Sunbury Women in Business

21/09/2026

🌟MEMBER MONDAY SPOTLIGHT 🌟

Mortgage Choice – Louise Contarino

This week we’re shining the spotlight on Louise Contarino from Mortgage Choice, a lifelong Sunbury resident who has been helping local families navigate home lending for more than a decade.
Louise began working alongside her father in his mortgage broking business in 2012, later taking over the reins when he retired.
While she works with clients across all stages of property ownership and
investment, Louise admits she has a particular soft spot for first home buyers. For many people, buying a first home can feel overwhelming, from
understanding borrowing capacity and deposits to navigating lender jargon, government schemes and the steps involved in actually making an offer.
Louise’s role is to make that process easier to understand, providing clear guidance and helping clients find lending options suited to their
individual circumstances.

Her services include personal loans, commercial finance, home and investment loans, refinancing,
construction and renovation finance, equity release and bridging loans,
as well as helping clients with more complex circumstances such as self-employment, smaller deposits or credit-history challenges.

Louise also offers Life-of-Loan Management, including an annual review of clients’ interest rates to make sure their loan remains competitive.
Having lived in Sunbury her whole life, staying connected to the local community is particularly important to Louise. “Running a business can sometimes feel isolating, so being part of the Sunbury Business Association and Sunbury Women in Business
provides an essential support network.”

Approachable, professional and committed to making borrowing less
complicated , Louise is another great local business owner helping
Sunbury families move towards their property goals. 💙💚

02/09/2026

Business can get very small when you spend all your time inside your own four walls.

Same problems.

Same ideas.

Same people.

Same perspective.

Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do is get out of your business and into a room with other people building theirs.

That’s this years theme “THRIVE Sunbury” is really about.

Yes, there’s a three-course dinner.

Yes, there are drinks.

Yes, we’ll hear from four local business owners about what it takes to thrive in Sunbury right now.

But the value doesn’t stop when the panel finishes.

It’s in the person you meet before dinner.

The conversation that continues between courses.

The introduction someone makes.

The idea you borrow.

The collaboration that starts with, “We should actually do something together.”

The reminder that you’re part of a much bigger local business community.

Don’t just come for dinner.

Come for what could happen around the table.

📅 Wednesday 16 September
⏰ 6.00pm–10.30pm
📍 Club Sunbury
🎟️ $99 SBA members | $149 non-members

Book your seat: https://www.sunbury.org.au/index.cfm?module=event&pagemode=indiv&page_id=6849317

25/08/2026

Running a business can be incredibly rewarding.

It can be pretty lonely too.

There are decisions you carry, problems you solve and questions you wrestle with that the people around you don’t always fully get.

SWiB Coffee & Collaboration is THIS THURSDAY 27th August, bringing local women in business together for real conversation, connection and support.

This isn’t about collecting business cards or perfecting an elevator pitch.

It’s a space to talk about what’s happening in your business, hear how other women are approaching similar challenges, share what you’ve learned and build relationships with people who genuinely understand the experience of running a business.

Some months we learn together. Some months we unpack a question. Some months the most valuable part is simply the conversation around the table.

☕ Buy your own coffee
📍 Venue: The Gatehouse at Rupertswood
📅 THIS THURSDAY

SWiB is available to SBA members, with one free come-and-try session available for local women in business who’d like to experience it before joining.

Come and find your people.

18/08/2026

Who's coming to our next Healthy Breakfast? The last one at Elders was awesome. It's free for members. $22 for non-members.

I'll be there [Sandra].

Healthy Breakfast is back!! And this quarter, we’re getting our hands dirty… sort of! ☕🥐🌿

For our next quarterly SBA Healthy Breakfast, we’re heading to Sunbury Sand & Soil, where owner Kirsty Nagle will host us for a relaxed morning of connection, conversation and a behind-the-scenes look at a local business many people drive past every day.

Kirsty and her husband have been running Sunbury Sand and Soil for more than 10 years. It’s been quietly ticking along from its prominent Horne Street location, serving our community without always getting the attention such a longstanding local business deserves.

This is your chance to come and see what they do, hear a little of their business story and spend the morning connecting with fellow SBA members.

🥐 Complimentary breakfast for SBA members, $22 for non-members
☕ On-site coffee van
🤝 Connect with local business owners
🌿 Discover another great Sunbury business

Our Healthy Breakfasts are held quarterly and are complimentary for SBA members with thanks to our incredible partners Omnia Community Health.

