Wirra Hub supports Indigenous businesses in WA

This year, the Wirrpanda Foundation established the WA Indigenous Business and Employment Hub, known as the Wirra Hub.

The Hub supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Australia who want to start, grow or sustain their business, and connects corporates with Indigenous businesses or job seekers. Funded by the National Indigenous Australian’s Agency, the Wirra Hub is a key initiative under the Government’s 10-year Indigenous Business Sector Strategy.

The Hub is designed as a one-stop shop for Indigenous businesses and job seekers to access Government support, to work from, and connect with corporates in a culturally safe and inclusive place.

This support includes help for Indigenous businesses to build their capability through coaching with an expert team of Indigenous business coaches, and provides direct access to expert, independent, and professional support.

General Manager, Shane Devitt, descendant of the Nganyaywana people, said the Wirra Hub provides a culturally safe-place to connect with expert advice, grow business capability and access new markets.

'A typical day for a Wirra Hub business coach involves meeting with clients to understand their business and what stage they are at in the business lifecycle,' Shane said.

'We then determine what support they need from the Wirra Hub and arrange for that support to occur.'

'We can also connect Wirra Hub clients to our growing network of professional consultants. By linking business owners to these independent business-support services, we can help achieve our client’s commercial ambitions.'

In its first months of operation, the Wirra Hub has already seen clients achieve positive and tangible outcomes for their businesses.

Shane said one particular highlight was the response the Wirra Hub received from its Regional Pop-up events.

'As part of the Wirra Hub’s commitment to providing support to Aboriginal businesses located in regional Western Australia, we have commenced a series of Wirra Hub Regional Pop-ups to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses outside the Perth metro region.'

'Pop-up Hubs in Bunbury, Kalgoorlie and Peel attracted over 80 attendees, who had the chance to learn more about the Wirra Hub and its services.'

Shane explained that the clients who Wirra Hub works with include a broad range of businesses at different stages of the business cycle.

'We are currently servicing 103 business clients from small, micro, medium and rapid growth businesses. It doesn’t matter the size of the operation, or the level of a business’s commercial maturity, we’re here to help.'

Shane wants to see the entire Indigenous business sector thriving and hopes to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses in the Western Australian supply chain.

'This would have the knock-on effect to the wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through increased capacity, employment and wealth.'