How we support new businesses
and early stage entrepreneurs
There are a lot of things to consider when starting a new business.
We’re here to help you navigate your first steps and put you on the path to sustainable growth.
Regional Rising co-founder Paul Dillon at the ‘wings’ on the Silver City Highway on the way to deliver small business workshops in Broken Hill, NSW.
Plan for success
Plan your work, work your plan!
The idea of being your own boss is an exciting one and we have nothing but admiration for people who want to forge their own path and create their own financial destiny.
It’s easy, however, to let our vision cloud our judgement and to leapfrog the essentials.
Have you researched whether there is a viable market to sustain your new business?
What will your products and services be and how will you price them?
How will you launch and what strategies will you put in place to attract and retain customers?
Do you have enough capital to fund your launch and sustain you through the first couple of years?
As tempting as it is to “trust your gut” and just go for it we cannot stress enough the importance of pausing and planning.
Get in touch if you’d like some personalised 1:1 coaching online to help you pressure test your vision and ideas and to put some structure around your plans.
How we can help
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Thinking about starting a new business? Or have you opened a business in the past couple of years and need some guidance?
We want to help local businesses get off to the best possible start and become long term success stories.
Our format is very flexible: if you want to discuss your business plan, you can, or if you want to focus on a particular topic or pain point, then that's fine too. Let’s start talking.
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We believe in the adage “Plan your work, then work your plan.”
However tempting it is to want to start a business on a gut feeling and race into it, it’s critically important to have a document setting out your business's future objectives and strategies for achieving them.
We can accompany you through part or all of this process.
Regional Rising can provide 1:1 personalised coaching online for new business founders. No matter where you are located in regional, rural or remote Australia, simply booking a time through our online calendar!
Register and protect
Secure assets before the big spend
It is very important to secure your new identity with various authorities and across various marketing platforms before you invest too much money in a name, logo and go public with your brand.
Does someone else use the same or a similar name in your region or industry?
Is a .com.au domain name that matches your new identity available or does it already belong to someone else?
Have you blocked out matching profile names and URLs across key social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube?
Does someone already have a trademark for the same name?
These are some of the important considerations that must be addressed before you progress too far and spend too much money on your new business name.
You can navigate all of these steps yourself or you can engage us to guide you to navigate all of these different processes.
How we can help
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You can register an Australian Business Number (ABN) online and for free, but if it all seems too much you can sit down with us and we’ll guide you through the process.
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Your business name will follow you forever - it’ll be on your uniforms, your businesses cards and your email address among other things.
We can guide you through the creative part of choosing your business name as well as the registration process with ASIC if you want someone by your side.
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Your domain name is how your customers find your website and it should closely resemble your business name and be registered at the same time!
Our domain names experience runs deep - in a past life we managed domain names for one of the world’s largest insurers in more than 50 countries - talk to us.
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Social networks and social media have transformed businesses of all sizes, from micro and small businesses upwards.
They present incredible - and low cost! - opportunities to reach new customers in new markets and build two-way relationships to grow your businesses.
It’s important to lock down your preferred social profile names on day 1 and we excel in this space.
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In this uber-connected world every office and home seems to have dozens of devices connected to the internet 24/7.
As a new business it is critically important that you put processes and safeguards in place to protect both yours and your customers’ personal information.
Rarely a week passes that there isn’t a story about another big business that has had its systems breached and customer data stolen.
If you don’t have secure and up-to-date networks, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and password managers in use then you’re not secure.
Talk to us about becoming my cyber safety aware and setting up a solid foundation for your business.
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Business names and trademarks are two very different things but many people don’t understand the differences.
A business name is an administrative requirement and doesn’t stop others from using the same or a similar name.
A trademark, on the other hand, gives you exclusive rights to use, license, or sell the mark. You can also prevent others from using it. A trade mark doesn’t have to be a name either. (Source: IPAustralia)
Setup your brand
Create a positive first impression
Your brand is more than your logo: it’s your identity. It’s the personality of your business, the language you use to speak to people and it’s what causes people to care about what you do.
We have more than 25 years of international experience in brand, marketing and communication and we want to share that expertise with people starting and growing businesses in regional Australia.
