By DANIELLE GALVIN
A BUSINESS exposition run by the Lakeside Community Development Forum (LCDF) could reinvigorate a Pakenham business group for local traders.
The event will include stallholders and business owners from across Cardinia and Casey.
Organiser and LCDF committee member Clair Tomlinson said there would be a variety of businesses including guitar makers and tradesmen.
“The LCDF is running it – basically it’s by the community for the community so that people know what sort of businesses are here,” Ms Tomlinson said.
“The businesses are from Narre Warren, Emerald, Gembrook and Cockatoo.
“We’d like for people to get to know what’s around them.”
The LCDF will also put together a directory of businesses at the exposition as a phone book for local traders.
“People around here want to stay locally,” she said.
“We want everybody to come.”
The LCDF is also hoping to encourage businesses to come together to form a business group.
Last year the Pakenham Business Group folded after an under-whelming turn out at the annual general meeting and committee members moving on.
“I think we need to bring back that initial business group – it doesn’t matter whose there or what you do, that person can mentor others when they are just starting up a new business,” she said.
Organiser Pip Chalmers is a single mum who runs a babysitting business and party planning business.
She said she believed there should be more support for people like her starting up for the first time and there were others in similar situations with various skills to get back into the workforce.
Ms Tomlinson, a new business owner, said she hoped others could get ideas from the exposition to start up their own home based business including young mums and people with all abilities.
“It’s just about networking and being able to get that person to the next stage when they have a business idea,” she said.
The event is on 5 May from 6pm to 8.30pm at Lakeside Lutheran College in Pakenham.
