Pods a seed for start-ups

Under the Future City initiative, council has purchased two modified shipping containers it will be offering as a low-rent alternative to start-up or micro-businesses.

The purpose of the pods is to encourage fledgling home-based business to test the waters before committing to a full six-month commercial lease, complete with shop fit-out.

READ MORE: Orange City Council brings Future Tunes back to Robertson Park with biggest ever line-up

The pods will be air-conditioned and have utilities connected and have been placed in McNamara Lane. No carparking space has been threatened.

Research shows up to a third of start-up businesses fail in their first year while a further 50 per cent fall by the wayside in their second and council believes the pods are a strategy that can be used to reduce the risk of failure in those first two years.

Council is also in the midst of setting guidelines for who is eligible to rent the pods and has placed a fee structure on display for public comment for 28 days.

READ MORE: Keep up to date with Orange's list of exposure sites, testing clinics and vaccination locations

The pods will not be rented to itinerant traders while existing businesses and professional services will also be excluded although an exception for existing businesses could be for casual hire for pop-up bars or cafes to coincide with special events.

Eligible businesses will be given a maximum 12 months in their pod which council believes is enough time for owners to develop their business to a stage where it can move into a commercial leasing agreement. Council is working with BizHQ who will provide a business placement service.

READ MORE: Orange man raided by counter-terror squad convicted for 3D gun blueprint

Under the proposed fee structure, a pod rented for seven days would be made available for $24 a day ($1.50 per square meter and $3 for utilities). Casual, or six-day hire, would be $31 a day.

In its report council was mindful of balancing the use of pods against the perception they would provide competition for existing landlords in the central business district. But it agues the intent of the pods is to assist business transitioning to those premises and in turn fill some of the 20 shop vacancies in the CBD over time.

Cr Tony Mileto echoed concerns in the report about competition.

"I congratulate council for thinking out of the box. What can be included and excluded, we need some clarification," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send a letter to the editor using the form below