October is Small Business Month! And to celebrate, we’re highlighting some of the great small businesses we have throughout the region. Read all the stories here.
Today for Small Business Month, we’re celebrating three local businesses that keep the New England beautiful, relaxed, and stress free. From the region’s trusted IT experts and skilled florist to a local massage therapist, these are the people who make everyday life run a little smoother.
Katie Dorrian Florist
Fresh flowers, thoughtful gifts and a little bit of joy
34 Centennial Close, Armidale, NSW, 2350
A beautiful bunch of flowers can say a lot without saying a word – and new Armidale business Katie Dorrian Florist is bringing fresh blooms, thoughtful gifts and plenty of colour to the community.
Katie Dorrian recently launched her home-based professional floristry business, offering fresh, dried and silk flowers for all kinds of occasions. From birthdays and anniversaries to simply letting someone know you’re thinking of them, customers can choose from a range of floral arrangements and have their order collected or delivered seven days a week.
Flowers aren’t the only thing on offer. Katie has also put together a selection of gift options including teddy bears, candles, hampers and chocolates, making it easy to create something a little more personal. Every purchase is beautifully gift wrapped, ready to brighten someone’s day as soon as it arrives.
As a new small business, Katie is building her florist around a simple idea – making it easy for people to send something beautiful to someone they care about, whenever the occasion calls for it. With seven-day pickup and delivery available throughout Armidale, that special delivery doesn’t necessarily have to wait for Monday morning.
Better Balance Massage Therapy
A new career, with a focus on helping people feel better
40 Hill Street, Uralla NSW 2358
Sometimes a career change comes from knowing you want to do something that makes a difference. For Kel Nathan, that meant leaving behind more than a decade working in the web and marketing world and retraining as a remedial massage therapist.
Kel opened Better Balance Massage Therapy in Uralla on 6 August, offering clinical remedial massage focused on helping clients manage muscle pain and tightness, injury rehabilitation and postural concerns. In the short time since opening, Kel has already treated more than 50 clients and says the response from both clients and the local community has been overwhelmingly positive.
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, Kel takes time to assess each client and tailor the treatment to their individual needs. Every session can be adapted according to what the client is experiencing on the day, with the aim of providing targeted therapeutic treatment and practical strategies to support better movement.
For Kel, the decision to retrain was driven by a genuine desire to help people. Having lived in Uralla for the past three years with wife Ali and their three children, Kel is now building a new career while becoming part of the local health and wellbeing landscape.
Kel plans to continue developing his skills and qualifications into the future, with the goal of providing remedial massage services to the Uralla community for many years to come.
D&J Assisted Technology
From fixing home tech to supporting local business
33 Lauder Street, Inverell NSW 2360
With more than 30 years of combined experience in technology and customer service, David and Justin of Assisted Technology are bringing their practical approach to an increasingly important part of the local business landscape — while continuing to help people with the technology problems they face at home.
Based in Inverell, Assisted Technology is expanding its focus to support businesses, offering the same straightforward, hands-on approach that has long been at the heart of its work with home users.
And “IT support” covers a lot more than computers. For home customers, the team can help with everything from computer builds and repairs to antenna work, long-range Wi-Fi deployment and what they describe as their “keep it simple” services — helping people get their technology working without making things unnecessarily complicated.
That same broad range of technical knowledge is available to business customers, with the team able to provide practical technology support tailored to the needs of individual businesses. For David and Justin, the move into business support doesn’t mean leaving their existing customers behind. It’s about building on the experience they already have while continuing to provide the approachable, practical assistance that technology users often need — whether the problem is at home or in the workplace.
Throughout October, we’ll run stories highlighting the great local businesses we have right here in our communities. This is a free service – the businesses highlighted have not paid for this story.
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Please share this story to help support New England businesses! See all our Small Business Month profiles here.