An Armidale businesswoman has built a 360-member community for local creatives and business owners in just a few months, and now has the region’s mayor and council on board to help it grow further.
Chloe Spillane launched Armidale Creatives & Founders in July after a conversation with a fellow solo business owner made her realise how many ambitious people in the region were working in isolation.
“When I was having a conversation with another solo business founder like me, who was doing it on their own, and I thought, there must be more people doing interesting things that we just don’t know about,” Ms Spillane said. “I keep coming across ambitious, creative and entrepreneurial people here in Armidale and the New England region, and I was sure there were a lot of other people doing really cool things, we just didn’t know about it.”
She said she expected to attract about 20 members. Instead, she had tapped into something much bigger.
Ms Spillane said the group filled a genuine gap in the region.
Ms Spillane runs Chloe Careers, a career coaching business supporting professionals with career strategy, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Drawing on more than six years of recruitment experience, she has conducted over 1,000 interviews and built a community of more than 80,000 people through her career advice content.
“There is no shortage of talented, entrepreneurial and creative people in the New England region, but there isn’t the space for them to connect, collaborate, and get support,” she said. “As a solo business founder myself, it’s a lot to do it all on your own, and getting support and coaching costs money. I wanted to create a space that wasn’t there when I started out, one that can help small businesses either grow or get started without having to empty your bank account.”
The group now includes early-stage creatives seeking their first client alongside founders who have already built multiple businesses, with members driving in from as far as Tamworth to attend meetups.
“It is an absolute mix, I love it,” Ms Spillane said. “The common thread is that every person is here to support, collaborate and give insights where they can. Everyone has been so generous with their time and energy, it’s incredible, and I think that’s what makes the group what it is.”
Ms Spillane put the rapid growth down to consistency and word of mouth, including reaching out directly to community Facebook groups across the New England and North West.
“Being human, building trust, and doing what you say you’re going to do,” she said. “Sometimes you just gotta ask.”
The group runs monthly workshops open to any member to lead, and Ms Spillane said the results were already showing. One founder ran his first workshop through the series and picked up several new client leads. Another business gained a new client altogether.
“We’ve had multiple collaborations where one person goes, I need help with X, and the person next to them goes, I can do that for you,” Ms Spillane said. “And people that thought their idea wasn’t good enough, who have walked away feeling empowered to bring it to life.”
The group has also caught the attention of the Armidale Regional mayor, Sam, after Ms Spillane approached him directly.
“I reached out to Sam, our mayor, and asked for a meeting, don’t know if you don’t ask,” she said. “Sam generously offered his time and we strategised around how the council can help move this group forward, think pitching for funding, and speaking to established local business owners on how they can support.”
The mayor has since joined the group himself. Ms Spillane has also met with council’s community activation team, and local businesses The Welders Dog and Burger Bulls have provided drinks and breakfast burgers at recent meetups.
Ms Spillane said local organisations and businesses stood to gain a direct line into an engaged local audience by supporting the group.
“We’ve already built a lot of trust within the group so any initiative or business that gets involved would have buy-in, an engaged audience, and a real opportunity for community reach,” she said. “Any business that partners, sponsors or works with us gets direct promotion across those channels, a logo on our website, and shoutouts at workshops and meetups.”
She is currently seeking food and beverage sponsors, alongside broader funding and promotional support.
“What I’m building isn’t a side quest, it’s community infrastructure, and it will support small businesses to grow and thrive while keeping great talent in the region,” Ms Spillane said. “The community is showing up, and I’m showing up, now I need the organisations that want to support local to get behind us too.”
Looking ahead, Ms Spillane said the group was already working with council towards securing a physical space.
“A community collective where people can cowork, collaborate, and run events,” she said. “There will always be a free coworking hub, no more being alone at home or doing it all yourself, but being around people doing what you’re doing.”
The longer-term vision extends well beyond Armidale.
“We’ll expand into Regional Creatives & Founders with chapters and hubs in other regional cities and towns across Australia,” Ms Spillane said. “I want it to be genuinely self-sustaining, supported by the businesses and organisations that benefit from a thriving, connected regional community.”
You can find Armidale Creatives and Founders on Facebook.
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