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 businesses bringing purpose and personal service to their work: an Emmaville family enterprise combining handcrafted tallow and beeswax products with goat farming, a South West Rocks boutique helping women find fashion they feel good in, and a Mid North Coast business consultant bringing big-company sales expertise to local businesses looking to grow.
Beardy Downs
Made on the land, made with purpose
Emmaville, NSW
For Meagan Hudson and Rory Taylor, life and business at Beardy Downs are guided by a simple philosophy: Made on the Land.
Through BD Collection, the family-owned business creates small-batch tallow and beeswax products for skin and leather care, bringing a practical, land-inspired approach to everyday essentials.
The philosophy goes beyond the products themselves, shaping the couple’s decisions, values and direction. As a small family business, they are guided by a connection to the land and a desire to create products with purpose.
BD Collection offers an alternative to mass-produced options, with its focus on small-batch production and the use of tallow and beeswax in products designed for skin and leather care.
For Meagan and Rory, “Made on the Land” is more than a tagline. It reflects the way they approach life and work, and the principles behind what they create.
Rawspice Boutique
Personal style, thoughtful choices and a warm welcome
South West Rocks, NSW
For 18 years, Di Wade has been helping women find fashion they love at Rawspice Boutique, an independent fashion and lifestyle store in South West Rocks.
Located on the Macleay Valley Coast, Rawspice offers a carefully selected range of clothing, shoes, accessories and lifestyle products from Australian and international brands. Di takes pride in choosing pieces that offer something a little different from what customers might find in larger retail stores.
But Rawspice is about more than what’s on the racks. Di and her friendly team believe shopping should be personal, enjoyable and free from pressure. They take the time to get to know customers, offer styling advice and help women find pieces that suit their individual style and make them feel comfortable and confident.
The boutique also offers lifestyle products and gift ideas, making it a place to discover something special for yourself or someone else.
As an independent local business, Rawspice has built strong connections with its community over the years. Di is proud of the team she has developed, the products she stocks and the relationships formed with customers who return time and again.
Her aim is simple: to make everyone who walks through the door feel welcome and valued, and to leave with something they’re genuinely happy with.
For those who enjoy discovering distinctive fashion with friendly, personalised service, Rawspice offers a boutique experience with a distinctly local touch.
GH Innovations Pty Ltd
Big-business sales know-how, right here on the Mid North Coast
Thrumster, NSW
After more than 30 years in sales and sales leadership with companies including Oracle, Telstra, Avaya and Flexera, Steve Shaw is bringing that experience to businesses closer to home.
Through GH Innovations, based in Thrumster near Port Macquarie, Steve helps local businesses attract more customers by improving their visibility on Google and AI-powered search, while also strengthening the way they turn enquiries into sales.
Originally from Scotland, Steve moved to Australia in 2007 and has called the Mid North Coast home for more than four years. Before his corporate career, he spent 13 years in the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer in the Military Police — experience that helped shape the straight-talking, results-focused approach he brings to business.
Steve also works as a part-time growth executive, providing businesses with senior sales leadership without necessarily needing a full-time executive on the payroll.
His focus is on practical improvements and measurable results, backed by experience in the salesrooms and boardrooms of major companies.
For local business owners wondering where their next customers will come from, Steve offers something straightforward: big-business expertise, a local perspective and an honest conversation over coffee.
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.
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