A free USC workshop series will give small business owners and managers in the Moreton Bay region the chance to learn how to future-proof their success while earning credit towards a Business degree and joining a research project to monitor their progress.

Head of USC’s Caboolture campus Dr Wayne Graham, a Senior Lecturer in Management, will present short sessions over six Fridays from 16 October to 27 November.

At the end of the Moreton Bay Business Planning Workshops, each participant will give their own half-hour business pitch to a panel of experts.

Dr Graham, who coordinates the University’s MBA program and in 2018 received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, said the business planning workshops would give participants a clear understanding of the key factors underpinning their prosperity and ensuring their long-term survival.

“The workshops offer a platform for owners to strengthen their businesses by learning and implementing strategic management principles,” Dr Graham said.

“This includes the development of a customised business plan designed to source funds from banks and investors or through grant applications.

“Participants will also have the opportunity to join a research project involving post-workshop visits to their businesses to monitor and measure progress.”

He said the series could potentially open a pathway to university education, with completion of the workshops earning credit for one course in a USC postgraduate Business degree.

It will include three 90-minute ‘in-class’ sessions on campus at USC Caboolture and three 60-minute online sessions, culminating in a full-day session on 27 November where business managers will present their plans to a panel.

The workshop series is a joint initiative of Moreton Bay Regional Council, Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism (MBRIT) and Regional Development Australia Moreton Bay.

Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said small business was the engine room of Moreton Bay’s economy, home to more than 28,800 businesses employing almost 150,000 locals.

“We are home to fantastic businesses and entrepreneurs, and these workshops will provide many with the opportunity to reflect on their business and the current market situation and plan for success,” he said.

Dr Graham said employers based in the Moreton Bay local government area with fewer than 20 staff and who had been operating for at least two years were eligible to register interest.

— Julie Schomberg