On 1 July 2024, Business Local became SBDC Regional. While the name has changed, we’re still here providing you with free business advice and support in your area. Find your SBDC Regional provider.
Making the decision to quit his fly-in, fly-out mining job to help care for his young son after a bout of surgery, Jordan Wilson knew he needed to change his career goal posts to a more family-friendly earner.
But setting up Concept Tech, an IT business in Albany with wife Natasha, was a whole new ball game, so Jordan called on support from the Business Local network at the Albany Business Centre.
An initiative of the SBDC, Business Local is a network of skilled business advisers throughout regional WA that offers valuable advice to small business operators at no cost. The Albany Business Centre provides the service across the Great Southern.
Business Local advisers are available for one-on-one appointments for individualised and confidential small business advice. They also offer group workshops on a range of subjects, including business planning, financial management, taxation, leasing requirements, marketing, social media and business expansion.
“One hundred per cent, we wouldn’t be where we are without the support of Business Local, the people at the Albany Business Centre and the services that they offer,” Jordan said.
Having previously been employed in a different industry, Jordan was focused on learning to run his business properly with the right systems in place from the start. He sought advice tax requirements for a new business, and the best company structure going forward.
Aside from providing valuable business advice, the Business Local team linked Concept Tech with local contract opportunities, and educated them on how contracts and tenders worked in the Great Southern.
“Business Local really is a great jump start for any business. It gives people the best chance to jump off if they want to grow their business,” Jordan said.
Being able to access mentoring from advisers who had owned their own businesses and had experience in government was invaluable.
“It really did help us to understand business quicker,” he said.
After spending more than two years in the Albany Business Centre’s incubator space at a nominal rent, Concept Tech relocated to their own premises in the Albany CBD, where they have continued to grow and employ more team members.
The business has now added to their computer repair service by offering IT consulting, cyber and data security services to small businesses, big businesses and home users, both in Albany and remotely across the country.
Jordan said he would advise other start-ups to take time to learn their business from the inside out as it has a flow-on effect for customers and enables small businesses to offer a better service.
More information
- Find more information about Business Local in regional WA
- Learn about which business structure might be right for you
- Could your business bid for contracts or tenders?
- Check which workshops are on offer in regional WA
- Learn more about Concept Tech
Would you like to share your small business story?
Complete this form to tell us about your business, and experience accessing the SBDC’s services, to be considered for a small business story.
