Thinking about starting a small business?

By Jemmah Lowry – Sew Good Baby

After having kids, and while my husband was deployed overseas, I found myself looking for something else to fill my days. I started sewing and subsequently started my own small business!

My business enabled me to continue to care for my children, with the flexibility of working from home, while allowing me to be creative doing something I loved, and giving me a sense of fulfillment that I was also contributing to the family financially. It ticked all the boxes!

We posted to the Top End just 18 months later. I had been busy sewing and crafting unique gifts and selling them online, however I hadn’t figured out how to launch into the local market.  I was introduced to the Tactile Arts Christmas Craft market, which is an annual event for locals to showcase and sell their homemade goods just in time for Christmas! I have had a stall there every year for the last 4 years, and each year has been so successful, taking the pressure off our family financially as we head into the silly season.

I still work full time, however it provides a constant and joyful activity that relocates with me, and my customers continue to support me online.

If you are thinking about exploring what it would be like to have your own handcrafted small business, especially in the Top End, here are some of my tips:

1. Register your Business Name – you don’t want to find yourself in hot water using someone else’s trading name. You also don’t want anyone to steal your awesome ideas!

2. Seek advice from an accountant or finance advisor – especially around whether you need an ABN or need to pay GST, and how to track expenses that are business related.

3. Ensure you arrange appropriate Public Liability Insurance and Product Liability Insurance. 

4. Do your research! Is your product unique, or made different? What sets you apart from other businesses or ideas? Is there anyone else that is doing anything quite like you?

5. Explore some of the more niche market settings in Darwin – Tactile Arts, Green Ant Craft Fair, Fred’s Pass, Austin Lane or event specific markets like Geekfest and Darwin Pride.

6. Know your customer. Understand what it is that your customer wants, and why they continue to come back to you.

7. Social Media – staying connected helps your customers to see what you are up to but also provide instant feedback on any new prototypes!

8. Keep an inventory list – this aligns with seeking advice from your accountant, however this is one thing I missed for years! It makes tracking sales so much easier knowing what you start each market with and the value. A materials list is just as important too, especially for tax purposes.

9. Be prepared to adjust your expectations. Sometimes I go into a market thinking something is going to sell like hotcakes but doesn’t. Other times something that I don’t think much about, can go crazy in sales! Just be flexible and manage your expectations.

10. Get your family involved – when it’s a family affair, everyone is committed to the business goals and outcomes.

11. Have fun! Don’t let the hustle and bustle take the fun out of running your own business and having control on what you enjoy doing. Sharing your creative ideas and work can be so daunting, but embrace it and the joy it can bring others!

Running a small business takes commitment and discipline, loads of research and time. However, the payoff of choosing when and where you work, and how you work, truly is a blessing!

HOT TIP: Research programs available to the defence community, such as; 

• Defence Member & Family Support – Partner Employment Assistance Program;

• ADF Financial Services Consumer Centre (ADF FSCC) - free financial advisors and budget tools

• Kings Trust Australia – “Small Biz Must Know” courses run online for free in partnership with ADF FSCC.