Main Street is not a very common term that is used in Australia.

A main street is the primary retail street of a:

• business precinct
• town centre
• business activity centre
• shopping precinct
• shopping strip or
• shopping village

in your local community.

You probably know or refer to your local main street as:

The shops

“… just going to the shops.”

The local

“… just heading to the local… we need XYZ.”

or  perhaps, you know your local business community and business owners so well, that it sounds as if they were a friend

“… just heading to see [insert name of friendly business owner here] to grab X,Y, Z”

I like to think of main streets as:

Social, cultural, vibrant, grassroots meeting places in our neighbourhood that we interact with in different ways that are filled with a diverse range of independently and mostly family owned/operated shops and retailers such as:

• grocery shops
• banks
• medical clinics
• veterinary clinics
• cafes
• beauty salons
• accountants
• butchers
• the local pub
• bakeries
• physiotherapists
• restaurants
• art galleries
• live music venues
• clothing
• panel beaters
• mechanics
• gelaterias
• DIY and hardware
• industrial
• real estate
• service based professionals
• book shops
• homewares
• major retailers and more

From an economic perspective, they offer a huge range of employment opportunities, market local businesses, boost local economies and investment, increase tourism visitation and play such an active role in our everyday lives.

As you can see, a main street is so much more than we think.

They are places where great memories and moments have taken place in our local community, and often set the scene for a great story.

They are places where great memories and moments have taken place in our local community… and often set the scene for a great story!

I grew up, studied, played and worked in Melbourne’s North (Reservoir, Preston, Brunswick, Coburg, Carlton and Northcote) and have a Lebanese background.

My Baba (Dad) was the first person in his family (he has 8 brothers and 5 sisters) to come to Australia. He worked at a famous dessert shop and served an Australian Ambassador in Lebanon that encouraged him to come to Australia and start a business.

Leaving his family, he travelled and worked all over the Nation and decided to settle in Victoria, where he opened his first business on a main street in Lygon Street, Carlton.

He’s one of the hardest workers I know (I got my work ethic, style and humour from him), and because of his success as a business owner, was able to bring his entire family from Lebanon to Melbourne, Australia.

and we are all here because he said yes to an opportunity and started a business in a Victorian main street and to this day, still makes the most amazing Middle Eastern desserts.

but how wonderful to think that there are so many other families out there, that have a similar story.

Do you or your family have a similar story?

🏪 if you operate a commercial business in Victoria, and are interested in establishing your own incorporated business association in your shopping precinct, please get in touch with Rania Fayad from Yellow Round Table to discuss.

Want to find out more about Rania Fayad and Yellow Round Table?

• Rania provided a presentation at the metropolitan and regional Mainstreet Australia Conference on ‘how to establish a main street marketing and business development fund.
• Rania is listed as a consultant on the Mainstreet Australia website. Mainstreet Australia is the peak industry body that advocates for local shopping precincts. You can read my consulting profile here.
• Check out the Yellow Round Table website and read more about my services, experiences and how I can help your business association.
• You can follow Yellow Round Table on Instagram. 
• You can sign up to my monthly emails (this is where I share the most value) by heading on over to my website.
• Follow Yellow Round Table on LinkedIn.
• Connect with Rania Fayad on LinkedIn.
• Book in a free 15 minute discovery call.

At Yellow Round Table, our mission is to help Australian businesses do good business. by building strong foundations that cut the red tape!

Our zone of genius? The business permits your business needs to start, scale, and survive.

But before we dive in, now is a good time for you to grab a drink.

When it comes to business permits, no two businesses are the same.

It doesn’t matter if your business operates from home or a commercial property. The reason why no two businesses are the same is because of your address.

First off, your Council will not be able to provide you with specific permit information, unless you provide them with an address.

You don’t need to own or have leased a property; you just need to provide a (home or commercial) address. If you don’t have an address, the information is generic or they will advise you to come back with an address.

This is a very valuable piece of information for businesses to know.

The reason why your business needs to provide this information when applying for business permits

There are specific rules associated with your business address.

An address can either make or break your business.

From car parking, building structure, serving food/drinks, tables and chairs, signage, noise, number of customers/staff. waste; these all relate and at times, can trigger a business permit.

What are business permits?

When we refer to business permits, we are referring to ALL permits your business may/may not require from your Local Council.

To break business permits down for you, we have broken this down into four key areas.

This will provide some insight into a Local Council’s regulatory teams.

They are:

Statutory Planning

Decisions made by your Local Council’s Statutory Planning department are in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

Your Local Council will also have other policies and strategies including a Planning Scheme.

Environmental Health

Environmental Health administer and issue permits in accordance with the Food Act 1987 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

Local Laws

As there are 79 Local Council’s in Victoria, this means that there are 79 different General Local Laws.

A Local Law is a requirement under the Local Government Act 1989.

Building

Your Local Council’s Building Surveyor or private registered Building Surveyor will make decisions and issue permits in accordance with the Building Regulations 2018 and Building Act 1993.

Avoid making this mistake when looking at properties for your business

Before we sign off, we wanted to tell you this important piece of information as it’s a common mistake businesses make.

The mistake is businesses buy properties or sign leases for properties prior to speaking with their Local Council.

We encourage you to speak to your Local Council first for advice, before making a decision.

Your Local Council will also let you know if you require additional advice from other State Government authorities or may need to engage external consultants to help you with your business permit application.

Need some extra business support?

On the contrary, you can always book in a consultation with Rania from Yellow Round Table today

She’s a leading expert in all things business permits in Victoria and has helped thousands of businesses develop strategies and proposals to start and scale their dream.

She’ll also educate you on the entire statutory process (what you need to know and ask for) prior to you engaging your Local Council or real estate agent.

It’s about setting you up for success and building a strong foundation for your business.

Who has a seat at your round table?

You may need many experts and specialists sitting at your round table to help you throughout your business journey.

From lawyers, accountants, building surveyors, statutory planners and maybe a business professional like Rania too?

If you are serious about building strong foundations for your business kingdom, you’ll have the right people helping you make decisions and take action.