Weekly news from the Bellingen Chamber – 22 June 2020

Business link-up – Wednesday 24 June

We look forward to seeing you at our weekly Zoom catch up. Click here just before 8am to join.

This week’s special guests are

• Michael Grieve, Manager Economic and Business Development, Bellingen Shire Council – Michael will talk about a strategy for tourism and for promoting Bellingen Shire to visitors
• Rod and Jo Keers from ilovebelloshire – Rod and Jo will talk about Support Local, Council’s campaign to support local businesses.

Partnering with Bellingen Rotary – have your say!

Last Thursday I was invited to attend the Bellingen Rotary Club’s weekly Zoom meeting to talk about how COVID has affected businesses in our Shire. Among the issues discussed were the contribution that a strong local economy makes to community security and wellbeing, and the impact on a community of losing their local newspaper.
The Rotarians were pleased to hear that the Shire’s three Chambers of Commerce are working together. Also, they were keen to find ways to partner with the Chambers, to support local economic recovery efforts and to ensure that their efforts are directed at projects that will be relevant to local businesses.
Bellingen Rotary Club would like Chamber members to submit ideas for one or more projects that we could work on together over the next 12 months.
Please give some thought to this request and send me your thoughts and ideas (president@bellingenchamber.com.au). What would you like us to work on?

Tax time resources from the ATO

The ATO has prepared various resources to help you with your tax returns.
If you are working from home as a result of COVID-19, there is a a simple way to claim deductions. For the period 1 March to 30 June 2020, you can claim 80 cents per work hour for all your additional running expenses, rather than needing to calculate costs for specific running expenses. Click here to find out more about this scheme.
You may also like to read this article from the ATO: Ways to help you get ready for this tax time.

Member profile – meet Bryce Clark

What is your business?

My business, Clark Piano Services, offers piano tuning and a host of our services related to acoustic pianos. For the playability and tone of a piano, we offer regulation and voicing, and to return a piano to its former glory (think of all the issues a 100 year old machine with 10,000 parts might have!) we offer rebuilding and restoration. We can also help you to buy or sell a piano.

How did you come to start the business?

After working in the music industry in Melbourne, I enrolled in a piano technology course, finishing in 2011. Over the next 2 years I worked for a local piano store, then launched my own business, initially providing piano maintenance for the same store.

What brought you to Bellingen?

My partner grew up here and we made many trips up to Bellingen before finally deciding to make the move in late 2019.

How has COVID affected your business?

Pianos being something of a luxury item, we depend on a strong local economy. Since  moving here, I had been trying to build up a client base from Port Macquarie  to Grafton, while also travelling down to Melbourne to look after existing clients. This obviously dried up with travel restrictions and people tightening their belts.

You’ve just joined the Chamber Board — what prompted you to join and what are you hoping to contribute to the Chamber?

Being new in town I really want to get involved in the local community, but unfortunately I’m from Victoria so don’t speak rugby. I’ve previously been involved in boards in Melbourne for the Piano Tuners & Technicians Guild, as general committee member, secretary and vice president over 5–6 years. I’m hoping that  Bellingen Chamber can make use of my experience to become bigger and better.