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28 May 2026
In this edition of Business Link - get involved in Maldon in Winter, visit the new AI hub, plus lots of ways to enhance your business's marketing, OHS compliance and growth.
Maldon in Winter - businesses invited to pop up at Bank Corner
Maldon Inc is calling for local business participation during the Maldon in Winter celebrations 20 June - 12 July 2026.
You're invited to create fun, interactive, hands-on experiences for families, children, and visitors that creatively showcase your business in an engaging and memorable way.
Maldon Inc is calling for activities that encourage participation, connection, creativity, and fun. You can have signage with your business name, address, phone number, services as well as pamphlets, flyers, give aways etc. with you to hand out.
All participating activities will also receive free promotion through Maldon Inc Facebook & Instagram pages, Maldon In Winter advertising campaigns, Tourist News, local newspapers and radio promotions.
Available dates and time slots:
📅Weekends of 20/21 and 27/ 28 June, 4/5 and 11/12 July
⏱️10.00am - 12.00pm, 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Send your submissions and date/time preferences, or a request for help to brainstorm ideas by emailing below.
National AI centre launches
The federal government has developed a new central hub to help businesses adopt safe, responsible, and effective AI, and to show where AI can add value in your business.
In addition to news, insights and reports on AI use in Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), you'll find:
- Guidance for learning and planning
- Practical tools and templates
- Responsible AI frameworks
- Real-world examples
- A centralised national platform
How should you communicate in a crisis?
Destination Central Victoria, the region's tourism industry body, has developed a crisis communication toolkit. It gives tourism and hospitality businesses clear, practical guidance they can use immediately when a disaster impacts their operation or the wider region.
It's a useful step-by-step guide to preparation, response and recovery messaging.
Mount Alexander Food Futures - Sharing Economy Survey
A call out to anyone involved in food in Mount Alexander - help Food Futures create a mini resource guide for supporting local business to become more sustainable and regenerative. They will map out who wants to give and share resources (time, waste etc) and identify practical collaboration options for businesses to trial.
📅 Respond to the survey by Sunday 7 June
This project is supported by Council's Local Impact Business Grants program.
Buy Local Spend Smarter - business sign-up
The Buy Local campaign encourages residents to support businesses across the Mount Alexander Shire.
The initiative is designed to highlight the wide range of local businesses operating in the region and make it easier for community members to choose local when spending their everyday dollars.
Get involved and sign your business up to participate - registration is easy. You'll receive Buy Local cards, window decals and posters, making it easy for customers to see who is part of the campaign.
Building Better Business workshop series
Local business owners, this one is for you. Get your marketing working with Business Mount Alexander's six-week workshop series.
- Clarify what you say and how you say it
- Build a brand that actually makes sense
- Make your social media work
💲$75 BMA members/ $120 non-members
📅Wednesdays starting 10 June 2026
🕑5.00 - 7.30pm
These projects are supported by Council's Local Impact Business Grants program.
Decisions Under Pressure: excellent farming in uncertain seasons
A practical half-day workshop for farmers navigating a high-risk, high-stress season.
Dr Kate Burke, founder of Think Agri, will lead this workshop designed to offer simple, practical ways to assess risk, pressure-test decisions, and move forward with clarity.
What you'll leave with:
- A clearer understanding of seasonal risk and variability
- A simple framework to guide decision-making under pressure
- Tools to test assumptions and protect downside risk
- Greater confidence to act despite uncertainty
- 1–2 clear actions and key conversations to take home
📅Thursday 4 June
⏱️8.00am - 12.00pm
📍Maryborough Community House Inc, 23 Primrose Street, Maryborough, VIC 3465
Lead the Change
Creating safe and respectful workplaces is not just best practice – it is required by
law. Many organisations are unsure where to begin, so this free state-funded initiative aims to help businesses prevent gender-based violence, meet legal obligations and build inclusive workplace cultures.
The program delivers webinars, workshops, training and practical resources to equip businesses with the tools to prevent gendered violence and build a culture of safety and respect.
If your business is in the hospitality, retail, manufacturing or construction sector, you're eligible.
Workshop: Psychological health basics
Psychological harm is one of the fastest-growing causes of workplace injury, and employers have obligations to identify psychosocial hazards, control risks and comply with your OHS responsibilities under the psychological health regulations.
This WorkSafe Victoria workshop will improve your knowledge with free tools, resources and information plus access to extra support through a follow up online Q&A session with a WorkSafe specialist.
💲Free
💻Online via Teams
📅11, 19, 24 June
Business in Practice Series - meet your pitch mentor
Want to know how to do business with government? Refine your pitch, then learn the ins and outs of winning government grants and tenders in this afternoon of free workshops.
Learn from experts from the Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS), Business Victoria and Council’s own procurement team.
- Session One: Developing Your Pitch with Small Business Mentoring Service's Trevor Mason
Trevor helps small businesses grow. He brings more than 45 years of hands‑on retail experience across multiple sectors and has held senior management roles where he successfully scaled businesses from small operations into large, high‑performing enterprises. In recent years, he has worked closely with small and medium‑sized retailers to help them regain control, strengthen performance, and accelerate growth. Trevor has also led workshops for small business programs delivered by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.
- Session Two: Winning Government Grants and Tenders
- Session Three: Doing Business with Council
💲 Free
📅 Wednesday 10 June
📍 Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton St, Castlemaine VIC 3450
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Mount Alexander Shire Council
email: business@mountalexander.vic.gov.au web: www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au
Mount Alexander Shire Council acknowledges that the traditional custodians of this
land, the Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung peoples, proudly survive. We acknowledge their continued practice of custom and their close cultural, spiritual, physical, social, historical and economic relationship with the land and waters that make up
their country, which includes Mount Alexander Shire.