When I first came up with the idea of starting Creative Village Newcastle, it was more of a dream to see shops in major shopping centres that actually stocked Australian made, or even better locally made. Dreaming out loud to centre management at Westfield Kotara while organising another creative activation, the idea was set in motion. That little seed of an idea, grew rapidly and In two short weeks Creative Village Newcastle was born.
I love handmade, and I love that connection to the person that formed an idea and made it happen. Having been an artist, creative worker, and starting a micro business meant I knew a lot of people just like me.
In that two weeks, I brought together 17 makers, sourced point-of-sale info, wrote procedure documents, and voila the first shop. It was a steep learning curve and I quickly learned I needed a robust accounting system - hello Booksmart bookkeepers, and hello all the behind-the-scenes paperwork and legal agreements.
Then of course there is becoming an expert in social media and creating content. ugh. Having grown up in a family business I had a fair bit of insight as to what it takes to keep a small business going. But housing lots of micro businesses under the umbrella of a small business isn't the easiest thing in the world to do and I learnt along the way - with a lot of understanding artists and makers. We were very grateful for that break at Westfield Kotara and having the support of a major retail group was just what we needed to get started.
If I had my way I would have a Creative Village Shop in every shopping centre across Australia.