A winning combination
Business Enterprise Centres (BEC's) are community-based centres located throughout Australia. They provide free, independent and confidential advice to small businesses. They also offer practical assistance and training to foster viable local enterprises, both in start up and established phases.
BEC's provide referrals to local professionals and Government services as well as training for small business. With over 1 million small businesses in Australia, BEC's are increasingly being recognised as the most important community network to reach the small and micro business sector.
BEC Australia has established a partnership with TenderSearch in an effort to support the BEC network and small business. "Small businesses form the backbone of this country," said Matthew Whitehouse, TenderSearch Marketing Manager. "This is our commitment to the on-going support of Australian small business network in assisting them in the tender process."
BEC's have operated at a state level since the 1980's and reach in excess of 300,000 businesses. Seventy percent of BEC's operate in rural areas. "BECA as an incorporated organisation represents a 137 national BEC network, acting as a conduit to disseminate information relevant to small businesses and to coordinate national sponsorship for the benefit of the network," said Mr Neil Butterworth, Executive Officer of BECA.
"The strength of the BEC network is that it can monitor trends occurring nationally and internationally through information collected from other small business associations, such as the Coalition of Small Business of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry," said Mr Butterworth. "The BEC network managers have a wealth of small business experience and share this with the community through counselling, training, research and information," he added.
"Most core services are free to the community and include assistance with business planning, financing, industrial relations matters, workplace standards, employment and training."
"The BEC network is an experienced and cohesive organisation, with extreme value to Australia's SMEs, governments and corporate sponsors," concluded Mr Butterworth.
SUCCESS FOR BUSSELTON
The Busselton Dunsborough BEC services about 25,000 people in the Shire of Busselton on the south west coast of Western Australia, not far from the famous Margaret River wineries. The centre recently formed an arrangement with TenderSearch where it receives daily bulletins on tender opportunities of specific interest to BEC. In return, BEC distributes TenderSearch brochures and recommends its tender notification service to clients likely to have an interest in the TenderSearch program.
"I'm so excited about TenderSearch," said Mr John Anderson, Chief Executive Officer for the Busselton Dunsborough Business Enterprise Centre Inc. "As an incentive to our clients, TenderSearch has offered a 13 month service for a 12 month fee which is wonderful but we've also had even more success thanks to TenderSearch," he added. "Since the service started a little over a month ago, we've had 24 emails from TenderSearch containing details of 132 tenders. Of these over 100 were of specific interest to us," he said. "We've followed up on six of these and actually won two tenders resulting in gross fees exceeding $10,000!"
Mr Anderson praised the TenderSearch service. "The service is well designed, contains exactly the information needed and opens a door to extensive help in tender response" he said. "TenderSearch is an indispensable tool for any business looking to deliver goods and services."
Anna Gregory is a freelance journalist. She has 20 years experience in broadcast television as presenter and producer, and corporate communications as media advisor and writer.
As published in the TenderSearch Magazine - Winter 2003 Issue
