Business Coaching Melbourne

Coffee, Chat & Challenges

Weather permitting: Let's meet at Coulson Gardens at the Maribyrnong River. In the event of bad weather, I will announce a new location on the day, but will remain local to the Maribyrnong area. Enjoy a coffee and light refreshment on me and take a load off at the allocated area (to be confirmed on the day). Just bring your experiences and let's just have an informal chat where I will be taking notes and gathering insights into your business and where you feel you need support the most. It does not need to be bookkeeping related! I aim to gain an understanding on how to help small businesses struggling at the moment in our community, and create a group focused primarily on supporting each other by sharing experiences and making connections. This is a free peer-led social support initiative proudly hosted by Antoinette, Founder of Buddy Bookkeeping Solutions, a bookkeeping business passionate about understanding and supporting the needs of small business owners. This is a casual discussion space and does not constitute formal psychological, financial, or legal advice.

Build Your Business Idea with Claude

**Turn your business idea into a working product prototype in a day. Use Claude to define your requirements, build your first version, and improve it through testing and feedback.** Have you ever wanted to create a self-service quoting tool for your customers, turn repeated back-and-forth conversations into an online questionnaire, or give clients an easier way to access your services? You have the idea, but taking the next step can feel difficult. Which features should you build first? How do you explain what you need? Can you create something people can use and explore without a programming background? AI coding tools are opening up new possibilities for more people to build their own products. Creating something useful for your business also means understanding your users, mapping out the experience, and checking and refining the results. **Making your idea clear, then testing it through a working prototype, is a practical way to move your project forward.** Join **Vanessa Cai** for the **Build Your Business Idea with Claude workshop**. Through case walkthroughs and guided exercises, you will learn how to turn a business idea into a product prototype. Using **Claude Code**, you will start with a description of what you need, build an interface and core interactions, then refine the experience through testing and feedback. **No coding experience is required. Start with a specific problem and explore how to build a product in collaboration with AI.** ## 🛠️ What will you learn and build in one day? The workshop covers four core areas: * **Define your requirements \| Turn your business idea into a clear brief** Identify who your product is for, what problem it solves, and what users should get from completing a task. Map the core user journey and create a product brief with functional requirements, examples and clear completion criteria. * **Build your prototype \| Create your first version with Claude Code** Learn how to describe tasks to Claude Code and progressively build an interface, core interactions and results display. Create a complete journey that takes a user from entering information to receiving a useful result. * **Refine through feedback \| Bring your product closer to real needs** Review what Claude Code creates and give specific, actionable feedback. Refine the logic and sample data, handle common situations such as missing information or invalid inputs, and practise evaluating and improving AI-generated work. * **Test and demonstrate \| Find problems and plan your next steps** Check the experience on desktop and mobile. Use peer testing and discussion to identify issues, prioritise fixes that affect the core journey, and demonstrate your prototype with a clear explanation of what to improve next. We will begin by exploring a complete example before guiding you through building your own version. Choose a small, focused business need, such as a service quoting tool, an event-matching tool or a customer needs assessment. ## 🎯 What will you take away? This workshop combines business analysis with practical product building. You will leave with: * **A product prototype that runs locally on your laptop** Build one complete core user journey that you can use to demonstrate your idea, discuss requirements and guide further development. * **A clear product brief** Document your target users, core requirements and completion criteria so you can move forward with greater clarity and communicate more effectively with developers or collaborators. * **Practical materials you can keep using** Take away example inputs and outputs, a testing checklist and a prioritised list of improvements to support your next round of development. In one day, move from “I have an idea for a tool” to something you can operate, demonstrate and discuss. Your workshop project will be a product prototype that you can continue developing and refining as your needs become clearer. ## 👥 Who is this workshop for? * Entrepreneurs with a product or service idea who want to build their first prototype. * Small business owners looking to improve the customer experience or explore new services. * Consultants and freelancers who want to turn their expertise into practical tools. * Product managers and Business Analysts who want to practise defining requirements and building with AI. * Professionals without a coding background who are ready to try AI coding tools. **No coding experience is required. You should be comfortable with basic laptop tasks and willing to try new software, review results and make adjustments throughout the day.** Please bring a laptop on which you can install software, and follow the pre-workshop instructions to set up Claude Code and the required development environment. You can bring a business idea that can be explored without sensitive information, or use one of the project briefs provided in class. Account requirements and any additional software or usage costs will be confirmed before you register. ## Meet Your Instructor: Vanessa Cai **Senior Business Analyst \| Over 20 years of experience in banking and fintech** Vanessa brings extensive experience in requirements analysis, solution design and validation. At NAB, she has led complex projects involving electronic payment systems, terminal management and AI applications. Her experience spans risk management, change management and business requirements analysis, with a focus on turning business problems into clear, actionable solutions. She brings this business analysis perspective to the workshop, helping you consider who your product serves, how its core journey should work, and how to assess whether the results meet your requirements. Her professional certifications include: * IIBA® Agile Analysis Certification * IIBA® Certification in Product Ownership Analysis * IIBA® Entry Certificate in Business Analysis * AWS Certified AI Practitioner ## Event Details **Date:** Sunday, 22 November 2026 **Time:** 10:00 am–4:00 pm, Melbourne time (AEDT) — tentative **Location:** Melbourne — venue to be confirmed **Format:** In-person practical workshop **Language:** English **Early bird:** A$328 per person **Standard price:** A$389 per person ## Join the Workshop **Give your business idea its first working version in just one day.** From understanding your users and defining requirements to building core features, testing and making improvements, join Vanessa for a practical journey from idea to product prototype with Claude Code. **Come with an idea. Leave with a project you can keep building.**

