Wherever your laptop lands, anyone can operate a business nowadays.
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In the olde-world ambiance of Dubbo's grand dame, The Exchange, this is happening for more than 400 of its members, mostly start-up or existing businesses that have transformed the way they make earnings or profits.
For example, this week at The Exchange, Instagram guru Sarah Christian who could be anywhere is interactively teaching entrepreneurs how to navigate overcrowded social media. She's sharing tips on Instagram postings where an image or video speaks a thousand words to make sales.
Do you get the idea?
"It was good to see businesses and institutions in Dubbo learning about the guiding principles of Anchor businesses [like The Exchange] because it allows them to start to think like a precinct, even if we [here in Dubbo] haven't been declared a special activation precinct or jobs precinct," said The Exchange founder, Jillian Kirby.
Explaining how "anchor business" works, Ms Kilby said, "anchors are businesses or institutions like universities or local governments that create value through their work, their employees and their presence.
"They stimulate the economy and help other businesses to grow."
Last March, The Exchange was chosen by the NSW Productivity Commission to organise the Innovation Productivity Council Meeting to guide the state government's direction on the economy, social and environmental matters.
A full report of how anchor businesses are networking and sharing ideas is due for release next month, Ms Kilby, who's behind the compilation of the report, said.
The Exchange as an anchor business in the region has expanded to its second location in Narrabri, as Ms Kilby, a civil engineer, purchased the 106-year-old original building of the renowned Faulkners Cordial Factory and Ice Works.
Following an extensive renovation of one of Narrabri's heritage properties - the way she negotiated the purchase of The Exchange, the home of The Clock Tower in Dubbo, which started off as the first post office for the settlers in Dubbo - Ms Kilby is bringing into the northwestern town, her team's vast experience to connect them to online experts so they can succeed, too.
The scope of the internet or online business in Australia is estimated at $394 billion in the 2018 Australian Bureau of Statistics survey of IT innovation, which cited that 59 percent of retail businesses across the country have a website or social media presence.
According to industry classification, information media and telecommunications moved ahead of others (54 percent) followed by retailers of goods and services (29 percent) while marketers were chasing new ideas (10 percent).
Now, The Exchange offers solutions for any type of business "to test their idea and grow their customer base" as they design their business ideas "to incubate safely with less risk."
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"Our mission is to help people connect, grow and succeed and we do this through our community, education program, and co-working space," The Exchange group manager in Dubbo, Alex Cowley said.
"We increase the commercial chance of success for our business owners, and we can be the key connector for them to industry experts and networks.
"We're seeing more and more businesses come through our doors who are craving for that education and upskilling around digital space and e-commerce especially and helping them transform from getting their business online."
Known as "the boardroom in the bush", The Exchange team is savvy in their way of connecting people 'the hybrid way".
"Our geographical location is not a factor anymore. We can be anywhere at any time running a business...basically wherever your laptop lands, you can run a business," Ms Cowley said.