NSW Small Business Month 2026

Two free mornings on AI, for people who run a business

In person in Chatswood, Thursday 8 and Thursday 15 October. Run bilingually in English and Mandarin. Nothing is presented, promoted or sold, and there is no paid follow-on.

The two sessions

Thursday 8 October · 10:30am – 12:00pm

What actually changed for a small business this year, and what is noise

Most of what gets written about AI is written for people who build software. This is the other list: the few things that changed what it costs to find a customer, answer one, or get a quote out — and the much longer list of things that are demos.

You leave with A one-page list you can hold your own business up against, without buying anything.

Thursday 15 October · 10:30am – 12:00pm

Getting found when your customer asks an AI instead of searching

People increasingly ask an assistant for a recommendation rather than typing into a search box. We work through a real example of what a business needs to have in place before an assistant can name it — and what makes no difference at all.

You leave with The three things to fix first, in order, and how to check afterwards whether they worked.

Both sessions follow the format we have run weekly since August: a 15-minute practical talk, one or two five-minute stories from people in the room about something they tried in their own business — including what did not work — then open questions and unstructured time to meet each other.

Who these are for

Owners and operators of small businesses, mostly non-technical, who keep hearing that AI matters and have no practical entry point
Chinese-speaking business owners in Sydney — both sessions run bilingually, and questions in Mandarin are welcome
People who would rather hear what someone actually tried, and how it went, than watch a tool demo

Who they are not for

Anyone expecting a vendor pitch — nothing is presented, promoted or sold at these sessions
Engineers wanting a technical deep dive; this is the room next door to that one
Anyone who needs a recording — these are in person and not filmed

Practical details

Dates: Thursday 8 and Thursday 15 October 2026
Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm, doors from 10:15am
Venue: The Avenue, 465 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW 2067
Getting there: Two minutes' walk from Chatswood station; paid parking nearby
Cost: Free. No ticket price and no paid component.
Language: English and Mandarin
Amenities: Toilets and refreshments on site
Accessibility: Welcomes people with access needs — email us beforehand and we will make arrangements
Organiser: Orris Technology Pty Ltd · james@orris.ai

Register

Registration is handled on vibethursday.com, the weekly Sydney AI meetup these two sessions are part of. It takes a minute, and it is the only way we know how many chairs to put out.

We are proud to be hosting these sessions as part of the 2026 NSW Small Business Month program in partnership with the NSW Government.

No product or service is presented, promoted or sold at these sessions, and there is no paid follow-on offering attached to them.