoalhaven Business Chamber has a new email address; sbc@shoalhaven.net.au  

Please alter your records accordingly.

EVENTS:

Meet the Candidates – Pre State Election Breakfast: Tuesday 13th March – 7.00am

Bomaderry Bowling Club – Sunset Room. For catering purposes bookings essential. RSVP today.

Business after Hours: Design Window Coverings - Tuesday 13th March 2007. 5.00pm to 7.00pm.

Official Grand Opening at 6.00pm by: Joanna Gash MP – Federal Member for Gilmore.

SBC March members meeting: Tuesday 20th March 2007.

Special Guest Speaker: David de Garis. "The global, state and local economies and the current interest rate and FX markets". Courtesy of NAB Nowra.

And also the Business "Trivia Challenge".

"Spotlight on Business" sessions.

Booking are currently being taken for members to Spotlight their business at the General members meetings. Only one session is available per general meeting, and @ $50 per session members have 10 minutes to promote their business and distribute promotional literature. Some dates have already been booked so if you would like to take advantage of this promotional opportunity contact Celeste by email sbc@shoalhaven.net.au  .

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Shoalhaven Area Consultative Committee:

Stars of Shoalhaven Awards.

Nominations are being sought for the 2007 "Stars of the Shoalhaven Awards". These awards recognize Shoalhaven Businesses / organizations that:

Demonstrate a commitment to the area or their industry during the past year in a range of categories OR

Have demonstrated that "extra effort" in their business that needs recognition, and

Have not received a recent Shoalhaven ACC award (these details can be provided on request).

Nominations are welcomed in the following categories.

Activity resulting in economic benefit to the community OR

Innovative business practices.

Nominations close on 3rd April 2007.

Any SBC members who would like to nominate for an award please contact SBC office by email sbc@shoalhaven.net.au  or telephone (02) 44233582.

Those of you who attended the "Live & Work With Passion!" conference last year will remember "the confidence lady", Jodie Hudson. She is coming back to Nowra for a one-day workshop - an early bird rate is available for bookings this month.

Upcoming Workshop in the Shoalhaven area

Ready to really get your confidence moving in the 'UP' direction for once! Well, this would be the workshop for you. You are guaranteed to leave this one day workshop feeling more confident than you have in months.

This workshop is designed for anyone who feels that their confidence gets in the way of achieving what they want in their personal lives or their career. This value packed workshop is informative and entertaining andteaches proven confidence tools and techniques that will allow participants to increase their personal levels of confidence – Now!

Where: Nowra Golf Club

When:Thursday 10th May 2007

Time: 9am - 5pm

BOOKBEFORE END OF MARCHand receive the wonderful EARLY BIRD price of only $95.

E-mail jodie@riseinternational.com.au  for course information and registration form!!

Shoalhaven Campus – University of Wollongong

.Thursday 22 March: A special outdoor screening for International Womens Week. Admission $5 Bring your picnic basket and a rug. We hope to see you there! "All about Olive"Olive is 107 years old. She has decided to go home and will make the journey back to Broken Hill where she was born. The trip will trigger memories of things long forgotten, fights, funny moments and events almost too sad to bear.http://www.roninfilms.com.au/video/1887209/0/2425780376.htmland "Leaping off the Edge"A documentary about Melbourne's Women's Circus, a theatrical experience that has been inspiring, exciting and empowering audiences for over  a decade.http://www.roninfilms.com.au/video/1887209/15/2406403967.html 

All Welcome Public Lecture

Malcolm Walter on

"Going to Marble Bar to search for life on Mars"Shoalhaven Astronomer's First Guest Presenter for 2007At Shoalhaven CampusIn the Ray Cleary Lecture TheatreAt 7.30pm - On Friday March 16, 2007"Going to Marble Bar to search for life on Mars"

The oldest convincing evidence of life on Earth is preserved near Marble Bar. This area has become a palaeobiological Mecca for those of us interested in searching for life elsewhere in the Solar System. This is a great challenge, but it can be met. Before the end of this century, perhaps much earlier, we will know whether "we are alone". Malcolm Walter is a Professorial Fellow at Macquarie University in Sydney, Director of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology based at that university, and Director of M. R. Walter Pty Ltd. He has worked for 35 years on the geological evidence of early life on Earth, including the earliest convincing evidence of life. Since 1989 he has been funded by NASA in their "exobiology" and "astrobiology" programs, focusing on microbial life in high temperature ecosystems, and the search for life on Mars. He is a member of the Executive Council of NASA's Astrobiology Institute. During 1999 his book "The Search for Life on Mars" was published by Allen & Unwin. He has published more than 120 articles and several other books. He also works as an oil exploration consultant and a consultant to museums, and was curator of a special Centenary of Federation exhibition on space exploration (for the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, and Museum Victoria). In 2004 he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. He recently received a Eureka Prize for his interdisciplinary research. See http://aca.mq.edu.au  

Shoalhaven Campus University of  Wollongong Phone: 02 4448 0878

Once more Shoalhaven Campus is inviting everyone in TAFE, University and Business who would care to be involved in Relay for Life ( and hasn't already organized another team ) to join us in a community collaboration from education and business to raise funds for Relay for Life. For the past two years students, staff and business people have raised around $3000 per annum for this Cancer Council event. If you are interested in joining us then either join our Town and Campus Team on the web or email Robbie. Business are welcome to display their logos around the Town and Campus Relay for Life site and we already know that we have more students interested than ever before. Of course we have more students on campus than ever before. So let's make 2007 our best Relay for Life yet.

MEMBERS NEWS

The Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme—helping Small Businesses stay in touch in regional areas

Small businesses have the opportunity to receive a significant subsidy on the purchase of a satellite mobile phone thanks to the Australian Government's Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme.

