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It is everyone’s responsibility to keep Sunshine clean and tidy,
as rubbish, clutter and mess not only harm consumer confidence
and business profits, but also the environment.
This brochure provides businesses
with information about the benefits
of a clean and welcoming shopfront,
the importance of keeping the
area tidy, and who to contact when
assistance is required to keep
Sunshine looking clean and beautiful.
“Renovating breathed new life
onto our business in ways we
did not envisage. Our goal was
to make the business look more
attractive without spending big
money. The impact has exceeded
our expectations – more customers
spending more time in our restaurant.
Our external environment is
also much safer and cleaner. It’s
everyone’s duty to take pride in the
presentation of our businesses,
otherwise we’ll be left behind, as
customers won’t tolerate it and will
go elsewhere”. –
Aash and Dheeraj,
Owners, Classic Curry Sunshine
Keep Sunshine
Beautiful
“Our goal was
to make the
business look
more attractive
without spending
big money.”
Aash and Dheeraj, Owners,
Classic Curry Sunshine

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A welcoming shopfront
Follow these tips for improving the look of your business.
Shops make a significant contribution
to the character and appearance of
the Sunshine Town Centre, and can
engender a sense of place and civic
pride by customers and residents.
Attractive shops can influence a
potential customer’s decision to
enter a business.
In contrast, poorly presented shops
can have a negative impact on an
area and discourage customers from
visiting and spending money in the
Town Centre.
Maintenance – make it
a regular habit!
Like any property, it is important
to carry out regular maintenance,
regardless of whether you own or
lease your premises. An ongoing
maintenance regime will ensure
that the shop continues to reflect
a positive image to customers,
and that the building retains its
value. Effective maintenance can
also minimise the need for more
costly works in the long term.
Conduct regular building
audits, checking for fading signs,
water leaks, broken lights and
building damage.
Clean windows
Shop windows are often the first
point of contact your customer will
have with your business, and they
say you don’t get a second chance
at first impressions, so appearance
is everything, and starts with the
cleanliness of a shop.
Research indicates that 70% of
buying decisions are made in the
store, and 40% of all purchases
are spontaneous, highlighting
the importance of enhancing the
shopping experience and enticing
customers to enter your shop.
Keeping windows clean and clear also
helps improve surveillance, reduce
vandalism and improve personal
safety.
A clean footpath
Store cardboard boxes and rubbish
at the rear of the shop, and not at
the front. Your shopfront is your
welcome mat, and should not include
items that are not for sale, or would
be a deterrent for customers. Only
leave your bins out for collection day
and tie your cardboard so it does not
blow away.
Sweep up your shop’s rubbish. Do not
sweep it onto the footpath, gutter
or empty it in a street bin. These are
all offences and can attract an on the
spot fine of up to $300.
For outdoor dining venues and take
away venues, provide bins and closed
ashtrays for smokers
For shops with goods for sale on the
footpath, present your merchandise
in attractive display units, and in an
orderly and tidy manner.
Keep rubbish bins locked and stored
in a secure location. Failure to do this
usually results in undesirable odours
and attracts unwanted attention to
the business. It encourages others to
use your bin, costing your business
more money. Contact your waste
contractor for more frequent rubbish
and recycling collections.
Remove clutter and graffiti
There is nothing worse than having
a shopfront covered with posters,
graffiti, advertising or outdated
promotions. It can distract customers
from your product and turn away
business. Regularly check your
shopfront and remove redundant and
unnecessary material.
Attempt to remove graffiti
immediately as it contributes to
negative perceptions about your
business and can cause permanent
damage, if not removed quickly.
If your property is affected by graffiti
you should:
Report any details you have about
the vandals to Crime Stoppers on
1800 333 000. You may also be
required to photograph the graffiti
prior to removal.
Remove the graffiti, and if
assistance is required contact
Brimbank City Council on
telephone 9249 4000 for
a graffiti removal voucher.
If you see graffiti in a public
place, please report it to Council
on 9249 4000. In some instances
Council will also remove graffiti
from private property when it is
offensive and adjacent to public
pedestrian areas.
“Your windows reflect the soul of your
store…empty windows will eventually
create empty stores”
Linda Cahan (Feng Shui for retailers)

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Facade improvements
A fresh coat of paint instantly
freshens a business, improves
your appearance and customer
perceptions. If you are unsure about
colours, consider your preferred
identity or brand for inspiration.
When painting the facades of
buildings, consider if the building is
heritage and check with Brimbank
City Council on 9429 4000 in
case there are planning permit
requirements.
Brimbank City Council’s business
improvement program provides
professional design advice and
suggestions to improve business
facades and profile.
Turn on the lights!
The right lighting creates a good first
impression, improves perceptions of
safety, and in general encourages
consumer spending by promoting
your business during evening hours.
Advances in LED and other
sustainable lighting also means that
keeping lights on doesn’t have to be
bad for the environment or be costly
to run.
Improving business safety
The Victoria Police has developed a
Business Security Kit that provides
basic crime prevention tips to make
your business a safer environment
both inside and out.
You can download an electronic copy
of the kit from the Victoria Police
website www.police.vic.gov.au by
entering “Business Security Kit” in
the search box. To obtain a hard copy
of the Business Security Kit, please
contact Brimbank City Council on
telephone 9249 4355.
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Do not tolerate rubbish!
Community members can do their
bit keeping Sunshine’s streets and
neighbourhoods clean by:
• Reporting a rubbish dumper
Report any incidences of
rubbish, littering and illegal
dumping to Council immediately
on 9249 4000 so that Council
can investigate. If a person or
business is detected committing
these offences they can
be prosecuted through the
Magistrates Court, and face
conviction and heavy fines.
• Volunteer, make a difference,
and keep Sunshine beautiful!
Community groups such as
Friends of Kororoit Creek are
active volunteers beautifying
the creek, streets and inspiring
all to ‘Love Where you Live’,
a project, funded through the
Victorian Government’s Litter
Hotspots Program. For further
information, please visit
www.fokc.org.au
For further information about
keeping Sunshine beautiful and
other initiatives, please contact
the Sunshine Place Manager on
9249 4355.
The true
cost of
keeping
Brimbank
beautiful
Brimbank City Council spends
about $550,000 each year on the
collection and disposal of dumped
rubbish and litter, which is money
that could be better spent on
services for the community.
Of course the environmental cost
of litter is much more. The average
time for a plastic bottle to completely
degrade is at least 450 years, and
five years for cigarette butts to
break down in seawater. 95% of
rubbish that ends up in waterways,
like Kororoit Creek comes from street
litter via storm water drains. Kororoit
Creek and all our waterways are
home to many different types of
native flora and fauna. Our decisions
today influence the environment and
wellbeing of generations to come.