Why I love working with Small Businesses

24 April 2020 By

Time to share more of my Big Love for supporting Small Business!

By now, most of you who know me would be well aware that I love supporting small businesses and local producers; just like they’ve supported me. The returns are immeasurable and go beyond dollars and profits. Long term relationships, work ethics and trust come into play and simply add another dimension to the skills one acquires as a small business operator.

Big Head Digital

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Jessica and her team at @bighead.digital.media

I first met Jessica in 2011, when she showed up for one of my cooking classes. Her husband Jason had bought her a couple of gift vouchers and she attended a group class in my Leederville kitchen. We had a fun evening (Jessica might say stressful), and by the end she was inspired to help me get my business online, to sell my pastes across Australia.

Back then, I was only making a very small number of jars, say 40 or so at a time. I was busy with my café and running cooking classes. Making and bottling the pastes and condiments was just a small sideline compared to the main business. From our discussions however, Jess was aware that I had become rather exhausted from running the café. As a hands-on owner/operator for more than 10 years, I was looking at an exit, especially given my late hubby’s poor health. She also seemed to realise the potential of taking the pastes and condiments online; and encouraged me to get in touch when I was ready, saying she would love to help me and watch my success grow.

Benefits from supporting small businesses

Jess’s sincerity streamed from her bright eyes and her warmth made me remember her vividly. Around a year later when I decided to leave the café and change direction to an online business; I reached out to Jess and she effortlessly and very professionally; helped me navigate that entry with a small budget. She repurposed my corporate website from selling cooking classes to a fully-fledged online store selling jars of products.

For a few years, I worked closely with Jess and her colleague Emma on newsletters and gaining subscribers. Then in 2016, they advised me to develop a whole new multi-functional website with a new developer; and that’s the site you see now.

Even today, I still engage both Jess and Emma for work projects. They continue to provide me with skills I don’t have, in running engaging ads that help to tell my story. Now in these darkest of days for business; they have literally helped me stay afloat by bringing my products to a whole new audience.

I’m so glad I can highlight the many small and other businesses that continue to play a significant role for my own small business after all these years. Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing a few others that I have had the absolute pleasure of working with.