There are many aspects to your brand, including but not limited to your website, social media presence (and tone of voice), logo and email address. Whether you need help with one of these or something not listed we encourage you to get in touch for a chat.
How we can help
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At Regional Rising, not only do we teach business how to build their own websites, we also create them for businesses too!
You’ll get a mobile-friendly window into your business that’s findable on Google.
Whatever your time or budget pressure we can help to get you online.
Learn more about our website building services.
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Business listings are a great way to increase your visibility online and in many cases, like in the case of Google, Bing, Yelp and TripAdvisor, they’re free!
Setting up your free profile on platforms such as Google My Business and Bing Places for Business are super important as your profile and key business information will appear at the top of search engine results pages when people search for your name or services you provide.
Your listing is also valuable as it contributes to your ranking on maps and provides a platform for receiving and responding to reviews from customers.
Go ahead and setup your listings yourself or contact us if you need help or would like us to set them up as part of your business launch preparation.
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Your business name is important but it’s your logo that catches the customer’s eye.
There are different options for different budgets - talk to us before you spend too little or too much on the wrong logo!
We’ll then set you up with business cards, business stationery, an email signature and more!
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If you’ve come this far and registered your name, designed a logo, printed business cards and gone online then you need a matching email address.
We can setup a you@businessname.com.au address with Google or Microsoft in no time!
The Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 platforms also come with cloud-based file storage, online meeting tools and word processing and presentation apps among other useful tools for business.
Grow your business
Attracting and retaining customers
Congratulations! So you’ve got a business plan, an ABN, a website and a social media presence.
Now the pressure is on to grow your business by attracting new customers and well as retaining the ones you’ve got. Growth strategies can include getting ranked higher on Google for the products and services you offer, creating an online store and nurturing prospects and existing customers with email newsletters and campaigns.
At Regional Rising we have deep experience in developing and executing growth strategies for business and we can’t wait to share them with you. We can teach you how to grow if you are on a budget or we can develop the strategies for you if you are more established and have a budget. Let’s talk and see if and how we can help you.
How we can help
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Having a website is one thing but are prospective customers finding you on Google when searching for the products or services you sell?
We understand many of the factors Google takes into account when calculating rankings on its search results pages and what you can do on your website to improve your rankings!
Talk to us about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
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The digital economy creates immense challenges and opportunities for businesses.
By developing an online store (your website working hand-in-hand with social media), you allow new customers in new markets to buy from you 24/7. Fail to go and sell online and you could see your market share shrink as others move into this space.
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Email marketing is an under-rated marketing tactic and many businesses are missing out by not nurturing relationships by email.
How many times have you thought “I didn’t know that news, offer or event was on!” only for someone to say “but we put it on Facebook!
Everyone has an email address and, unlike social media, there’s no algorithm blocking your messages from reaching your customers.
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We deliver a range of workshops and workshop series online and in-person.
Browse our upcoming workshops.
Contact us for more information
Helping people take their first steps to start their own business is one of our favourite things in the world.
We took the plunge and created Regional Rising back in 2017 so if we can start our own business you can too!
Get in touch for a no obligation chat to see if we can help set you on the right path to becoming your own boss.
We support the Sustainable Development Goals
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Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. When people are able to get quality education they can break from the cycle of poverty.
Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality. It also empowers people everywhere to live more healthy and sustainable lives. Education is also crucial to fostering tolerance between people and contributes to more peaceful societies.
Regional Rising aims to contribute to Goal 4.4:
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
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Goal 8 is about promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
Providing youth the best opportunity to transition to a decent job calls for investing in education and training of the highest possible quality, providing youth with skills that match labour market demands, giving them access to social protection and basic services regardless of their contract type, as well as leveling the playing field so that all aspiring youth can attain productive employment regardless of their gender, income level or socio-economic background.
Regional Rising aims to contribute to Goal 8.3:
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
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Goal 9 seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure, can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income. They play a key role in introducing and promoting new technologies, facilitating international trade and enabling the efficient use of resources.
The growth of new industries means improvement in the standard of living for many of us.
Regional Rising aims to contribute to Goal 9.1:
Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.