Launceston businesses are set for a brighter future after the ANZ Business Growth Seminar was held at the Country Club Casino.

Hosted by ANZ and the Launceston Chamber of Commerce, the free one-day seminar was designed for business owners looking to grow but are unsure how to progress to the next level by identifying new opportunities and tackling existing challenges.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein opened the seminar and the Minister for Small Business, Michael Ferguson, delivered a keynote address.

The seminar was facilitated by Dr Jana Matthews, a renowned growth expert and director of the Australian Centre for Business Growth at the University of South Australia’s Business School.

One hundred and 30 attendees worked through a framework for accelerating growth.  Key areas of discussion included understanding where a business is at on its growth path, the importance of delegation and team building, how to communicate and having a clear strategy for growth.

  • The day covered pathways to sustainable growth including:
  • Questions you must be able to answer as a leader;
  • Different responsibilities of a leader during growth;
  • Knowledge framework for growth;
  • How to choose the right growth strategy;
  • Tactics for sustainable growth.
  • Dr Matthews said: “Accelerating growth in a competitive market place is a challenge for any executive, especially those running SMEs who spend much of their time working in the business, rather than on the business.

“The ANZ Business Growth Program gives CEOs the tools, knowledge and skills to identify barriers holding them back and strategies to help them grow.”

The day also included a panel discussion with Launceston Chamber of Commerce CEO Neil Grose and Tasmanian business owners and Business Growth Program alumni, Diane Rae, Director of Grandvewe Cheeses & Hartshorn Distillery, Adam Burbury, Managing Director of KAM Joinery and Nick Watson, General Manager of CPT Engineering.

Attendees were also given the opportunity to network with fellow attendees and learn from each other’s experiences through facilitated group discussions and action planning.
For more information about the ANZ Business Growth Program, which is open to all businesses and non-ANZ customers, please visit www.anz.com/businessgrowth.