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 we’re celebrating three local businesses that keep the New England alive. These are the people who make everyday life run a little smoother.
The Aesthetic Studio Inverell
Beauty, confidence and a very personal approach
Inverell, NSW
For Chelsea Pomfrett, The Aesthetic Studio Inverell is about much more than beauty treatments. It is a business she has built around family, ongoing learning and helping women feel comfortable and confident in their own skin.
Born in Warialda and moving to Inverell at 14, Chelsea has called Inverell home for most of her life. Today, she runs The Aesthetic Studio while raising her two young boys, juggling the many different roles that come with being a small business owner.
The studio offers a range of beauty and aesthetic treatments, including IPL hair removal, pigmentation and vascular treatments, photorejuvenation, hydrodermabrasion facials, cosmetic brow tattooing, lip blush tattooing, lash lifts and brow services.
For Chelsea, one of the most important parts of her work is the relationship she builds with her clients. She takes the time to understand their concerns and what they are hoping to achieve, with a focus on making people feel comfortable rather than simply filling another appointment in the diary.
That approach also means being honest. Chelsea says she would rather recommend a different option — or even tell someone they don’t need a particular treatment — than sell them something that isn’t right for them.
Alongside treating clients, Chelsea is passionate about sharing what she has learned with other women. Her online lash course provides training and mentoring for women looking to enter the lash industry or take the first steps towards starting their own business.
She is also continuing her own education, having recently begun studying a Bachelor of Nursing. For Chelsea, learning doesn’t stop with building the business. She continues to invest in training, equipment and new skills, with the aim of expanding what she can offer locally in Inverell.
With a hands-on approach to everything from treatments and client care through to bookings, social media and training, Chelsea is building The Aesthetic Studio around something that matters to her personally: creating a welcoming experience for clients while continuing to grow, learn and support other women along the way.
The Aesthetic Studio Inverell
Inverell, NSW
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1csdVw2eA6/
Email: the_aestheticstudio@hotmail.com
Phone: 0439 830 634
Wild Rivers Distillery
Spirits inspired by the wild Australian landscape
Walcha, NSW
Inspired by Australia’s untamed landscapes, Wild Rivers Distillery is bringing a strong sense of place to its small-batch spirits.
Owned by Kristian Schmidt, the distillery crafts Australian spirits using native ingredients and a focus on sustainable practices, with each bottle designed to capture something of the character and adventure of the landscapes that inspire the business.
For Wild Rivers Distillery, the Australian environment is more than a backdrop — it is part of the inspiration behind the products. Native ingredients and a small-batch approach help give the range its distinctly Australian identity.
Based in Walcha, the business adds another local chapter to the region’s growing collection of independent producers and small businesses, creating spirits with a connection to the landscape and a sense of adventure.
Wild Rivers Distillery
Walcha, NSW 2354
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DSasNTBsT/
Email: kristian@kpsventures.com.au
Phone: 0439 241 780
Shiny Side Up Training
Building rider skills beyond simply passing the test
Lake Cathie, NSW
For Craig Job, motorcycling has been a passion since 1990. Through Shiny Side Up Training, he is putting that experience and his years of involvement in the motorcycle community into helping riders develop the knowledge and skills they need for riding on the road.
Based on Transport for NSW training principles, Shiny Side Up Training provides motorcycle rider training with a particular focus on learner riders working towards their provisional licence test. Craig is also an accredited motorcycle licensing testing officer, giving him a practical understanding of the skills riders need to demonstrate during the licensing process.
But for Craig, riding isn’t just about passing a test. He is passionate about helping riders understand the principles of road craft and develop practical riding skills that can be applied once they’re out on the road.
His approach is centred on rider knowledge and helping people make better decisions while riding. Training is available individually or in groups, with sessions also able to be tailored to particular groups — including ladies-only training.
Craig’s own experience as a rider and his long-standing connection with the motorcycle community underpin the business. Rather than simply focusing on a licence outcome, Shiny Side Up Training aims to give riders the opportunity to build their understanding, practise their skills and become more considered riders.
For anyone beginning their motorcycling journey — or an experienced rider wanting to revisit their skills — Shiny Side Up Training offers a practical, rider-focused approach to learning.
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.
Want to highlight your business? Just fill in this form – places are limited.
Please share this story to help support New England businesses! See all our Small Business Month profiles here.