Council launched the Great Business Program in Dubbo and Wellington on Tuesday. Formerly known as the Your Dubbo Program, council’s economic development officer Jacki Parish said businesses who joined would get promotional support, workshops with business experts and extensive customer feedback. 

Businesses also have the opportunity to apply for one of three $10,000 business development grants.

Ms Parish said applying for the grants was a win-win situation.

It gave people the opportunity to step back and assess themselves as business owner and assess what their strengths and challenges were, she said, even if the grant wasn’t won.

Dubbo Chamber of Commerce vice president Kerrieanne Nichols said she was completely supportive of the program.

“We have so many amazing businesses and products to offer in Wellington and here in Dubbo, just getting that extra kick really can help a business out,” she said.

It would boost not only the individual businesses, but Dubbo as a whole, Ms Nichols said.

“I think it’s really important because if we all work together we can grow, if we work together we can conquer anything.”

The two workshops available to businesses in the program are ‘Collaboration Not Competition’ with Lisa McInnes-Smith and ‘Connecting with Today’s Customers’ with Naomi Simson.

“It’s about making sure that businesses can speak to each other no matter what the format is. People talk about the digital economy-it is our economy and the best thing about the workshop is that there is some collaboration, there is some networking,” Ms Parish said.

The economic development officer said everyone was a “little excited” about what the program could do for their business.

The program is supported by the Dubbo and Wellington chambers of commerce and sponsored by Regional Australia Bank.