Frequently Asked Questions

About the Site

What is Gippsland Business Connect?

Gippsland Business Connect is a digital community that helps local businesses to raise their profile with new local customers, to connect and collaborate with each other, and for local suppliers to connect to local procurement opportunities.

Why join Gippsland Business Connect?

Search and Connect

Easily search for and connect with businesses in your local area. Answering the question: "I wonder if there is a local that can do that?" has never been easier.

Business Profiles

Your business profile on Gippsland Business Connect promotes what you do and who you do it for. Your profile can showcase the goods, products and services you offer and the size of jobs you have capacity to deliver.

Get quotes from local businesses

Get quotes or letters of introduction. Streamline the process for connecting to local suppliers on your projects.

Account Registration and Login

Create your account

It’s easy, first:

  • Click on “create an account” in the top menu.
  • Create a username. This occasionally appears throughout the site, for example in the URL for your public user profile, so keep it professional.
  • Enter your email, name and password and Create Account.

Then you will need to check your email inbox and click on the activation link. This will take you to your account dashboard.

Finally, go to the Create Profile page to complete your user profile.

Register a business

You need to have created an account before you can list your business.

Important: registering a local business is moderated for quality and locality. Your business listing will appear within 2 business days. If you need to speed this up, email Business@lva.vic.gov.au

  1. From the Businesses menu, open “Add a business
  2. Complete the two page form. Includes: business name, description, industry categorisation, goods/services, business logo, social enterprise or Aboriginal-owned business, contact information, staff.
  3. After submission, you can manage your business details from your dashboard.

Notes:

  • You can add multiple businesses if you need .
  • If the business you want to list already exists, you will need to request to join the business.

Request to join business

If your business is already listed and you don't know who owns the Business Profile, email Business@lva.vic.gov.au

 

I forgot my password

If you have forgotten your password, you can request a new password by email from the Login page.

An email with instructions to reset your password will be sent to you.

Manage my account

If you need to change your password you can reset your password by email from the Login page.

If you want to update your public profile photo, bio or occupation, you can do so from the Edit Profile page.

Listing a Project or Event

Create an event

You need to have created an account before you can advertise an Event. You can advertise local events on behalf of others.

Important: Advertising an event is moderated for quality and locality. Your event will appear within 2 business days. If you need to speed this up, email Business@lva.vic.gov.au

  1. From the Events menu, open “Add event
  2. Complete the web form. Includes: Event title, description, time/date, venue details, organiser details, event registration URL, cost.
  3. After submission, you can manage your Event from your dashboard.

Notes:

  • Venue: you can search and find an event if it’s already been used in other local events. If it’s a previously-unlisted venue, you will need to “Create: [Venue Name]” and provide details.
  • Organiser: If you have previously created an event, past event organisers will be available in the dropdown. If they are new, you will need to “Create: [Contact Name]” and provide details. You can add multiple organisers.

Privacy:

  • You don’t have to display your direct contact information if you choose.

Create project as a small / medium business

You need to have created an account before you can create a Project. To post a project where you’re actively seeking less formal responses from local businesses

  1. Tap/click on “Add small business project” from the Projects menu.
  2. Enter all the required information.
  3. Select your business as the client, or select ‘other’ and enter the appropriate contact details.
  4. Attach files if you want.

Important: Advertising an event is moderated for quality and locality. Your event will appear within 2 business days. If you need to speed this up, email Business@lva.vic.gov.au

Privacy:

  • You do not have to display your direct contact information if you choose and use in-app messaging for any communications with others.

Create procurement notification as an enterprise

You need to have created an account before you can create a Future Procurement. To post a future procurement:

  1. Tap/click on “Add a Future Procurement” from the Projects menu.
  2. Enter all the required information.
  3. If your procurement is being managed in a procurement platform (eg: Vendor Panel or TenderSearch), please direct all local businesses to that URL.
  4. If your organisation has pre-qualification requirements, list these here.
  5. Select your business as the client, or select ‘other’ and enter the appropriate contact details.
  6. Attach files if you want.