📍 Sunbury Sand and Soil, Horne Street, Sunbury
📅 Wednesday 26 August 2026
⏰ 07:00 AM - 09:00 AM

Register / RSVP here (Free for SBA members, $22 for non-members) - https://www.sunbury.org.au/index.cfm?module=event&pagemode=indiv&page_id=3184234

Come hungry, grab a coffee and join us for a morning with good people and one of Sunbury’s local businesses.

15/08/2026

OK SWiB friends, who's going? 🙋‍♀️

What does it take to thrive as a business in Sunbury right now?

We're putting that question to 4 local business owners at the 2026 Sunbury Business Association Dinner.

Save the date - 3 courses, drinks, and a conversation worth being there for!

Wednesday 16th September 2026
6:00 pm–10:30 pm
At Club Sunbury
49 Riddell Road, Sunbury

04/08/2026

A huge congratulations to Dione and the Team on celebrating their very first birthday! 🥳

What an incredible milestone. Your first year in business is a testament to your hard work, passion and commitment to our local community. From taking that leap of faith to building something special, you’ve achieved so much in just 12 months

Congratulations 🥂

🥳 Sage & Co Catering is officially ONE! 🥳

What a year it’s been 😍

A whole year of early mornings, late nights, countless grazing tables, cocktail parties, canapés, celebrations of life, corporate events, birthdays, weddings and everything in between.

This little business started with a dream, a whole lot of determination, and a love for bringing people together over beautiful food. Watching Sage & Co Catering grow into something so loved by our clients and community has been more than I could have imagined.

To every single person who has booked us, recommended us, liked a post, shared our work or cheered us on—thank you. Your support has helped turn a dream into a thriving business, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

To my phenomenal team, thank you for standing by me and helping this business grow. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Here’s to our first year… and to many more beautiful celebrations ahead. 🥂💚

Happy 1st Birthday, Sage & Co Catering! 🌿

09/07/2026

21 new local jobs were created this year as a result of Hume City's Small business Grant Program! 🎉

The Ottimo Bakery in Sunbury is just one example of a business that has been able to increase their number of staff (including the onboarding of a baking apprentice), increase their weekly income and expand their offerings due to receiving a grant 🍞

There are two kinds of business grants programs available to apply for 👏

🏪 Hume City Shopfront Improvement Grants Program — $200,000 in total funds available.
✅ Businesses can receive up to $7,500 to improve the presentation of their shopfront and visual appeal.

💡 Hume City Small Business Grants Program* — $150,000 in total funds available.
✅ Businesses can receive up to $20,000 to expand their business and create new local employment opportunities.
(*You must attend a Small Business Grant Workshop to be able to apply for this grant.)

To find out more and apply for a grant visit www.hume.vic.gov.au/businessgrants

23/06/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1016006214133839&id=100071734097917

📣SBA members — have you booked your spot yet?

Our upcoming Social Media & Visibility Workshop Series is designed for local business owners who know they need to show up more consistently online, but don’t always have the time, confidence or clear plan to make it happen.

Across four practical sessions, you’ll work on building a simple, sustainable system to help your business:
• get found
• stay visible
• build trust
• create content with more confidence
• and attract the right enquiries
This isn’t about becoming an influencer.
It’s about making social media feel more manageable, more strategic and more useful for your business.

SBA members can attend the full series for $100.

Non-member tickets are $190, which means this is one of the easiest ways to make use of your membership benefits.
If this is something you’ve been meaning to book, now is the time.

Comment SOCIAL below or send us a message and we’ll send you the booking link.

17/06/2026

☕ SWiB Coffee & Collaboration ☕️

Because business is easier when you don’t do it alone.

Running a business can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating.

SWiB Coffee & Collaboration brings together local women in business who want more than just networking.

It’s a space to:

✔ Build genuine business relationships
✔ Share ideas, challenges and wins
✔ Learn practical strategies from other business owners
✔ Discover collaboration opportunities
✔ Increase your visibility in the local community
✔ Access the collective knowledge of women who understand the realities of running a business

Whether you’re a sole trader, side hustler, freelancer, manager or established business owner, you’ll find support, encouragement and valuable connections.

Each month includes a focused business conversation designed to help you grow your confidence, skills and business network.

No sales pitches.
No pressure.
Just real conversations with women who get it.

📍 Kyedon Café, Sunbury
🗓 4th Thursday of every month
☕ Buy your own coffee and join us

Because the right conversation can change the direction of your business.

27/05/2026