Entrepreneurs’ Programme celebrates its 200th Strengthening Business client
Plunge Café, based at Forster on the Barrington Coast of NSW, has marked an important milestone for the Entrepreneurs’ Programme’s Strengthening Business service.
The family-run business is the 200th to reach out for support from the program’s network of local, independent experts, stretching from Kangaroo Island through to northeast Victoria and into NSW.
Plunge Café prides itself on nourishing the body, and rejuvenating the mind, and giving back to the community.
After the Black Summer fires saw tourists cancel or postpone their holidays, the thriving start-up had no choice but to hit pause and really get back to basics, not knowing COVID-19 was also looming.
“We really were forced to go right back to the beginning of why we were doing what we were doing, so that meant closing our café, and returning to a hole-in-the-wall take away service,” says Erin Miller, who runs the café with her sister-in-law Renee Collocott and their husbands.
When you join the Entrepreneurs’ Programme, you get advice from someone who really understands your region, and what it takes to grow your business beyond recovery from bushfires or COVID-19. Plunge Café has worked alongside facilitator Jacinta Outlaw, who is based on the mid-north coast and has the networks to connect businesses with the expertise to achieve their vision.
“Working closely with business owners like Erin and Renee and navigating them towards solutions, by exposing them to new ideas and strategies, is what I love most about my role.”
As Plunge Café prepares for a busy summer of keeping locals and tourists fuelled on their daily caffeine fix, Erin and Renee feel the Strengthening Business service has well equipped them with the right systems and processes to put the challenges of 2020 well behind them.
“Although it’s been incredibly tough and trying, we’ve seen a real strength come from our regional community, but it’s important to provide support to others whilst making your own business more resilient,” says Renee, who has welcomed local food producers and artists into the café space to showcase their wares.
Article source: https://business.gov.au/news/entrepreneurs-programme-celebrates-its-200th-strengthening-business-client
