How regional businesses can compete and thrive

A few years ago, I worked with the Committee for Ballarat to help them showcase the liveability of their area. We co-designed a campaign to capture and showcase their diverse stories of liveability of the city and region beyond its historic association with gold. They called the campaign “More than Gold!” The result was a wonderful set of storytelling artefacts the entire community could use to leverage and showcase the unique advantages of living and working in their area. It has helped attract new employees and residents to the region but also affirmed to existing residents the unique benefits of living and working in their area. Authentic storytelling is powerful. It helps fuels a common belief in what makes a regional community so appealing and unique. A common story bonds a community around a love and appreciation for a region. 

I share this story as every region in Australia is in a race to attract and retain talent. If you run a business in regional Australia, you’ve probably said “It’s hard to find good people.” The reality is, it’s not just about finding them, it’s about convincing talented staff to either stay, or new staff to make the move. The good news? Regional businesses have some powerful advantages over their urban competitors.

Why regions can win the race for talent. Cities may offer convenience, but they can’t compete with the lifestyle, community, and culture that regional living provides. More and more Australians are rethinking the grind of urban living, the high cost of housing, peak hour traffic commutes, and the constant hustle.

Regional towns offer:

• Affordable living: Families can actually buy a house instead of an apartment, or renting forever;
• Community connection: Smaller towns mean deeper relationships and a sense of belonging;
• Lifestyle perks: Fresh air, open spaces, no traffic jams, and a pace of life that supports wellbeing; and
• Work-life balance: Less time in traffic means more time with family, hobbies, and sport.

For businesses, this is gold. You’re not just offering a job; you’re offering a life upgrade.

Your culture is king! To attract (and keep) talent, your workplace culture must be as appealing as the lifestyle outside of work. Potential staff don’t just want a pay cheque, they want to feel valued, challenged, and supported. A great team culture is felt and is the secret weapon in attracting and keeping staff. Team culture is lived and breathed, and presents itself in how staff describe their employer, the language used by business owners, the energy and enthusiasm role modelled by leaders and staff, and the stories told by customers and suppliers of their lived experiences.

For a culture to be attractive:

• Staff must feel respected and listened to;
• Teams must regularly celebrate wins, big and small (feel progress);
• Employers must see the importance of investing in personal growth and on the job development;
• Staff must feel they are trusted and have autonomy in their role (not micromanaged); and 
• The social contract with staff must be contemporary and empathetic to family (COVID has changed this forever).
  

A great culture matched with a compelling lifestyle, makes the move to regional Australia not just attractive, but irresistible.

Show don’t just tell! You’re not competing just on wages; you’re competing on a story. And people don’t just want to read about it, they want to see and feel it. Here are some proven tools to showcase your unique culture, organisation, and community lifestyle:

Videos on your website: Short clips of daily life in your business. Footage of your town’s liveability (schools, shopping, sporting events, recreation facilities, landscape, cultural festivals, community activities, family dynamics). Record interviews with staff and their families showcasing their enthusiasm for the business and local community. Use your phone. It is easily done!

Staff testimonials: Capture genuine stories of employees who made the move from the city and now wouldn’t go back. Use quotes and photos on your website, LinkedIn, and job ads.

Personalised messages: Send candidates a welcome video directly from you (technology enables this easily). Offer to connect them with current staff to ask candid questions. Even better, invite them to visit the town for a “day in the life” experience.

Leverage local ambassadors: Partner with local schools, sports clubs, and councils to showcase community pride. They are all looking to attract people. Encourage staff to be part of the pitch (word of mouth is powerful).

Do not reinvent the wheel: Check YouTube for any video clips of past community or cultural events to showcase the townships unique feel. Chances are local attractions, councils, schools, and tourism boards have video footage you can use. 

It is important to sell and promote the advantages and liveability of what is on offer. Sell lifestyle, not just a job. Put the potential benefits of the lifestyle and town location. Things like “15 minutes to the beach” or “homeownership within reach” front and centre. Key is to make relocation easy. Offer help with housing, school introductions, or partner employment. Keep communication human. The personal touch, calls, messages, a warm welcome, this often matters more than the numbers on the contract.

Regional Australia has the trump card (lifestyle and community). Combine that with a supportive, people-first business culture, and you’re no longer asking talented staff to make a sacrifice, you’re offering them a better life. Stop apologising for being regional and start selling the advantages. Because once people see the real story, they won’t just join your business, they’ll stay, grow, and become your best ambassadors.

Leadership Lesson

You own your story of why living and working in your community is so compelling.
Do not leave it to chance. Behind every employee is their family.
You need to make the job attractive to a potential employee,
but you also must make your community attractive to their family.

Facta Non Verba – Deeds Not Words

PS: If interested, take a look at this 2-minute video on the More Than Gold Campaign.