The subsidy is part of the Australian Government's response to rural, regional and remote mobile telephony needs, and operates until June 2009. The Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme offers support to those living or working in areas that are beyond mobile coverage by allowing them to receive a subsidy of up to $1200 towards the purchase of a satellite mobile phone.

Small businesses are one of the eligible categories under this scheme. If your small business is located in an area without terrestrial mobile phone coverage, or regularly has employees spending time in such areas, you may be eligible for up to two satellite phone subsidies.

Applicants must first apply and, if approved, can then purchase their phone through a dealer registered under the scheme. The price paid for the phone will be reduced by the amount of the subsidy, and the dealer is then reimbursed for the subsidy amount by the Australian Government.

The subsidy reduces the purchase price of a satellite phone only, and does not cover any ongoing charges or accessories. For more information, to find a registered dealer, or to apply, please visit www.dcita.gov.au/satphone, phone 1800 674 058 (free call from a fixed phone) or email satphone@dcita.gov.au  

ISS Institute - APPLY NOW

Four 'The Pratt Foundation/ ISS Institute Fellowships' to be won  Are you a trades, artisan or technical person who is working in any of the following industries:  Heritage - building trades, maritime heritage, moveable objects, gardens & trees  Environment/Energy/Sustainability Industry - alternative energy, building & construction, environmental design, resources such as water & land, value adding to regional produce?  If you are, then you may be eligible to apply for one of the fourThe Pratt Foundation / International Specialized Skills Institute (ISSI)Fellowships to travel overseas! The closing date for submissions is 28 May 2007 and the ISS Institute iswilling to assist you with your preparation, whether you have any experience in such things or not! A list of previous fellowship recipients is available, to give you an idea of what makes a winner. More more details and information:  Ph: (03) 9882 0055 Email: issi.ceo@pacific.net.au  Website: www.issinstitute.org.au  

Great Business Opportunity

Would you like to get your business'message out to 250 local women, primarily business women? Women who are enthusiastic and keen to learn?

Then you should consider becoming a sponsor of the second Shoalhaven women's conference is to be held in September this year. Last year's conference was a huge success and this year's promises to be even better! A range of sponsorship packages are available, so call Lyn Eckersley, Small Business Field Officer, for more information. Ph: 4422 5402 or 0409 715 929.

Department of State and Regional Development:

DSRD is coordinating a workshop on Lean Manufacturing, which may interest some of you.

Lean Manufacturing is an approach pioneered by Toyota

which has become the modern standard for creating value while eliminating waste. Implementing a Lean strategy will contribute to your bottom line whether you are a small or large business.

A free 3.5 hour afternoonsession, to be held at Shoalhaven City Council on 30 March will cover: An introduction to Lean Manufacturing Tools used to assess where you are 5s simulation Questions. For those interested in implementing a Lean Manufacturing strategy, the NSW Dept of State & Regional Development has a subsidy for eligible businesses.

Please contact Lyn EckersleyPh: (02) 4422 5402

Home Based Business Seminar (HBB) Create Locally, Sell Globally - Live at Home, Work at Home, Sell to the World.

If you are a home-based craft artist or designer, why not take the next step and sell to the world. We'll provide you with tips and tricks on internet marketing and show you how to sell your products globally. Plus we'll teach you the fine art of writing for the web to make sure your internet marketing sells your message. Our experts Linda Hailey and Libby Varcoe designed this workshop specifically for craft and

design professionals like you.Date: Tuesday April 3Time: 9.45am for 10.00am start - 1.00pmVenue: Nowra Showground Pavilion. Cnr. Junction and West Streets, NowraCost: Free Don't miss this free workshop for home-based craft and design business operators. For further information email linda.sekulovski@business.nsw.gov.au  or call (02) 4225 9055.

Australian Tourism Development Program

Round 4 opened on Friday, 2 March 2007  The Australian Tourism Development Program (ATDP) is a highly competitive merit-based grants program that aims to assist in the development of a continuous tourism experience across Australia Applications are now being called forRound 4, which closes at 5 pm Australia Eastern Daylight Saving (AEDST) onFriday, 27 April 2007.

If you are considering making an application for this round of the program please: review the Australian Tourism Development Program customer guides on the AusIndustry website www.ausindustry.gov.au  contact an AusIndustry customer service manager, via the AusIndustry hotline (13 28 46) to discuss your eligibility for the program, program requirements and the application process access the Australian Tourism Development Programapplication forms and use the form to make your application lodge your application by 5 pm AEDST onFriday, 27 April 2007.

The Australian Government has allocated more than $31 million over four years from 2004-05 to 2007-08 to the Australian Tourism Development Program to increase the diversity of tourism products and services, and to encourage tourists to move more widely in Australia. There are two separate categories of grant:

Category 1: TourismProjects, and

Category 2: IntegratedTourismDevelopmentProjects.

Each category has separate eligibility, evaluation and funding requirements. There is a separate customer guide and application form for each category. To date,almost $22 million has beenallocated to133 projects across Australia The documentation for Round4 is available from the AusIndustry website www.ausindustry.gov.au . The Australian Tourism Development Program is being delivered by AusIndustry which is the Australian Government's business program delivery division in the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources. For more information about theAustralian Tourism Development Programor to subscribe to the AusIndustrye-bulletin or to 'email updates' about specific AusIndustry products, visit www.ausindustry.gov.auor call the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46 for more information.

"A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash"

All Shoalhaven Business Chamber members who would like to include information about events and activities in their business for 2007 in the weekly newsletter please contact: Celeste Duffy. Shoalhaven Business Chamber Inc. email sbc@shoalhaven.net.au