It’s that time of year where we are all ready to spread some festive cheer.

The City of Melton Christmas street decorations are up, festive programs are rolling out throughout our community, end of year functions are getting planned, and families are starting to check off their Christmas lists.

Amazon is set to further grow its footprint in the City of Melton with the announcement of a $7mil. investment into a built-to-suit site in Ravenhall.

Equal pay for work of equal or comparable value is a basic human right. Regardless of where we work – or our sex, gender, race, age, abilities or care-giving status – we are all entitled to be paid and treated fairly at work.

The Pay Equality Toolkit is a suite of resources to support Victorian small-to-medium enterprises to achieve equal pay.

Melbourne is truly the home of four seasons in one day: is your business ready for all of them?

Summer storms, wild winds and more can appear with little warning, so putting plans in place before they occur can help your business to be ready and to recover faster when they do.

The Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS), led by CEO Pamela Sutton-Legaud, has been a crucial support for small businesses across Australia, with a primary focus on Victoria since its establishment nearly 38 years ago.

Djerriwarrh Festival is back on Saturday 23 November, 11.30am – 9pm.

All your festival favourites will return including the Street Parade, Main Stage, Lions Club Carnival, Intercultural Performances, Sustainability Lane, Market Village, Kids Zone, Fireworks and so much more!

Did you know that 75% of all wool on Australia’s east coast ships through the port of Melbourne? Elders’ strategically located new National Wool Handling Centre was officially opened in August 2024, giving confidence to the industry with its state of the art automation and a long list of custom features that allow Elders to process 300,000 bales annually.

You may have noticed this in your business, there was a slight slowdown in spending towards the end of the financial year. In positive news, Visitor Local Spend (+6.9%) and Resident Online Spend (+5.9%) still finished the month considerably higher than in June 2023.

This prestigious night promises an unforgettable experience, bringing together local business operators and service providers for an evening of networking and celebration. We're thrilled to announce that our MC for the evening will be none other than one of Australia's most beloved actors, Stephen Curry.

The Fair Work Act has recently been amended to prohibit (or ban) sexual harassment in connection with work, including in the workplace. Businesses should be implementing changes to prevent sexual harassment before the transition period ends in December 2024.

Works have been progressing at a rapid pace since Goodman broke ground on Australia’s largest single storey distribution at Goodman’s Riding Boundary Road Hub in Truganina.

If your business needs more staff and you are keen to find the right candidates faster, the JustWorks program may be just the right solution for you.

Come to the Western BACE on Wednesday 12 June (8:30 – 9:30am) and meet the JSS team and their group of local, pre-screened candidates that are keen to get to know you.

Are you a hospitality professional and have always wanted to open your own café? Woodlea are seeking Expressions of Interest from skilled operators with a passion for hospitality who would like to become part of the growing Aintree community.

You’ve already seen the headlines about Artificial Intelligence (AI). You may have heard it will change everything. Is it just a tool for big businesses or can it also help small businesses? Learn more about AI and business and participate in the free ‘Introduction to Ai’ scholarship program.

Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action (WAGA) council members and leaders from local businesses launched the Business EnergyTips website at the May 2024 Sustainable Business in the West event.

According to Apprenticeship Victoria bringing apprentices and trainees into your business not only means that you are investing into the future of your workforce but can also provide you with a productive and competitive edge.

We are three months into 2024 so it’s time to look at the latest numbers and trends in our Spendmapp data and compare them to the start of 2023.

IGA Thornhill Park is the first business to open at Central Square Thornhill Park this week with other businesses to follow in May.

Kimberly-Clark are a global manufacturer and provider of essential, personal care products that are chosen by millions of people worldwide, every day.

The company’s brands include Cottonelle®, Depend®, Huggies®, Kleenex®, Poise® and many more, generating $20.2 billion in sales revenue in 2022.

It’s been another busy year for local businesses. Let’s take a look at some of the trends in 2023 and see how the numbers compare to 2022 and look forward to seeing what’s on the horizon in our 2023 spending review.