Economic Gardening Illawarra is a structured business support program available to businesses located in the Illawarra region. Adopted by Shellharbour and Kiama Councils, this program focuses on the development of the regional economy by supporting and assisting existing businesses to develop and grow sustainably - much like gardeners provide the support required for their plants to grow!

The primary aim of the initiative is to invest resources in businesses that have the potential for fast growth and therefore the potential to generate local employment. It also aims to encourage businesses to seek markets beyond the local region to attract wealth to our area.

“With Economic Gardening I was able to pull things apart, really dissect what was important at the time to deal with and build from there. It also gave me the confidence to open my second location 18 months after the first, and it definitely taught me to work on the business rather than in the business. I definitely suggest that you do (the program) especially with the difficult times at the moment.”

Karen De Gonzalez, Skin Correctives

“At that time we were a team of 2 and I found the program very beneficial as it forced me to step away from the business and look holistically at what we should be doing better, what we should stop doing and what we should start doing.  Now we are a team of 6 and I still draw things on what I learnt from the  Program and apply it today to what I do."

Craig Bayliss, Coastal Strata