Business Support Services
Growing Creative Business is a $700,000+ initiative of Sunshine Coast Enterprises aimed at empowering small businesses to creatively manage and respond to challenges. With partnerships contributions including $35,000 local government, and a $271,000 Australian Government BESB grant, we are delivering business support services “better than usual” 100 businesses are to receive quality training and mentoring. Growing Creative Business commenced February 2008 and is scheduled to conclude June 2009.  With the assistance of TRAC Consulting, we have to date 77 businesses and 35 trained mentors undertaking a learning program that aims to lift the performance of individual businesses from Maleny, Cooroy, Caloundra, to Noosa, Nambour and Mooloolabah.  We will have one more intake to reach our goal of 100 participating enterprises.

Enterprise Clusters
Sunshine Coast Enterprises is working collaboratively with industry to build enterprise clusters.  SCE provides administrative and strategic support to two cluster initiatives.  SunED is a co-operative international student marketing initiative of local education providers.  The project has been assisted by a $10,000 State Government grant and the membership contributions of industry.  SCE is working with the sports industry to grow an enterprise cluster aimed at increasing the value of sport related business activity within Sunshine Coast.  The SportsBusiness cluster is developing web based marketing and sales channels.

Building Capacity
Growing the reach and capacity of our local Chambers of Commerce is a focus for the 2008-09 year.  We have developed a Business Planning Toolkit for the Chambers. Caloundra Chamber of Commerce was the first to step up to the mark.  Caloundra Chamber of Commerce availed itself of a workshop, strategic and financial planning advice provided through SCE’s Combined Chambers Alliance project.  Caloundra Chamber now has documented goals, a reinvigorated executive team with designated portfolios, and a three year financial plan.  Through the Combine Chamber Alliance project we developed and have tested a business planning TOOLKIT for Chambers. This is ready to be launched as an online product.  In addition to the TOOLKIT SCE has a process for strategic planning for those Chambers wishing to receive extra assistance.  SCE is also launching a co-operative communication product for our regional Chambers of Commerce through our Chambers Alliance e-Newsletter.  Our Combined Chambers Alliance is about partnering with our local business associations to do our collective business “better than usual”.

Good Governance
Sunshine Coast Enterprises re-branded under the name of our amalgamated regional Council in June 2008.  We have deliberately created protocols around our governance and our branding that acknowledge our role and responsibilities as an economic development agency supported by funding through the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.  We are sharing our resources and knowledge with Chambers and Associations to build a culture of good governance within our region.

Investment Attraction
Sunshine Coast Enterprises is in the process of increasing the quality of information available to businesses wishing to invest in our region. We have purchased an economic input/output modelling tool to assist in providing advice on the impact of investment decisions.  With our Facts and Stats regional snapshots we are creating and providing simple and understandable on-line information that will assist the planning of small business operators.