More than a storm: building small business resilience beyond Cyclone Jasper
For Tony, the support from a Small Business Financial Counsellor has been the difference between struggling on alone and having someone in his corner.
Tony is one of many small business owners across the Cyclone Jasper affected region to have accessed free small business financial counselling support, funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements - helping small businesses, directly and indirectly impacted, build the resilience to move beyond Jasper and prepare for whatever comes next. Watch Tony’s story below.
Tony Leacy has run Tropic Cartridges and Printing on the Cassowary Coast in Innisfail for sixteen years, selling printers and printer cartridges, wide-format printing, and home brew supplies.
When Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit, the flooding and road closures that followed brought his business, and many others in the region, to a standstill.
Tony Leacy has run Tropic Cartridges and Printing on the Cassowary Coast in Innisfail for sixteen years.
“Although it didn't enter my shop, [Jasper] closed all the surrounding roads, and many of my neighbouring businesses lost all their stock,” Tony said. “For probably three days, even though we were open, people couldn't get in here because there were road closures, including the road outside our shop.”
The ripple effect went well beyond Innisfail's main street. Local producers cut off by road closures couldn't get into town to buy supplies, or get their own product to market. “Even though it's not a direct impact, we all suffered,” Tony said.
But that didn't mean he was on his own. Small Business Financial Counsellor Kendell Thessman's role, funded through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), was there to support businesses feeling the flow-on effects of a disaster.
Tony had already been navigating a retail landscape that's shifted dramatically over the past decade. “You can no longer exist just being a specialty store, dealing in one item or one area,” he said. “You need to diversify, you need to look at your options.”
That's where working with Kendell made the difference. “It's really good to have some support, someone to act as a sounding board when you've got some ideas, someone who can isolate what parts of my business need to be improved or increased, and someone that actually knows the system,” Tony said.
Tony had already been navigating a retail landscape that's shifted dramatically over the past decade.
Together, they reviewed how the business was performing, identified areas that needed attention, and looked at ways to strengthen Tony's branding, marketing, and diversification, work that's still ongoing. Kendell also helped with something Tony said he simply didn't have time for while running a business day to day: the paperwork.
“She was able to assist with the paperwork for all levels of government and other forms that were required,” he said. “It's just not enough time in the day to do these things.”
Tony's advice to other small business owners facing the next challenge like a change in trading conditions or disaster season is simple. “The first thing you should do is reach out to financial counselling, and Kendell or one of the other guys, and get some help, if you need the help.”
For Tony, that support has been the difference between struggling on alone and having someone in his corner.
“I don't know whether I'd still be keen to be in business if it wasn't for the help I got from Kendell,” he said. “When you've got a problem, you can ask her what she thinks about this, or what experience other people have had. That's gold.”
Assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
