Many businesses have been forced to transform themselves during the past 12 months.

While that’s largely due to the pandemic, for many business owners, adopting new practices and approaches has been a long time coming.

Customers have evolved and they can be completely unforgiving. The Brisbane Business Hub wants to help businesses evolve with them.

The joint initiative between Brisbane City Council and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency has been developed to help the local business community bounce back from the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Even if your business is already well on the road to recovery, there are still a number of ways that the Hub can help you on your journey.

The Brisbane Business Hub is both a physical space in the heart of the CBD, and a digital space accessible 24/7 from virtually any internet-connected device.

With some of Brisbane’s best business minds available to mentor owners, the Hub holds a range of free in-person events and seminars for local business owners to connect and get inspired.

It hosts an online library filled with practical and relevant resources, videos and webinars and business owners can drop in at any time to use the facilities and access advice.

Here are just a few of the free offerings and opportunities that local businesses can take advantage of at the Brisbane Business Hub.

Workshops and events

There is a jam-packed calendar of free events coming up at the Brisbane Business Hub, with key business and industry leaders in attendance.

From interactive workshops to panel discussions and seminars, the Hub covers a wide range of practical and relevant topics for businesses across all industries, from bakeries and builders to cafés and concreters.

Hotly anticipated upcoming sessions include On the couch with: Maxine Horne, CEO of Vita Group, who will share the story of how she grew a single store into an ASX-listed brand worth in excess of $600 million; and On the couch with: Don Meij, Group CEO and Managing Director of Domino’s who went from pizza delivery driver to the head of Australia’s largest and first publicly-listed pizza chain. Don will discuss the opportunities for Brisbane’s food and beverage landscape in FY22 and beyond. 

One-on-one and group mentoring

The Brisbane Business Hub has more than 35 mentors available for free one-on-one or group sessions on business strategy, finance, human resources, operations, marketing, legal issues and more.

The Hub’s community of experts and industry leaders encompasses virtually every industry and sector in Brisbane, and they’re all available to help local business owners navigate the new normal – book your session now.

Online learning

Henry Ford once said “Anyone who keeps learning stays young”. In that case, consider the Brisbane Business Hub your ticket to eternal youth, with an online learning portal offering a variety of training courses designed for small businesses.

Choose from an extensive library of short courses covering everything from IT skills through to sales, finance, business development, HR, cybersecurity, leadership, mental health and more.

The Hub’s online courses are free to any local Brisbane business with less than 20 staff and a registered ABN.

Practical resources and content

The Brisbane Business Hub’s online resource centre is loaded with practical, useful and interesting content, from insights and guidance from experts to detailed case studies of local business success stories.

Read Everledger CEO Leanne Kemp’s tips for building a strong workplace culture, watch webinars on maximising your digital platform, and hear from everyone from butchers and footwear retailers to wineries and ramen chefs about how their businesses have been able to survive and thrive through challenging times.

The latest COVID-19 guidance and assistance

Brisbane appears to have avoided the worst of COVID-19, but the situation is always evolving. Stay up to date on the latest local developments and government updates with the Brisbane Business Hub’s dedicated COVID-19 portal, which includes details on a range of grants, subsidies and loans on offer to businesses that have been impacted by the virus.

Ready to transform and grow your business? The physical Brisbane Business Hub is located centrally at Level 2, 155 Queen Street, and is open for drop-ins Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

Alternatively, you can access the virtual Hub 24/7 here.