VIC
Five Greater Geelong women are a step closer to achieving their business goals after being awarded Business Accelerator Scholarships with Business in Heels, valued at over $3,000 and sponsored by the City of Greater Geelong.
Tamara Shaw, Nichole Chambers, Terri Wilby, Jessica Kerr and Simone Araujo Gugliandolo have been selected to take part in the 12-month long Business Accelerator Program to turn their business dream into a reality.
The program aims to help women start trading and making sales as quickly as possible so they can become self-sustaining. Participants learn with the support of mentors to develop a business plan, turn leads into referrals, establish their small business and create social media and pricing strategies.
“We congratulate Tamara, Nichole, Terri, Jessica and Simone for their passion and motivation to become their own boss in Greater Geelong,” said Deputy Mayor, Anthony Aitken.
“There are so many aspects of small business to learn about, from developing a unique selling proposition and understanding who your target market is to budgeting and cash flow.
“Council is proud to sponsor and support the Business Accelerator Scholarships so that these savvy women can learn from experienced mentors and become the business owner they aspire to be.”
The scholarship features an online course, regular group sessions and 24/7 access to trainers. Business name and domain registration, website development and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system training are also included.
CEO of Business in Heels, Lisa Sweeney said the scholarships help to fast track women into the business world.
“We’re excited to work with a fresh intake of talented and driven women and help them develop skills and confidence to become the next business leaders in Greater Geelong,” she said.
“We’re grateful to the City of Greater Geelong for its support of our program, as learning from others who have business experience is really important when starting out yourself.”
Thilini Herath, owner at Flores Cakes, was a Business Accelerator Scholarship recipient with Business in Heels last year.
“Before I joined the program, I didn’t know anything about how to start or run a small business, but the program was fantastic in helping me to understand the ABCs of business,” she said.
“The program offers round the clock support that I haven’t had from anywhere else and whether the question was big or small, the team was always happy to help guide me.
“My message to women new to the business world would be to follow your heart and not give up, talk to mentors and get support from resources like Business in Heels – because you can be successful!”
Only women located in the Geelong municipality were eligible to apply for the Business Accelerator Scholarship.