Policy
United Co.’s Trade Locally Policy is an initiative geared towards stimulating economic development within our local community and achieving our environmental, social, and corporate governance goals.
By adopting strategies that integrate environmental considerations, social support systems, and a commitment to good governance, we aim to create a thriving local ecosystem.
This approach not only promotes economic growth but also contributes to social cohesion. By prioritising local trade, we support and strengthen community bonds, enhance social well-being, and encourage a sense of shared responsibility. This, in turn, leads to the creation of a more resilient and interconnected community.
Our Trade Locally Policy actively engages with local stakeholders, encouraging inclusivity and diversity. By promoting fair and ethical business practices, we contribute to the creation of a socially responsible marketplace fostering a community where everyone can benefit from the positive outcomes of sustained economic growth. Through this policy, we envision a future where collaboration, innovation, and social progress go hand in hand, creating a vibrant local community.
Identifying Our Local Community
United Co. is based in Melbourne, situated within the local government area of the City of Yarra located just a few kilometres northeast of Melbourne’s central business district. It is known for its rich cultural heritage, vibrant neighbourhoods, and a strong sense of community.
” The Yarra City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners and true sovereigns of the land now known as Yarra. We also acknowledge the significant contributions made by other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to life in Yarra. We pay our respects to Elders from all nations – and to their Elders past, present and future. ” yarracity.vic.gov.au
United Co. embraces all that the City of Yarra offers and is committed to contributing to local economic development through serving and sourcing from the local community. United Co. recognises that the City of Yarra offers the following for its community.
Cultural Diversity
The City of Yarra is renowned for its cultural diversity. It is home to people from various backgrounds, which contributes to a rich tapestry of languages, traditions, and cuisines. United Co. embraces cultural diversity to foster creativity, innovation, and global perspectives within the local community.
Arts and Culture
The City of Yarra has a strong arts and culture scene. It hosts numerous art galleries, theatres, music venues, and cultural festivals. This environment can provide inspiration for creative endeavours, making it an ideal location for businesses involved in the arts, design, and creative industries.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
We recognise that the City of Yarra has a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. There are many startups, small businesses, and shared workspaces like United Co. in the area, creating opportunities for networking, collaboration, and mutual support among local businesses.
Community Engagement
United Co. works towards building on community engagement and sustainability within the City of Yarra seeking opportunities to engage with local residents, support community initiatives, and participate in sustainability projects.
Accessibility
United Co. appreciates the accessibility of the City of Yarra making it easy for employees, clients, and partners to access United Co.’s facilities. The area is well-connected through public transportation, including trams, trains and buses; and has a strong emphasis on cycling with bike-friendly infrastructure.
Lifestyle and Quality of Life
Local businesses provide a diverse range of dining choices, recreational and social opportunities, and a significant emphasis on health and wellness, which our employees and members actively embrace. The local parks also provide the opportunity to break out of the office and enjoy the outdoors during the workday.
We recognise the City of Yarra is a diverse and vibrant community that offers a unique blend of cultural richness, entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to community and sustainability, making it the ideal location for United Co. to thrive and engage with the local community.
Our Commitment to Sourcing from our Local Community
United Co. is committed to purchasing the majority of our core products and services from independent suppliers which are local to our Fitzroy location. United Co. recognises that sourcing products locally has many benefits, including:
- Supporting the local economy
- Reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation, faster delivery
- Promoting community resilience and stability, being less reliant on external disruptions
- Product freshness, safety and traceability
- Local engagement driving a sense of community
- Local job creation
- Shorter supply chains and reduced dependency on importers
- Collaboration for unique opportunities
- Ability to align with company ESG direction
We acknowledge that the City of Yarra supplier network offers service and product in many areas. United Co endeavours to source product and service locally first.
The Supplier Selection Policy must apply to all product and service sourcing. When sourcing locally it is essentially important to:
- Asses if the supplier operates within United Co’s LGA;
- Asses if the supplier is an independent company;
- Evaluate the quality and price of the product/service; and
- Evaluate the supplier ESG initiatives and investigate certifications or labelling that indicate sustainable or ethical practices.
Some supply cannot be sourced from our LGA due to limited availability of specialised products and service. Where supply cannot be sourced from our LGA, United Co. will look to our neighbouring LGA’s located within metropolitan Melbourne.
United Co. conducts an audit and measures our success in sourcing at least 50% of products and services from our local community through supplier expense reports at the beginning of each financial year.
Our Commitment to Serving Our Local Community
United Co. is committed to serving a minimum of 75% local clientele. We recognise the importance of serving local customers and the associated impacts on our success and sustainability goals. The nature of our business means that we organically attract local custom.
Benefits include:
- Community support, customer loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing
- Reduced marketing costs
- Personalised and tailored service through direct interactions
- Competitive advantage in offering localised customer experience
- Supporting the local economy
- Ability to adapt to emerging local trends and customer preferences
- Reduced environmental impact through members’ reduced work commute
- Building trust and networking opportunities
Our marketing campaigns focus specifically on our local area. We mainly market our workspaces to businesses in a 5 km radius around our building on search and social media marketing. Coworking memberships are marketed to people who live within a 2 km radius of our building. We attract many remote workers, freelancers and small business owners who live in our direct area – Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Clifton Hill and Collingwood.
We develop relationships with other local businesses and build business through referrals and collaborations. This can be in the form of mutual referring to and from nearby cafes and restaurants for lunch, dinner or drinks, local hotel stays for event attendees, or sponsored community events or public events, our AV partners or our own members and suppliers.
We have relationships with the local council and support their small business initiatives.
United Co. will also consider our extended local community, the Metropolitan area of Melbourne and the surrounding city fringe and outer suburbs, when assessing local custom.
United Co. audits and measures success in ensuring that at least 75% of our clientele are from our local community through the audit of reports at the beginning of each financial year.