Geoff Browne was a keynote speaker at a small business support forum held as part of the Bendigo Small Business Festival this week.

Mr Browne was joined by Angela Williams, from Consumer Affairs Victoria, and the Small Business Mentoring Service's Anthony Turner.

The discussion centred on retail and commercial leasing, how to avoid business disputes and knowing your rights and  responsibilities.

Mr Browne's visit included a stopover at the Synergize Hub based at the Bendigo office of Haven; Home, Safe.

The hub, launched in 2012, is a collaboration of micro-businesses, working from a shared business space.

During a shared lunch with hub members, Mr Browne explained the role of the commission as the "first port of call" for independent guidance on business disputes.

He said the commission last year received more than 11,000 phone calls, with about 15 per cent coming from regional Victoria.

"From that we received over 1800 formal applications for assistance with a dispute - that is growing at 10 to 12 per cent per annum," Mr Browne said.

"About one in four are settled through early intervention, of those which did proceed into formal mediation we resolved about 80 per cent.

"That keeps all those businesses out of litigation.

"It also saves time - it takes six to nine months to get your day at a tribunal or in court.

"But I can pretty much guarantee you that any relationship with that business is gone."

Mr Browne said disputes between tenants and landlords accounted for about 60 per cent of all inquiries, including rent and maintenance matters.

The bulk of regional grievances involved farming businesses.

Mr Browne advised those engaging in business to carefully read contracts.

“It can be boring and tedious, particularly when it’s in five-point font, but essentially once you have signed it, you are locked in,” he said.

“So you do need to know what’s (in) there.”

Mr Browne, who travels the state regularly, said he had visited about six hubs in the past few months.

He was impressed with what he saw at Synergize.

"It's great seeing people with innovative idea being able to pursue their dream," Mr Browne said.

"I think the hubs and co-working spaces really are an important addition to the business landscape.

"A lot of people start working at home - jumping into leased premises is a pretty big jump - so the hubs are a really good way to test your business, add a bit more professionalism to your business and start finding whether you can build that business."