Small business

17 March 2023

Recently I was honoured to be a part of the celebrations as a small business marked 100 years of Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) membership.

A whole century? That’s big.

Ray and the Auto Electric Service team have been working for their local motoring community for many years and the business has been a chamber member since 11 January 1923! 

And, I like to think, VACC has been a valuable support along the way.  

Some people think VACC is a regulator or part of a government service. This is understandable. Given its branding has been around for 105 years. 

In reality, VACC is an employer association dedicated to advocating for the best possible policy position for the automotive industry. This includes dealerships, independent mechanics, panel beaters and many specialist operations, like tyre retailing and engine reconditioning.

VACC spends a lot of time talking to government and preparing policy documents that help inform governments and regulators about the industry and the potential effects of any proposed policies.
 
A large part of the industry is made up of small businesses, so it doesn’t take much for government intervention to have a profound impact on ‘mum and dad’ operations. Big business can be badly impacted as well. It’s VACC’s job to ensure policy movements are balanced and don’t negatively impact the industry.

Many things VACC achieves for its members have a positive knock-on effect for consumers too: like being able to pay vehicle registration fees in instalments.

VACC is the voice of the automotive industry, ensuring business owners are heard by politicians and regulators. While we live in a world of individualism, sometimes a collective voice can’t be beaten.

Words: VACC CEO Geoff Gwilym. As featured in the Herald Sun on 17 March 2023.