Blacktown City Council is finding different ways to support their local businesses during this difficult time.

The Idea

Recently, the City of Parramatta and one ward of Brisbane City Council have been promoting their local businesses through online business directory maps provided by tech start-up Spot Local. Blacktown City Council want to further develop this concept as an ongoing way of promoting their businesses. Blacktown City has some 25,000 registered businesses (the great majority of which are too small to have an online presence).

The Project

Blacktown City Council has engaged Spot Local to assist them in the development of an online interactive business directory map. This gives, particularly small business-to-customer businesses, additional exposure to promote their products and services to the local community and visitors to the area, where they might not have a website or sufficient online capability to promote themselves. Council do not expect to have the brand awareness of a Google maps, but they can over time develop a superior service for business and customers to build local usage. The intent of the business finder map is to complement, not compete with, other relevant tools.

This service will be free for those local business who want to participate.

Proof-Of-Concept

Blacktown City Council are looking to trial this service in the Riverstone/Schofields districts of their LGA over the coming months. The map above illustrates the boundary of the trial (pink line) and indicates how the map will be used.

The pilot will allow Council to identify how they can market this initiative and provide good value to both local businesses and to potential customers of this service. They hope to receive a broad range of feedback on how such a service could be improved.

These learnings will prepare Council to consider extending the service across the whole of their City.

If you like more information on this initiative, please contact:

David Somerville

Head of Economic Development  l  Blacktown City Council

E: david.somerville@blacktown.nsw.gov.au