Northern Rivers business owners will have the opportunity to develop plans and prepare for future disasters at a free event at Southern Cross University on Thursday, August 18.
Renae Hanvin, corporate2community (now Resilient Ready) director and business consultant, and advisor Natalie Mitchell will present 'Solvency, Sustainability & Growth' as part of the Business NSW Subject Matter Expert Series.
The pair will raise pertinent questions and help business owners consider the best conclusions.
"Being in business is hard even in the good times, but sometimes you must ask yourself some really hard questions to make things easier in the long run,'' Ms Hanvin said.
"Is your business viable? Is it solvent and sustainable? Are you resilient and ready against future disaster impacts? When do you seek help and what help is available?
"The aim is not to scare business owners, it's to help them make informed decisions so they can prepare and plan a future in which they don't just survive but thrive.
"If the disaster events of this year alone have taught us anything, it's that we must be prepared for the worst because the worst is possible.''
At the event, Ms Hanvin will present some of the themes from the Business Community Resilience (BCR) Toolkit program available throughout Northern NSW.
A free online program to help businesses prepare for future disasters and disruptions, the BCR Toolkit is delivered through 26 learning modules to empower them to prepare, connect and build resilience.
This is a Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund (BCRRF) project funded through the joint Commonwealth/State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement and it will be available until September 30 for any business in eligible LGAs across Northern NSW.
Lismore's Lazuli & Co. Hair and Makeup owner Peta Tillett is already implementing tips learned through the program, including upskilling her staff on various parts of her daily business operations so they can continue to operate the hairdressing business if she is absent. She is also one of the local businesses featured as a case study on the program.
Another case study participant, networking and business performance coach Janet Culpitt, says the BCR Toolkit is "relevant to everyone and is easy, simple to follow and thought-provoking".
Corporate2community (C2C), now Resilient Ready is a certified social enterprise that delivers innovative solutions to enable businesses to thrive before, during and after disasters.
"Our purpose is to help organisations get ahead of disasters, and we're doing that by driving a new ecosystem in business community resilience,'' Ms Hanvin said.
"We truly believe building business community capabilities will save lives and livelihoods in our communities, strengthen community networks and contribute to global wellbeing.''
Register for the BCR Toolkit program at https://toolkit.corporate2community.com/.
The Solvency Sustainability & Growth event will be held at Southern Cross University, Enterprise Lab, Block A, Level 3, in the Business Hub, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Thursday, August 18.
