It’s official. Everyone’s doing the TreeChangeTM, or the SeaChangeTM, or even the MiddleOfBloodyNowhereChangeTM, which is more hardcore but slightly less catchy. With house prices being what they are, and some of us having been cooped up in our trendy, inner-city shoeboxes for the last couple of years, people just want to get out. And regional Australia offers a pretty sweet lifestyle alternative. But what about running a small business from the country? How the flamin’ heck do you do that?
 
We decided to go straight to the expert: Issy Phillips, the founder of custom jewellery business, Isobell & Co. Over the last few years, Issy has run her business from Wagga Wagga, Tamworth, Mount Moriac, Lethbridge, and several places we had to look up on a map, including Jerilderie and Wee Waa. Here are Issy’s top tips for growing a small business in rural Australia.FIND YOUR COMMUNITY
The city might have the edge when it comes to designer lattes and puffer jackets, but the country offers small business owners something you won’t get in metro Australia: community. “Regional communities uplift and support each other,” Issy says, “because they know that small businesses are lifeblood up here.” Issy says the trick is putting yourself out there and engaging with locals. When she moved to Jerilderie (population: 1000) she said ‘yes’ to every single social engagement for the first six months. And it paid dividends in sales. If you knock on country doors, you’ll find potential buyers, stockists, suppliers, partnerships and word-of-mouth referrals galore. Basically: don’t be a hermit crab.BALANCE ONLINE AND FACE-TO-FACE
There’s never been a better time to run your business from the country, because that buzzing brick in your pocket can do basically everything. Handle your bookkeeping with Xero? Phone. Run your Shopify store from home? Phone. Take kick-ass product photos? Phone. Call suppliers and wrangle shipments? Phone. Issy says the catch is that, even if you’re running an online business, like Isobell & Co, you need to balance the digital and the physical. “I make a conscious effort to still do markets and trade shows,” she says, “even though I can run the whole business online. That face-to-face contact with buyers is so important. Doing that market research. Asking the girls, and the boys, what they might like.”TALK TO YOUR AUDIENCE
If you’re a regional product business, you’ll probably get your sales through a combination of online, markets, stockists and social media. And that social side is crucial. “The key to living and working remotely is talking to your audience online, all the time,” Issy says. “Thanks to social media, I can interact with my audience in real time, ask them questions, get insight, and they can see that, yep, it’s just little old me working away in the studio. It gives them a behind-the-scenes look at Isobell & Co.” Issy’s top social tip? Be honest and transparent. People warm to small business because it’s small. And occasionally messy. Don’t shy away from the day-to-day stuff. That’s the content people love.GET YOUR BOOKS IN ORDER
“In the end, if you don’t have cash flow and profit, you don’t have a business,” Issy says. “Having bookkeeping software like Xero, that’s when I actually felt like a real business owner, rather than a hobbyist. It’s been amazing.” When you pass that GST threshold, or get your first employees, or start having to track your overheads, having online bookkeeping software like Xero is a no-brainer. And it’s perfect for regional Australia, because basically everything can be done remotely. You don’t need to visit your accountant with a shoebox of receipts anymore. “It was daunting for me at the start,” Issy admits, “but Xero has these step-by-step online tutorials, and they’re quite easy to watch. Which was good. Being a creative person, numbers and accounting don’t come easy to me.”USE ONLINE PLATFORMS
Here’s the thing people get wrong about the country: you’re not actually isolated. There’s a whole bunch of support systems and community groups out there, ready to help your business. Issy recommends partnering with online retailers like Buy From The Bush – they can really turbocharge your sales model. Some states have regional platforms, too, like Victoria’s Click For Vic. “I love Buy From The Bush,” she says, “I’ve noticed that retailers and wholesalers in particular go on there. They’re always looking for new brands to stock.” So the big question: should you take the plunge and move your business to the country? “Moving to regional Australia is so much fun!” Issy says. “Everyone is so welcoming. People think everyone in country towns are in their own little bubble, but it’s actually the opposite. Everyone is so excited for young people and new businesses to move into town. The community makes your new home feel like your forever home in an instant. These rural communities are truly something special.”
 
These helpful tips were brought to you in partnership with our pals at Xero. Whether you lead a small team or are going it alone, Xero’s online accounting helps you do business, but better.