The area of Merri-bek (formerly known as Moreland) is known for its laneways, art scene, music festivals, the infamous Merri Creek and in some parts known as the hipster end of town.
What brings the community together is hard-working small business owners who provide us with the caffeine hit we need, keep us warm with handmade beanies, deliver global impact, brew our favourite beverages, keep us fit and let us enjoy industrial materials of high calibre and even make an environmental difference.
We have partnered with Brunswick Daily to understand better the needs of the local businesses across suburbs, including Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Coburg, Coburg North, Fawkner, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale, and Pascoe Vale South.
To do this, we created a survey where Merri-bek businesses can answer questions in less than 5 minutes, helping us to tap into their needs and challenges.
How we can help grow Merri-bek businesses
The outcome will be a tailored workshop based on these answers later in the year.
LYF Solutions is proud to be part of the local community. Our founder Ray Pastoors has been an active member of Brunswick for more than ten years. Ray has supported many local businesses, including renowned Veronica Sherman, who runs the social enterprise Happily Made Village and won our Kudos award for our 2022 small business workshop.
Ray Pastoors is also proud to bring an annual headspace fun run with local outdoor personal trainer Run It By Kate for youth mental health and is a long-term advocate for fair trade clothing with local ETIKO. Most recently, we were involved in community-based marketing for the Brunswick Beethoven Music Festival.
Working with Brunswick Daily and founder Pablo Gonzalez, we are connecting our strengths to bring our community together and help small businesses grow sustainably, ethically, and data-led.
If you are a small business owner in Merri-bek, we invite you to participate in this survey here.
In return, you’ll be given 10% off the workshop we hold with Brunswick Daily, created to connect you with fellow Merri-bek businesses and help you get the digital literacy and skills you need to thrive.
The survey will close Sunday, 18 June 2023.