General News
4 July, 2022
Small Business grant received for digital transformation
A recently launched local business, Harbourside Glass and Maintenance, was awarded $5,000 as one of the winners of the Thryv Small Business Grant to help their business transition towards a digital model.
Thryv Australia is an organisation that provides technology, software and automation tools to help small businesses be more competitive, improve their communication with clients and take control of all aspects of their business.
The Small Business Grant aims to support small organisations on their digital transformation process. Harbourside Glass and Maintenance was the only Far North Queensland business to obtain the grant.
Harbourside Glass and Maintenance is a family-owned business that specialises in glass and aluminium maintenance services like glass repairs, installing and replacing windows and doors, security screens, mirrors and more.
Owner and founder of Harbourside Glass and Maintenance Surya Harbour said it was a pleasant surprise to have won this grant.
“We’re a very new business; we started in February this year and are navigating everything in the business setup,” Ms Harbour said.
“It’s huge for us; we’re a husband-and-wife business, so getting this grant is going to help us automate some things, and the support from Thryv is incredible.”
Ms Harbour said that going digital was essential for small businesses, and having opportunities like this grant makes this transition much more accessible.
“As a small business, there are so many outgoings initially, so to have a little bit of a cash injection, can support us in digitising our business maybe more than what we would have if we didn’t have the grant,” she said.
As the only Far North Queensland recipient of the grant and as a Cairns business, Ms Harbour feels honoured to represent small local businesses.
“We feel privileged to be the only one in FNQ, especially in Cairns, which is a smaller town with many small local businesses,” she said.
“It’s great that we get to put our name out there and let other small businesses in the region know that they can achieve this too.”
This grant is only one of the first steps in the long journey that Harbourside Glass and Maintenance have ahead of them, and Ms Harbour feels optimistic about the future of their business.
“We’ve got a young family, and we’re looking towards the future and having more flexibility in our lives, and that’s what inspired us to start this venture,” she said.
“It’s a crazy time, and it was a huge risk, but we’re lucky, here in Cairns, trades seem to be booming, so we’re grabbing onto that and hoping we can grow.”
For more information on Harbourside Glass and Maintenance, see their facebook page @HarboursideGlassCairns visit https://bit.ly/3OxZOFn or email at info@harboursideglass.com.au