MELBOURNE ❤️🤛 Business Networking Meetup @ Pullman East Melbourne

**🔥L​assie & Edward Zia's Business Community is hosting a Business Networking Event @ Pullman East Melbourne🔥** **[Book into our coming events + donate to support our work!](https://linktr.ee/edwardzia)** Join like-minded people in Business for a fun and relaxing Networking Lunch and afternoon of Networking that you shall love. Our Business Community includes a diverse range of friendly and supportive Professionals, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, CEOs, Managing Directors, Boss Ladies, Thought Leaders and Influencers, open and ready to meet like-minded individuals, to connect and grow their Networks! (Not suitable for Students) ​​Our events are all about fostering and empowering meaningful connections, getting everyone out of their homes and offices to build a stronger Network within our Communities. **​T​he Event:** ​Our gatherings are free to you and pretty casual, with minimum structure to allow natural flow of conversations. Come along, grab lunch, ​introduce yourselves, make new friends, and connect with each other on your phones via Linkedin. Our leaders will give a brief introduction after lunch, feel free to move around and speak to everyone before and after, and enjoy a coffee and or beverages of your choice throughout​ the event too. **Before the event** ​Make sure that you have registered for this event, updated your professional profile and install the Linkedin app on your phone, our preferred social media platform for high quality professionals and Business Partners. **After the event​:** ​Touch base with those you have met and connect with any you may have missed on the day. Schedule a coffee meet and come along to our next event to meet and re-connect with others. **​P​arking:** Pullman East Melbourne is a 10 minute walk East from Parliament Train Station. It's close to the MCG, and is also a popular venue for many concerts and sporting events. Wellington Parade also has many trams, with a tram spot just outside the Hotel. Parking includes a mixture of street parking and paid carparks including: \- Underneath the Pullman on the Park \- The Epworth Freemasons Carpark \- Secure Parking\, 12 \- 20 Flinders Lane This part of town tends to be either empty or completely packed, based on what events are happening at the MCG and more (always great to leave earlier and allow more time when things are busy). **First time with Us?** You're in good hands! We've been running​ networking events in ​since 2015 and beyond **About Us** Our Meetup Business Community has over 16k members and has become one of Australia's largest Business Networking Meetup groups. We host regular Networking events in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and zooms throughout the year, supporting a network of ever-growing businesses. With over 16,000 members in our Business Community, you have the best chance of meeting like-minded people to grow and scale your Network faster. **What is the dress code?** Smart Business casual and ​be photo ready. **Questions and more?** Reach out to Lassie Zia & Edward Zia via LinkedIn. **[Learn more about our events + donate to support our work here!](https://linktr.ee/edwardzia)**

