The City of Playford Business and Industry Growth Team were excited to recently welcome Rachel Kammerman to the role of Business and Industry Growth Officer.
Rachel brings to the team a wealth of experience assisting budding entrepreneurs and small businesses to thrive through the Federal Government funded NEIS and Self Employment Assistance Programs for over a decade. The role allowed her to work closely with a variety of businesses from drone operators to bakers, giving her front row seats to view many of the challenges and obstacles that small businesses face. Her own experiences in owning and running a business also provided her with valuable insights that she can pass on to new business owners.
‘Many small businesses start as ‘passion projects’ without enough planning on who they are targeting, what their financial position is or needs to be in order to be sustainable,’ said Rachel, ‘This is where accessing support, such as here at the Stretton Centre, can be so valuable to get that planning underway.’
Helping business owners source funding, support or training is one of the aspects of her new role that excites Rachel as she looks to really enable Playford businesses find their audience, continue to grow and thrive.
‘Many new businesses are unaware of the services that exist or the opportunities to upskill themselves or staff out there, so I’m really looking forward to connecting people with the right support for them.’
With International Women’s Day coming up on 8 March, Rachel also reflected on how many female entrepreneurs she has been fortunate to work with and provided her with much inspiration over her years in business.
‘Women are often their own harshest critics and place a lot of pressure on being successful very early on in their business journey, many times whilst also juggling family commitments all at once,’ said Rachel, ‘However, we are amazing collaborators and I am seeing female entrepreneurs connecting, supporting each other and lifting each other up when needed. I am constantly inspired by the female business owners I have had the privilege to support, connect and work with.'
If you are a starting a new business or have a business and looking for advice, Rachel is based at the Stretton Centre and is ready to help as much as she can. She can be contacted on 0467 820 655 or via email at rkammerman@strettoncentre.com.au.