Or are you already running your own business and need to seek professional advice on certain issues?

Well thanks to the Hunter Business Centre and the Tea Gardens Community Technology Centre, help is now right at your doorstep.

The Hunter Business Centre has appointed the Tea Gardens CTC to make available locally the Individual Consultations Advisory Service provided by the Hunter Business Centre on behalf of the NSW Department of State & Regional Development.

Manager of Tea Gardens CTC, Trevor Cook, believes this is a great addition to the other business services offered by the CTC, (such as the advice service for NSW Office of Industrial Relations and the Australian Taxation Office information services) and should be a real benefit to local businesses, especially new and intending business persons.

Trevor explained that he will be the approved facilitator, providing advice and information, and that the service is strictly confidential and entirely free.

"This is one more example of how the CTC can make a real contribution to the community of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. "Helping local businesses in any way benefits the whole community with additional services and job opportunities, especially for our youth," said Trevor.

Some of the areas of information provided include:

* Getting Started, Structure and Business Planning

* Marketing, Advertising and Promotion

* Buying a business, Leasing, Financing and Insurance

* Customer Service, Debt Recovery and Taxation

* Electronic Commerce, Intellectual Property and using Consultants

* Employing Staff and Anti-Discrimination

* Business Security and Surviving in Business

If you are a local businessperson, or thinking about starting your own business, call in or phone the CTC on 4997 0749 for further details or to make an appointment.