Realities of Coaching: Managing the Risks Nobody Talks About

📚 #InPursuit – A Book Club for Builders, Thinkers, and Doers

📚 #InPursuit is a book club for entrepreneurs, creatives, and curious minds who know personal growth fuels business growth. **See a lot of RSPVPs and wonder how it works? We'll break up into groups of 6-8 to share our insights, then swap groups after 30-45min so you can maximise learning from everybody!** *Note: this even is not organised by or affiliated with The State Library of Victoria* **That's what #InPursuit is all about** It’s not a traditional book club, it’s a space for people who are actively designing a better life through the pursuit of business, creativity, and personal growth. This event is for anyone #InPursuit of better business, life and relationships. Instead of reading the same book, we each come prepared to share one powerful insight from something we’ve read in the past 3-months. Anything non-fiction that’s moved us forward. Whether it’s a mindset shift, a productivity system, a new philosophy, or just a truth that punched us in the gut. This is a place to unpack it together and hear what others are learning too. We’re not just here to *read*. We’re here to *integrate*. Because when we grow, our business and our lives grow too. **🔍 Why Join? You'll leave with:** * 5–10 fresh insights from books you may never have picked up * Deeper awareness of how others think, lead, and evolve * New connections with people walking a similar path toward purpose, results, and impact This isn’t a lecture. It’s a room full of people building themselves while they build the thing. **📖 How It Works** First time? No pressure to share, just come curious. We'll break up into groups of 6-8 and share our insights, then swap groups so you can maximise the learning! Returning? Bring one idea you’ve read about in the last 3-months and be ready to speak on: 1. What did you learn? 2. How did it shift your perspective about the world or yourself? 3. How has it changed the way you show up or behave? We keep it structured, but flexible. After sharing, we open up to Q&A, personal stories, challenges, and deep dives. Some of the best insights come from the conversations *after* the share. **🧠 Who This Is For** * Entrepreneurs or side-hustlers finding their footing * Business owners, and doers building toward better * Curious minds who love ideas but care more about action * People tired of shallow conversations and hungry for growth If you’re working on something—or becoming someone—this space is for you. It’s a practice ground for people who want to grow forward. We’re all #InPursuit of mastery, momentum, and the kind of success that starts from within. **Map on how to get there** We're in the Create Quarter on the ground level (back right of the Quad as you enter from Swanson St). We'll likely be on a long table together. https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/SLV-EnglishMap_Jan25.pdf

Tuesday Breakfast Business Networking – Essendon (Moonee Valley)

Weekly business networking in Moonee Valley with BNI Unite. Networking from 6:50am, structured meeting 7:00–8:30am, then more networking. Free for visitors. IMPORTANT: Please register with Wade before you come. RSVP here and answer the questions (your business and mobile), and Wade will confirm your spot. Guests who haven't registered can't be seated. What to expect: a friendly, structured meeting, a 30-second chance to introduce your business, and real referrals passed in the room. Bring business cards. Street parking on Rose St and a car park directly opposite; coffee available at the venue. Chapter page: https://bnimn.com.au/vic---melbourne-north-bni-unite/en-AU/index

Melbourne Public Speaking and Leadership Club

Come along to share ideas, learn together different techniques and Public Speaking, Presentation and Leadership skills. Public Speaking give you confidence and can be used as a marketing tool to attract clients and increase sales to your Business. All skills levels are welcome. People can practice Public Speaking presentations in a safe and nice environment with other members of the group.

The Key To Making Money - Free Talk

Why do we find it hard to make money, while others are flourishing and prospering? Is it just that some were born lucky? No. Do some people just have a natural talent? No. It comes down to the art of communication. One's ability to communicate will determine how successful one will be, not only in business, but life as a whole. We will be covering different avenues of communication, and what you can do to bring change to your life. ------- The talk will go for roughly 45 mins, give or take. We will then proceed to do a Personality Test which will really break down what areas in your life you are lacking in, and can then get the appropriate tools to assist you.

