CONSULTANCY firm Village Green has taken over Sunshine Commercial Association’s marketing arm, to breathe new life into the organisation and raise the profiles of Sunshine businesses.
Over the last six months, Village Green has run a $74,000 trial program with 40 Sunshine traders, teaching them how to increase their profits by cutting environmental costs and waste.
The move to invite the consultants to take over the association’s marketing was a natural fit, according to Sunshine Commercial Association executive officer Ken Francis.
“They bring youth and energy and a new outlook and will do very good things with and for the traders in their new role with the association,” Mr Francis said.
Village Green director Doug Smith said his organisation started its marketing duties last month with the launch of a Spring Carnival competition.
“Every trader in the program was given a book of tickets to hand out to their customers, who had a chance to win $1000,” Mr Smith said.
He said 15,000 tickets were distributed and the winner would be announced this week.
“We wanted to draw attention to the traders’ group and attention to businesses in Sunshine that people might not ordinarily go to,” Mr Smith said.
The Spring Carnival campaign started in midOctober, ended last week and was designed to capitalise on consumers looking for food and fashion at this time of year, Mr Smith said.
“The Sunshine traders have got all of that on offer and can match it with many of the other retailers around,” he said.
He described Village Green’s approach to increasing the viability and profitability of businesses as “holistic”.
“Ultimately we are trying to improve the profitability of small business.
“You do that by showing them how to look at all aspects of their business, and the environmental management is one aspect.
“But there is also business planning and marketing that contribute to a successful business,” Mr Smith said.
A loyalty program is starting this week, with customers to be given discount cards good at local businesses.
A percentage of all discounts will also go to a community fund trust account, to improve the profitability of all businesses in Sunshine, Mr Smith said.
“The money will be used in the district.
“Although all the details of the community fund are yet to be finalised, the general public will be able to apply for a grant to that trust fund for, say, attracting new businesses to the region or environmental initiatives or an arts program they’d like to run,” Mr Smith said.
The impetus behind the scheme was to prevent “capital leakage” out of Sunshine, which occurs when expenditure such as electricity or telephone bills goes out of the region.
Village Green and the association are gearing up for the launch of the Christmas shopping season, which will kick off in the last week of November.
Next week, Star will report on Ken Francis’s work with the Sunshine Commercial Association. Mr Francis is leaving the association after six years.
