Former treasurer of the Talbragar Street Promotion Group Mr Snare said the street did better when it worked as a team.

“When the street advertised together it did very well, now everyone does it their own way,” he said.

“The smartest way to do it is together, it’s cheaper and makes more sense.”

Mr Snare believed nothing was stopping the small businesses from bringing the business committee back from the ashes.

“If they want to ramp up the business there’s no reason why the committee shouldn’t be formed to promote the street as a street,” he said.

“When it was formed it brought people in the street and everyone was busy.”

The businesses should keep advertising and retain their staff, he said, because they have spent time, money and effort training them.

“When things get tough we tend to cut the biggest expense - staff and advertising,” he said.

“To drive business you can’t afford to get rid of staff because they run the business and you can’t cut advertising otherwise people won’t know who you are, where you are and what you are offering them.

“If you stop doing that you’re virtually saying you don’t exist.”

Mr Snare said advertising groups should approach businesses and present certain packages to them.

“The Liberal should run on the streets and offer promotions,” he said.

He said council’s beautification project was just a matter of time and it would be done “eventually”.

“From a business perspective, we have no control over the project,” he said.

“We can’t say the council isn’t doing anything because not everything can be done at the same time.

“It’s very hard to get a business to do it because of time constraints.”