Networking Drinks for Builders & Doers

**🍻 The Entrepreneur Club – Last Friday of the Month Drinks** **Not your average knock-off drinks.** Join us for a monthly gathering of entrepreneurs, builders, creatives, and self-starters who believe business is more than just work, it’s a personal growth journey. Whether you're scaling something or just starting out, this is a space to meet others who think like you do. **💬 What to Expect** ✅ Real convos with people building something ✅ A place to bounce ideas, swap challenges, and share wins ✅ Opportunities to give value and get it in return ✅ Chill vibes, no pitches, just smart people in good company You don’t need a title or a polished pitch, just curiosity and the willingness to connect. **🗓 Format** **6:30pm** – Arrive, grab a drink, join a convo **8:30pm** – We wrap, or roll on elsewhere 📍 **The Oxford Scholar** We take over a corner of the bar (Back Bar or Atrium), look for the crew with ideas in one hand and a drink in the other. **🎯 This is for you if** * You want more entrepreneurial people in your life * You’re building something, or want to be * You care about growth, not just small talk Bring a question. Bring a challenge. Bring your curiosity. Last Friday of every month. Let’s make it count.

Presenting - How, full interactive engagement

Smashing! Try something new Thursday Discover your unique speaking style and learn how to make it your greatest strength. Explore practical ways to engage your audience through your voice, gestures, eye contact and power questions. **Be yourself, connect with your audience, and make every presentation memorable!** Why is Smashing different to other speaking clubs? Interactive reality workshops- Tonight get involved and have some fun. Just two member's thoughts, "The fun/laughs factor is definitely a point of difference. We keep it moving with high standards so it’s a nice balance. Too strict makes it tense and boring, too loose and we can lose the energy/commercial feel. SmashSpeak's vibe's in the sweet spot." "At other clubs I used to listen to long speeches and lectures, here we get so many chances to talk every meeting, that we have to improve" **Free parking** close: O'Connell and Cobden streets **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close when the show starts** “Proudly Australian" – Free-flowing teamwork, greater good focus, sharing the stage, etc Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, PURPLE Room (End of corridor) More to come

Southbank Toastmasters: Monthly Meetup on Third Thursdays

Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking with Southbank Toastmasters! Ready to transform nerves into confidence? Join us for a fun, interactive workshop to: ✨ Conquer your fear of speaking 💡 Learn pro tips from experienced mentors 📈 Boost your business and career through powerful communication Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned speaker, this is your chance to grow, connect, and shine! 🌟 Don’t miss out—step up to the mic and join us! 🎤

CPA Toastmasters - Learn Public speaking

🌟 **Unlock Your Full Potential with CPA Toastmasters!** 🌟 Are you ready to become a more confident speaker and a stronger leader? CPA Toastmasters is here to help you *grow* both personally and professionally! Whether you're looking to improve your public speaking skills, enhance your leadership abilities, or build self-confidence, Toastmasters provides a supportive and encouraging environment for you to thrive. 🚀 **Why CPA Toastmasters?** * **Improve Public Speaking**: Learn how to communicate clearly and confidently in front of any audience. * **Build Leadership Skills**: Develop the tools and techniques to become a stronger leader in your personal and professional life. * **Friendly, Supportive Community**: Join a group of like-minded individuals who are all working toward their personal growth and success. * **Real-Time Feedback**: Get constructive feedback in every meeting to help you continually improve. * **CPD Hours**: As our member, you are eligible to claim CPD hours under CPA for attending our meetings! 📈 **What to Expect at a Toastmasters Meeting:** * **Prepared Speeches**: Deliver speeches on topics you’re passionate about (Members only) * **Impromptu Speaking**: Practice thinking on your feet with quick, fun exercises. * **Constructive Feedback**: Receive valuable tips to help you improve, delivered in a positive, encouraging way. * **Leadership Roles**: Take turns leading the meeting, which helps you refine your organizational and leadership abilities. Come visit us in our next meeting and learn how our club can support your public speaking journey!