After the COVID lockdowns, ex-AFL footballer Shaun Edwards decided it was time to move home, so he packed his bags and headed for Darwin. Shaun grew up here, surrounded by the wilderness of Arnhem Land and Katherine and Mandorah. In 2020, he started selling screen-printed tees out of his Land Cruiser, and within a couple of years, that clothing label, House of Darwin, would have its own retail store, a thriving Indigenous social enterprise, and over 100 stockists across Australia. That’s some serious growth.House of Darwin is more than just a fashion label. It’s a purpose-driven business: profits are reinvested back into social programs in remote Indigenous communities, and the brand regularly collaborates with First Nations artists and businesses. Shaun says it’s all about championing the voices of Larrakia Country.

“Being from the NT, it’s important for us to give back to the NT,” he says. “Whether that’s renovating a basketball court in Minmarama or skate workshops in the Tiwi Islands. It’s all about getting out into the community. Finding ways to contribute.”

With the help of our pals at Square, we sat down to ask Shaun, basically, how he did it. How do you grow and scale a small business?FIND A PURPOSE House of Darwin is a for-profit business, but it’s also a social enterprise. The brand reinvests profits back into remote Indigenous communities in the NT, and Shaun says that purpose has been crucial for growing the brand. “Consumers want to know where their money is going these days,” he says. “So for us, it’s important that we give back to Indigenous communities. But I think that purpose has to be authentic. You can’t just donate or run social programs for the clout.”

NAIL YOUR LOGISTICS Shaun says the hardest part of running a business out of Darwin is…running a business out of Darwin. “It’s a challenge, but also an opportunity,” he says. “We’re so remote up here, so you really need to nail those logistics. The operational side of the business. Working out freight lines and stuff.” Logistics may not sound sexy, but they’re crucial if you want to scale in a hurry. Square for Retail’s inventory management can help here – it tracks your stock, and alerts you when supplies are running low.SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE Shaun says the trick with small business is figuring out what you don’t know. “I’ve always been pretty good at realising where my knowledge gaps are,” he says. “So I actively sought out people who had broken that road before.” In other words, you need to surround yourself with people who complement your skill set. Don’t know system admin? Find someone who does. Hopeless with numbers? Get a good accountant. Try and be honest with yourself, too – no small-business owner can do everything.

POINT OF SALE IS JUST THE BEGINNING Shaun has used Square since his first days selling out of the back of the Land Cruiser, and House of Darwin still uses Square Registers and Square for Retail POS in their Darwin store. “Square has really helped us scale,” Shaun says. “Everything links up in my Square Dashboard, so I can get live updates. Every day I’m checking the store and seeing what’s selling and what’s not.” Shaun says reporting and stock management helps him map out his product strategy – so he can focus his efforts on what actually works.STORYTELLING IS KEY “There's always been a big Indigenous textile movement here in the Northern Territory, but no one had really done surf graphics on clothing,” Shaun says. “When I moved home, I saw there was a bit of a gap in the market in terms of telling those authentic stories from Indigenous communities.” The lesson here? Product matters, but story matters more. Telling First Nations stories through apparel has been House of Darwin’s mission since the beginning. And those stories give the brand its hook.

FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS Sales are fun, but if you want a successful business, Shaun says you need to work on your fundamentals: legal, accounting, infrastructure, IT systems. AKA the boring stuff. “You need to focus on the foundations of the business, which is like your accountants, your books, making sure the business structure is set up right, getting the right systems in place.” Shaun says, if you get that stuff right, scaling will come naturally, and it’ll save you a lot of pain down the track.

These helpful tips were brought to you in partnership with our pals at Square. No matter the size of your business, Square has a range of tools to help you level up and thrive.