Businesses in Boroondara, you told us, we listened.

Throughout 2017 and 2018, our Local Economies team researched and gathered feedback from over 1,000 businesses participating in our regular business programs and events to determine the key issues of importance to businesses.

Here are the top 10 issues and areas with which you told us you need assistance:

  1. Sales and marketing
  2. Business development and growth
  3. IT, and online and digital marketing
  4. Funding and grants
  5. Start-up advice
  6. Financial management
  7. Networking and mentoring
  8. Business planning
  9. Business operations
  10. Infrastructure

Business Needs and Issues survey

We also undertook a Business Needs and Issues online survey between 14 June and 1 July 2018 and received a total of 26 responses.

The survey tapped into businesses which may not necessarily use our services, to receive feedback on key needs and issues impacting their business.

A number of businesses also engaged with a Local Economies Officer to discuss their individual needs.

Here are the top seven needs with which businesses said were looking for help.  

Business need Details
Marketing (14%)
  • Sales and online selling
  • Business plans
  • Promotions
Mentoring (11%)
  • Business coaching
  • Networking
  • Co-working
Social marketing (9%)
  • Digital marketing
  • Social media
Advertising (9%)
  • Local editorial
  • Signage
Financial management (9%)
  • Cash flow
  • Book keeping
  • Tax
Funding (7%)
  • Sponsorship
  • Grants
Car parking (7%)
  • More or extended car parking
  • Free or low-cost car park

What your feedback showed us

Many of the current service offerings provided by the Local Economies team detailed below align with your business needs and issues, so we will continue to provide these services:

Sales and marketing

  • online profile of Boroondara customers in key neighbourhoods
  • sales and marketing themed business workshops.

Business development and growth

  • business development workshops
  • free statistical marketing and economic data on our website.

IT and online and digital marketing

  • business-themed events including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Search Engine Optimisation and Getting the best from your technology.

Funding and grants

  • an annual Small Business Sparks Grant program
  • a page in the For business section of our website with information on State and Federal grants and funding.

Networking/mentoring

  • opportunities to network with other like-minded local business owners via bi-monthly Super Networking and bi-monthly Express Networking sessions
  • a free one-on-one business mentoring service.

Financial management

  • business workshops delivered by the Australian Taxation Office and Business Victoria
  • links in the For business section of our website to relevant information, tools, templates and legislation.

Business Planning

  • free access via our website to social, demographic and economic data for the local area
  • business planning workshops.

Start-up advice

  • links in the For business section of our website to information on starting a business
  • contact facilitation with relevant Council departments and industry support groups.

Business Operations

  • on-call advice and support through the Local Economies team
  • support for home-based businesses.

You told us you want some new offerings

We have taken a proactive approach to the feedback, and where gaps have been identified to date, topics to address these gaps have already been introduced. In addition to these existing services, moving forward we will:

  • commence an outreach program, where we’ll visit businesses within shopping centres with a kit of information on Local Economies programs and services
  • incorporate more Business, Marketing, Sales and Planning topics in the 2019 Biz Blasts business events calendar.

We will continue to use the research and feedback received to help inform our services.

More information


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