There were fears last year that without vital funding the Snowy Enterprise Centre (SEC) would no longer be able to provide vital services to the Snowy Mountains and Monaro Region. That was until the service acquired a $125,000 windfall by way of a $75,000 Federal Government Grant and $50,000 donation by Cooma-Monaro Shire Council, to fund services until the end of the year.

SEC business advisory service manager Ron Wiggins said the $75,000 announced by the Federal Government last month was part of the Small Business Advisory Services Program.

“It is designed to assist small business during the recessionary period and will run out in December,” Mr Wiggins said.

The funding is specifically designed to assist with the three day a week mobile business advisory service.

Mr Wiggins said that while the SEC was grateful that Capital Region BEC representatives could make the trip to Cooma two to three times a week it was still difficult for some small business owners to take time away from their business and bare the travel expenses, especially while times were tough for business.

“It is a 200 kilometre round trip to Bombala or Delegate,” he said.

“And there are some things that you can’t discuss over the phone.”

The $50,000 given to the service by Cooma-Monaro Shire Council late last year has kept the SEC’s incubator service afloat.

The incubator service provides offices, discounted rent counselling and support services for businesses starting out and administration services including photocopying, binding, secretariat and administrative services, typing, editing and assembling of resumes.

Mr Wiggins said due to the smaller size of the SEC the incubator services would not allow the SEC to become self sufficient, but there were training programs that the SEC was developing that could be offered to flexibly to businesses.

“We can offer anything from basic project management, personnel supervision and team management,” he said.

“Things, that if small business doesn’t get right, could have a negative impact on the whole operation.”