Meet Stephanie Morris, the small business owner of “Steph’s Home Maintenance” business based in Catalina, NSW
Stephanie Morris, the small business owner of “Steph’s Home Maintenance” business which offers garden maintenance, rubbish removal, and overall yard maintenance and landscaping. She launched her business in March of this year but has been operating it more actively in the past two months after quitting her other job.
“I received valuable support from Many Rivers, particularly from my business coach, Matt. He has been instrumental in helping me navigate the bookkeeping aspect of my business. He also assisted me in creating receipts and quotes, and he is my go to person to discuss any business-related concerns or new ideas.”
Read more about Stephanie’s business journey so far:
Stephanie’s Business
I run a business that takes care of garden maintenance, rubbish removal, and overall yard maintenance and landscaping. I launched my business in March of this year and have been operating more actively in the past two months. My business is located in Catalina, NSW.
Before connecting with Many Rivers, I worked as a receptionist at an Aboriginal medical centre. I decided to start my own business because I believed I could contribute more to the community. In our area, there is a lack of services for rubbish removal, particularly with pick-up and drop-off options. I observed that many people in the community, especially Aboriginal individuals without cars, faced challenges in managing their rubbish. My goal was to address this need.
My business has a big number of Aboriginal clients, including friends and family, and my primary focus is on serving the elders in the community. I’ve witnessed instances where houses were at risk of burning due to accumulated rubbish, contributing to bush fires. This motivated me to establish a business that not only offers essential services but also helps in preventing such incidents.
Why did you want to go into business?
I decided to start a business because I have a passion for recycling and cleaning. It’s something I’ve always wanted to pursue.
Working with Many Rivers
I learned about Many Rivers through my cousin, who has previously engaged with you guys. She referred me to Many Rivers, and I’m grateful that she shared her positive experience with me.
When I connected with Matt, my business coach from Many Rivers, he provided assistance with the initial steps of setting up a business, including registering an ABN and creating a business plan. This support helped me turn my passion into a reality.
“I received valuable support from Many Rivers, particularly from Matt. He has been instrumental in helping me navigate the bookkeeping aspect of my business. Matt assisted me in creating receipts and quotes, and he is my go to person to discuss any business-related concerns or new ideas. Beyond the practical assistance, he has provided emotional support, and I find him culturally appropriate, friendly, and my biggest source of support.”
Moreover, with Matt’s help, I successfully secured a grant from Monash University. The grant is focused on educating people about the importance of removing rubbish to prevent fires. My aim goes beyond just providing services; I want to raise awareness and promote responsible waste management. As part of this initiative, I distribute bags from Bunnings and cardboard boxes to encourage recycling and help the community keep their yards tidy and fire-ready.
What did you find the most useful about the assistance from Many Rivers?
The admin support and business- coaching and how to write the business plan, tax invoices, creating an ABN, and managing receipts.
Did you get a loan from MR? How did you use the loan?
No, I did not get a loan from Many Rivers.
What did you find the most useful about the assistance from Many Rivers?
The loan was very helpful as it allowed me to turn my business idea into a reality.
Do you have any current employees? If so, how many employees? Are they full-time or part-time?
Yes, I currently have one employee, who happens to be my partner, Peter. He works with me on a full-time basis. We share the same values and take pleasure in working together to make a positive difference in the community.
Biggest Challenge
One of my most significant challenges to date has been the limitation of space for moving around all my equipment. Currently, fitting all my gardening, landscaping, and cleaning tools into my car is a challenge. To address this issue, I am eager to purchase a trailer in the near future. Having a trailer will greatly enhance my ability to transport essentials such as a mower, whipper snipper, blower, petrol containers, safety equipment, gloves, and cleaning products more efficiently. This, in turn, will contribute to the smooth operation of my business.
Biggest Success
Probably being able to work around my family’s time and not missing out on kids’ activities. I missed a lot of the kid’s things at school due to my last job which was full-time and not as flexible as my business timings. Moreover, my success lies in having a lot of community clients who are all like my friends and family. They are all very supportive of my business.
Biggest Change
The biggest change I would say is that I can spend more time with my family of four kids and I am able to afford stuff for my kids whenever I go to the town now. This business has brought more financial stability for me, and my family and it feels great.
Future Goals
My short-term goals are to get an extra employee, new equipment, a trailer and more regular clients. Besides this, I feel I have pretty much achieved the rest of my short-term goals. On the other hand, my long-term goal is to make change in the community and making them all aware and educated about recycling and yard maintenance. I plan to give them brochures and reading material to educate them about the benefits of yard maintenance. Even if I lose them as customers that’s fine it will make me so happy if they become more aware and start cleaning their own yards and preventing fires.
Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your business journey with us. We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours and business success.
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