Important: Advertising an event is moderated for quality and locality. Your event will appear within 2 business days. If you need to speed this up, email Business@lva.vic.gov.au

Privacy:

  • You can choose not to display your direct contact information if you prefer and use in-app messaging for any communications with others.
  • You can choose to disable all forms of communications (in-app messaging, direct contact information) to avoid any responses about the procurement notification.

Managing a Business, Project or Event

Update my business

If you need to update your business that you have created, you can do this from your Dashboard. There is an “Edit” link at the bottom of the business listing in your dashboard.

You can update all the information shown: title, description, goods/services, Social Enterprise or Indigenous Organisation, contact information, logo.

To add team members and staff onto the business profile, they need to register to create an account. You can then find and add them to appear on your business profile. Ensure they have a professional photo and description on their user profile, as their public user profile will be linked from your business.

Delete my business

If you need to remove the business listing, you can delete it from the business page, which you can find from the business search page or your dashboard. There is a small “Delete” link at the bottom of the page

Warning: Deleting is permanent and can’t be undone!

Update my event

You can change the events you add to the site from the “My Events” menu. Each event has a View | Edit | Delete set of options.

Warning: Deleting is permanent and can’t be undone!

Update my project / procurement

If you need to update a project / procurement that you have created, you can do this from your Dashboard. There is an “Edit” link at the bottom of the each project listed in your dashboard.

If you have found a great supplier before the close date and don’t wish to receive more messages, it’s best practice to edit the project and change the close date to yesterday. This automagically moves the project to the bottom of the projects list, so users always see currently open projects above closed projects.

Searching

Find local businesses

You can search for local businesses from the Browse Businesses page in the “Businesses” menu.

Use keywords to find businesses you need, or you can filter by town/suburb or by industry.

Find business events

You can search for local business events from the Browse Events page in the Events menu.

Use the date to find events from that date forward.

Use keywords to find events relating to what interests you.

Or you can search by location.

Find projects and future procurements

You can search for projects from small/medium businesses or future procurement opportunities from enterprises from the “Projects” menu.

Use keywords to find projects, or you can filter by industry or town.

Contacting others

Responding to project / procurement

If you have viewed a project / procurement description and wish to respond with an offer:

  • If the project owner wishes to be contacted through the site, there will be a ‘CONTACT PROJECT OWNER’ button located at the bottom of the project / procurement page.
  • If the project owner wishes to receive all communication through an external URL, the contact button will not be visible, but there will be a link to the external site available under ‘EXTERNAL TENDER WEBSITE’ on the project / procurement page.

Contacting event organiser

To contact an event organiser, click on an event on the Browse Events page to open up a detailed listing of the event information. The organiser’s contact information will be available at the bottom of the listing, inside an information box marked with ‘ORGANISER’.

Contacting a business

To contact a business from our Business directory, click on the business name to open up a detailed listing of the Business’ information.

  • The full contact information (phone number, address, website) will be listed in the left hand sidebar, beneath the business logo.
  • Use the ‘Message Business’ button to send a direct message to the business owner through the site.

 

How to respond to in-site messages

Members of the site have access to a personal inbox for sending and receiving messages with other members. Logged in users will be able to select ACCOUNT > INBOX in the header menu to view their inbox.

  • All non-archived messages are visible in the left hand side-bar of the inbox. This box is scrollable using your mouse-wheel to by hovering the mouse over the side-bar and using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
  • To respond to a message, select it from the sidebar so the full message displays on the right.  There is a reply icon in the top-right corner of the message box. Clicking this button will open a message overlay, allowing you to write your message and attach any relevant files. Click ‘Send’ when you are ready to reply to your recipient.
  • Older messages can be archived so they don’t clog up your inbox.  To archive a message, select it from the sidebar so the full message displays on the right. The archive button is in the top-right corner of the message box, next to the reply icon. Archived messages are saved in your account, but are only listed in the ‘Archive’ view.
  • Messages cannot be deleted, they can only be archived, so there is no risk of losing important information from your contacts.