The Goulburn Region Innovation Network (GRIN) hosted a business forum last week at The Collective Goulburn. GRIN's goal is to connect entrepreneurs and start-ups with business leaders to give the greatest chance of success. The purpose of the night was to discuss the business environment in Goulburn and how we can further encourage innovation and new businesses.
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The main street issue was a topic of conversation, with an interesting debate arising about the importance placed on the main street. The general consensus was that while it does not necessarily define the state of Goulburn's business sector, if visitors or prospective investors see scores of empty shops, this can negatively impact their perception of the town.
Liam O'Duibhir from Bega Incubator shared their story and Bega's goal to establish 1000 tech jobs by 2030. Liam emphasised that tech companies are relatively cheap to establish and allow for fast scale-up. Case in point: Aussie tech company Atlassian, who became a billion-dollar company in seven years, compared to Bega cheese, who took over 100 years. It is through start-up success stories like this that the entrepreneurial pathway for school leavers is becoming a more legitimate one.
The overall feel of the night was extremely positive, with Goulburn well positioned to host and support start-ups, particularly with two co-workspaces in town. GRIN will continue to promote awareness and generate support about the initiative over the next few months.
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