More than 230 businesses have registered with the Light Rail Business Link - a pioneering program run by the Canberra Business Chamber in partnership with the ACT government.

Canberra Business Chamber chief executive Robyn Hendry said the initiative guided businesses through the prerequisites for working with Canberra Metro, the tender process for various work packages and how best to promote themselves to the consortium.

"We need to make sure local businesses are aware of what is coming up in the pipeline and have every opportunity to secure the work," she said.

"It is about helping Canberra Metro meet its local industry targets and enabling local business to take full advantage of the expenditure and investment there."

The marathon federal election followed closely but the ACT election took a toll on commerce in the capital and industry was eager for a new pace.

"We had a really steady increase in business confidence up until the time of the federal election and then with the uncertainty of the ACT election, confidence dipped no question," she said.

"It's a good thing that it has been decided. We now know light rail will proceed. We now know what the health projects are likely to be and some other big ticket items, so confidence will start to stabilise."

Despite the recent dip in confidence, high retail and hospitality spending, low unemployment levels, and record visitation by tourists all bode well for the future.

Ms Hendry said light rail offered a diverse opportunity for businesses of all scales and types.

Beyond sub-contracting for kerbing, surfacing, lighting, drainage and more the consortium outlined it will also require cleaning, stationery, waste, traffic and security and other facilities services.

"Prior to the election Canberra Metro put out $75 million worth of work packages they are seeking to secure before early next year," she said. "They are out and available for businesses to indicate their interest to participate in," she said.

Ms Hendry said communication flow, about opportunity and concern, was vital.

Lessons were learned during the ASIO building construction where a cascading negative effect saw 180 local businesses involved in insolvency.

"We have been running programs on understanding contracts, how to scale up and what happens in a joint venture so we all get the best of out this," she said.

"If your loading dock is going to be blocked or traffic alternate routes are going to disrupt the way people would ordinarily access your business, particularly along the corridor, we will work with businesses to ensure there are proper communication and risk mitigation strategies in place."

With good planning Ms Hendry said the light rail project could deliver more than tracks and transport by leaving a legacy for the city.

"It's a chance to build great capacity in Canberra," she said. "The more we do here and don't bring in from external providers, the more we develop skills we can grow or export in future."