Baw Baw Shire predicts that its population will grow from 52,000 currently to 110,000 by 2035. Treechangers are wanting to take advantage of the Shire’s scenic views, rural town lifestyle, affordable housing and commutable distances in Melbourne. However, what does this mean for jobs and business in the area?

Image credit: Visit Gippsland

Business mentoring is not a new concept. The Small Business Bus, for example, has been servicing regional areas with mentor visits since 1986. There are many benefits to mentoring for both the mentee and mentor. For the mentee, they get access to the knowledge of experienced business leaders who have often walked in their shoes and collected invaluable learnings along the way.

There’s a big misconception around entrepreneurship that it’s something that you’re born with. This is not true. Research has shown that the more times you try to start a business, the more likely you are to succeed, hence showing that entrepreneurship is a learnable skill.

Every entrepreneur wants to believe their product or service is unique – a snowflake that the market hasn’t seen before. But in reality, even if you have no direct competitors, your customers are still considering alternatives products/services to your offering.

Steph is the brains behind the operation, with an MBA (first class honours) from Melbourne Business School and a wealth of innovative learning. She’s an expert in the latest business trends from design thinking and human centred design, to lean startup methodology, jobs to be done theory and agile methodology. Don’t worry if these are all new names and ideas to you, Steph will be sharing her knowledge regularly on our blog.

The Work My Own Way program has a number of activities including skill-building workshops, business coaching, professional services, mentoring and meetups.