It can be incredibly difficult running a business in one of the toughest sectors out there, particularly if you throw in a few years of COVID-19, but for Felicia Dean it is not just about business, it is also about people.
Mrs Dean is the owner of The Connection function centre between Shepparton and Mooroopna, which hosted the Shepparton Regional Business Program organised by the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership on June 22.
The program aimed to help Indigenous-owned Goulburn Valley-based businesses prepare for the expected economic boost the Commonwealth Games will bring Victoria in 2026.
A local Yorta Yorta woman, Mrs Dean said she hoped businesses such as her own would benefit when Games events, such as BMX and road cycling, were held in Shepparton.
“I think there’s certainly scope there for us to benefit from what hosting the Games could bring to Shepparton, and particularly in terms of catering,” she said.
“This is a wonderful venue to host small to medium sized gatherings, so there's certainly an opportunity there.”
Mrs Dean has welcomed a bright light on the horizon, given the struggles that COVID-19 has brought the hospitality sector in recent years.
“Business is rewarding, but it is very hard, and before COVID I would have said you get back what you put in; however, COVID was really cruel to the hospitality industry and it’s going to be some time before a lot of businesses fully recover,” she said.
Mrs Dean said it had been a focus of her business to encourage and train the next generation of First Nations workers and even business owners.
“I'm really proud of the young people that come through here,” she said.
“They're in full-time employment in the Goulburn Valley and they’ve started their own families. That makes me feel proud that I’ve helped them on their way.”
Despite the challenges Mrs Dean has faced, she still encourages First Nations people to pursue their own business ambitions.
“I strongly encourage them to do it,” she said.
“Dream big and have a go, don’t live with regrets.
“Often with Aboriginal businesses, you’ll find that they employ Aboriginal people as well so I encourage people to consciously think of that so when they’re supporting an Aboriginal business, they’re also supporting a whole heap of Aboriginal staff that work in there because funds that go into the business obviously go into wages and it’s supporting families in the community as well.”