Supporting Local Business Growth and Development in Kelmscott

The Armadale Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the launch of a pilot advocacy project in Kelmscott aimed at understanding how we can better support local businesses and strengthen the local economy.

This initiative is focused on listening to business owners — understanding their challenges, priorities, and opportunities for growth — so we can work together to create a more vibrant, sustainable, and connected business community in Kelmscott.

Click here to share your story in our Kelmscott Business Survey.

Our Advocacy Sub-Committee

The project is being led by our Advocacy Sub-Committee, made up of dedicated local business and community leaders:

• Kate Rodgers – Secretary, Armadale Chamber

• Paul Harrison – Managing Director, Beaver Tree Services

• Daniel Bremer – Owner, Swat-A-Pest

Together, they will be visiting businesses across Kelmscott to conduct a short business survey, gathering insights on what new developments, infrastructure, and support are needed to help businesses grow and thrive in the area.

Giving Back to the Local Community

As part of this initiative, Paul Harrison of Beaver Tree Services has generously offered to sponsor 10 free Chamber memberships for local businesses in Kelmscott who participate in the project. This incredible gesture is designed to help more businesses get involved, connect, and benefit from the Chamber’s support network.

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Paul and Beaver Tree Services for their continued commitment to supporting our local community.

Get Involved

If you’re a Kelmscott business and would like to take part in the survey, or find out more about how the Chamber can support your business, please get in touch:
admin@businessarmadale.com.au

COMPLETE THE ADVOCACY SURVEY

Please note: This is an Armadale Chamber of Commerce initiative and is separate from the City of Armadale’s Kelmscott Public Realm Strategy project. While the City is looking at the physical spaces of Kelmscott, we are focused specifically on the voice and needs of the business owners.

On Friday, 6 June 2025, we proudly hosted the Pride of Workmanship Award Night at Honeyeater House — an inspiring evening dedicated to recognising the hardworking individuals and businesses who go above and beyond to serve our community with passion, dedication, and pride.

With over 60 attendees, the evening was a true celebration of local spirit and collaboration. Guests were treated to heartfelt speeches from Mayor Ruth Butterfield, who spoke passionately about the importance of community recognition, and Anthony Pyle, President of the Rotary Club of Armadale, who highlighted the values that underpin the Pride of Workmanship awards. Our very own Deena Syed, President of Business Armadale, delivered a powerful address about the role local businesses play in shaping the future of our region.

We extend our deepest thanks to the City of Armadale for their ongoing support and partnership in bringing this event to life. Their commitment to recognising and uplifting our local business community makes events like this possible.

A special thank you goes out to everyone who took the time to nominate local business owners and employees — those who consistently go the extra mile to deliver quality service and make Armadale a better place to live and work.

The Pride of Workmanship Awards remind us that excellence exists all around us — in our cafés, clinics, stores, and workshops. We’re proud to continue celebrating those who embody the spirit of integrity, reliability, and community leadership.

Stay tuned for more events that shine a light on our local legends — and thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success.

On Friday evening, the Armadale Chamber of Commerce and APM Communities proudly co-hosted the Business Empowerment Sundowner, an inspiring event dedicated to showcasing how accessibility and inclusion can drive business success.

Held at the picturesque Honeyeater House in Harrisdale, the event welcomed over 40 local businesses, with more than 50 tickets sold. From 5pm to 8pm, attendees enjoyed a relaxed and engaging atmosphere, complete with a beautifully curated grazing board (from Amy at The Simple Grazer) and refreshing mimosa champagne, generously provided by the Chamber.

The evening focused on the powerful message that being accessible and inclusive isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also good for business. Attendees were surprised and delighted by how much they learned, with many expressing how eye-opening and valuable the insights were.

Guests were treated to the wonderful live sounds of Benny Rowe, a talented vision-impaired musician whose performance added a warm and uplifting energy to the evening.

Each guest received a resource bag filled with tools and information to help them take practical steps toward greater accessibility. The event also featured a lucky draw, with several attendees walking away with fantastic prizes including local artwork, premium wine, and a gourmet cheese board.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees praising both the content and the warm, collaborative atmosphere. It was a fantastic evening of learning, networking, and community building—one that highlighted the strength and potential of inclusive business practices.

 

Did you know that using rewards might actually undermine motivation in the long run? Sounds counterintuitive, right? This effect, also known as the Sawyer Effect, demonstrates how external incentives can erode intrinsic drive. In fact, research suggests that the more you use carrots and sticks to push someone, the less likely they are to be intrinsically motivated. So, what does work when it comes to lasting motivation and behaviour change? 

That’s where behavioural science steps in. By understanding the deeper, psychological triggers behind motivation, we can start crafting strategies that not only help us achieve our own goals but also inspire others to make meaningful changes.

In this upcoming workshop on Motivation and Behaviour Change, we’ll dive into the principles to build intrinsic motivation—the kind that lasts—and create an environment where motivation thrives. We’ll take a look at behavioural insights that will provide you with 4 essential ingredients to build motivation: your very own recipe for motivation!

If you're ready to break free from the traditional "carrots and sticks" approach and truly understand how to motivate yourself and others, this session is for you! Join me for an interactive workshop designed to give you the tools to spark real, sustainable change.

Author: Rik Baas, Behavioural Strategist

Sign up now and get ready to discover how you can boost motivation and transform behaviour!

From our good friends at Business Foundations:

Business Foundations helps businesses to create, review and refine their business models. We equip business owners with the skills and knowledge to get started, navigate their markets and grow.

We have nearly 30 years providing strategic development and growth services across Australia. We have helped more than 2,500 businesses each year start, evolve and grow.

We have been helping small to medium businesses equip themselves with the skills and knowledge they need to start and sustainably grow their businesses for over 30 years.

Business Foundations | Humanitix

The Armadale Chamber of Commerce offers our premium and corporate members the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise on our website and social media platforms. By contributing content, you can provide valuable educational insights, industry best practices, and community news that benefit our members and enhance your visibility within the community.

We encourage submissions that are informative and beneficial, avoiding purely promotional or opinion-based content. Our content team will review all submissions to ensure they align with our goals and standards. Please note that we reserve the right to decline any content that does not meet these criteria or is deemed inappropriate.

We look forward to your contributions and appreciate your efforts in helping us provide valuable resources to our community.

If you have something you would like to contribute, please send an email to tech@armadalechamber.com.au