Technology Enables Center to Expand Business Networks Throughout Australia
"DonorTec has assisted the community-based nonprofit organization Belmont Business Enterprise Centre, Inc. (BEC), to improve efficiency and reliability to manage its computer networks at low cost."
Those are the words of Belmont (Western Australia) Business Enterprise Centre manager Carol Hanlon, who, in October 2008, was awarded the Australian Taxation Office Award for Best Business Enterprise Centre Manager (BEC) in Australia.
"I'm passionate about innovation within my Business Enterprise Centre in Belmont and have been supported fully by my team. In turn, the small businesses that use our service win as we all love what we do and strive to help businesses grow," said Ms. Hanlon.
As founding manager, Ms. Hanlon established the Belmont BEC in 1994. The center has supported in excess of 16,000 clients with business counseling and guidance. Their support has helped start new home-based, micro, and small businesses in Belmont, across Western Australia, and nationally.
Since its inception, the Belmont BEC has established an extensive range of community small business support projects and programs. These include the Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre, Inc. (TCFWA), Belmont Small Business Awards, WA Racing Industry Development Project, Designedge Innovation Festival, Multicultural Business Support Services, Designedge Fashion Incubator, Belmont Clothes Library, and Business Workshops for Youth.
Other center activities include the establishment of a range of specialist business workshops, many with a focus on creative industry business development programs with indigenous and culturally diverse groups.
"As the only BEC in Australia specializing in fashion and creative industry micro small business support, our resources are continually stretched to the limit with the thousands of emails we receive and send in WA and nationally," said Ms. Hanlon.
"Through the Belmont BEC receiving DonorTec assistance to purchase its Cisco router and switching equipment, and the Microsoft server and Office software, we have been able to expand our enterprise network services," explained Ms. Hanlon.
