Doing Business on the Cassowary Coast

Business Network Event

Cassowary Coast Regional Council is dedicated to fostering a thriving local economy by supporting businesses of all sizes. Whether you are an established business or looking to start fresh in the region, we offer a range of services, resources, and opportunities to help you succeed.

Biz Connect Sessions and Biz Hub

Council’s Economic Development Team can provide one-on-one support to assist with all your business questions and concerns through the Biz Support Program. Biz Support offers free one-on-one sessions to connect you with the right services, resources, and advice to help your business succeed.

 

Small Business Friendly Initiative

As a Small Business Friendly Council, we are committed to making it easier for local businesses to operate. Since signing the Small Business Friendly Charter in April 2022, we have enhanced communication, streamlined processes, and provided additional tools to support small businesses across the region.


Work with Us

Council actively supports local businesses by engaging local contractors and suppliers, ensuring that economic benefits remain within the community. By working with us, you contribute to a stronger, more resilient local economy.

Why Work with Council?

  • Gain access to ongoing Council projects and procurement opportunities.
  • Be part of a network that prioritizes local business engagement.
  • Benefit from Council’s commitment to fair, transparent, and efficient tendering processes.

How to Get Involved:

  • Register as a supplier on VendorPanel to receive tender invitations.
  • Attend Council’s business networking events and information sessions.
  • Explore business growth programs and funding assistance.


Workforce Planning

The diversity of the Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s industries and businesses require tailored approaches to address local workforce challenges and to grow, skill and retain our workforces.

Jobs Queensland has partnered with the Cassowary Coast Regional Council to provide a range of workforce planning data and resources available to help you develop workforce planning strategies and actions to access the skills and workforce you need.

Read the Workforce Planning Factsheet(PDF, 2MB) now.

Planning your workforce

Stage 1 to 4 of workforce planning

Workforce Planning Connect is a suite of materials designed to support employers access the skills and workforce they need.

You can choose the resources that work best for your business size:

  • The Workbook has been developed with micro to small businesses in mind.
  • The Toolkit and templates have been developed with small to medium-sized businesses in mind.

Whatever resource you choose, you can follow the steps to begin your workforce planning journey.

Start your plan

Region workforce planning guide

This guide is designed for regions, economic development bodies and government agencies to develop a region workforce plan to achieve successful and sustainable outcomes for local communities and the region more broadly. Workforce planning and development is critical in shaping the future of a region’s unique local workforce, and business

Read the Workforce planning for regions guide

Workforce planning for industry

This guide is designed to help industry, economic development bodies and government to develop an industry workforce plan that will provide an understanding of the current workforce, and what is required to be able to respond quickly and adapt to changes in economic conditions, disruption across supply chains and technological advances.

An industry focused workforce plan can create a clear pathway forward to address longstanding challenges and leverage emerging opportunities.

Read the Workforce planning for industry guide

Anticipating future skills

The Anticipating Future Skills Series provides customised employment projections at region, industry, occupation and qualification levels to help you understand Queensland’s future skills needs. The data for the Cassowary Coast Regional Council is captured in the Cairns region profile.

Infographic on Cairns region job projections, highlighting growth in health care, retail, and hospitality sectors.

Click through to Anticipating Future Skills Series

Free Workforce Planning course with University of Sunshine Coast

Jobs Queensland has partnered with the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) to provide Queensland business owners and managers with a free Workforce Planning Course.

Based on Jobs Queensland’s Workforce Planning Connect tools and resources, the 7-week short course is designed to help businesses fully understand their workforce and develop an agile, flexible workforce plan to respond to changes in the business environment.

Click here to learn more about the Course

Get help from an Industry Workforce Advisor

An Industry Workforce Advisor can work with you to help you plan your workforce, find solutions to employment challenges, and connect with programs, incentives and funding opportunities.

Industry Workforce Advisors work directly with individual employers to identify workforce challenges, develop a workforce plan and suggest options to address the challenges. They can also connect them with available programs, including grants and initiatives.

Contact an Industry Workforce Advisor

 

Business Launchpad: Your Start-Up Toolkit

If you have a great business idea, the Business Launchpad is a new digital tool designed to take the guesswork out of setting up and running a small business.

This free resource, developed by the Queensland Government, helps entrepreneurs in the Cassowary Coast region navigate the necessary licences, permits, and regulatory requirements.

Who is it for?

  • New food and beverage businesses
  • New residential construction businesses

     

What can you do with Business Launchpad?

  • Create a personalised guide tailored to your business type and location
  • Sign in to save progress and access your account from any device
  • Pre-fill, complete, and submit some licensing forms online

 

Get started with Business Launchpad

 

Starting a Business

If you're looking to start a business, we provide valuable resources, including:

Useful Tools for Setting Up Your Business

Here are some key steps to get your business up and running:

  1. Create a business plan – Check out the Australian Government’s Business Entry Point for guidance.
  2. Seek local support – Contact Advance Cairns or a local Business Enterprise Centre for expert advice.
  3. Register your business name – Visit the Queensland Office of Fair Trading to get started.
  4. Get a domain name – Register your website domain through your internet service provider.Here are some key steps to get your business up and running:
  5. Apply for an ABN – Register your Australian Business Number (ABN) online and set up your tax details
  6. Check for Council permits – Find out which Permits and Licences apply to your business.
  7. Protect your brand – Learn about trademarks, logos, and intellectual property rights.
  8. Consider business insurance – Explore your options through Business Insurance providers.

 

Business and Investment Additional Resources

We provide a range of downloadable guides and resources to help businesses thrive. These include:

 

Connect with Council

Need assistance? Contact our Econonic Development Team at:

 

 

 

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