Business Horsham executive administrator, Wendy Mitchell was our guest speaker and told us of her role working for what we once knew as the Chamber of Commerce, prior to becoming Business Horsham in 2006.

Business Horsham is partly funded by membership from 14 industry sectors. When Ms Mitchell started with Business Horsham in 2010 there were 66 members. Today, there are 170, whose reasons for joining range from business support and advocacy to promotion and marketing, training and networking opportunities.

Another area of assistance is bringing specialised presenters to various sectors with information specific to their needs. In questions, Ms Mitchell was asked about the empty shops within the town. An area often difficult to resolve as many shop owners are investors who are not local, but one that Business Horsham continues to work on.

Ms Mitchell said the businesses that chose to dress up and display Adelaide Crows colours during grand final weekend was fantastic. They were rewarded with strong trade, especially in the main street area. Visitors to the Australian Junior Motocross Championships and Horsham Show swelled numbers for retailers and hospitality.

Next meeting, Monday, November 6: Fashion parade with Kouture by Kaz. As this is the day prior to the Melbourne Cup, please feel free to dress in your cup fashions and also study the horses names before the meeting. There will be a cup-themed trivia quiz and some small prizes.