Life Skills

When Northcott started offering Life Skills from the Darra office, Bec was one of our long-term customers who began accessing the service to gain skills to build her independence. With the new skills she’s learnt, Bec is now the proud owner of her own small business, The Savage Queen, which sells beautiful handmade candles and jewellery.

“I started bringing my card-making materials to Northcott and a coordinator encouraged me to take my hobbies and turn them into a business, which I thought was a good idea,” says Bec.

Creating a business

In consultation with Bec, Northcott introduced an entrepreneurial skills program within the Life Skills service, with the goal of supporting Bec to start her own business.

Creating a business can be complex, but Bec was determined to learn the process. She was supported through every step by Northcott Service Coordinator, Luka Thomas.

“We supported Bec to develop a business plan and every week we discuss a different part of the plan. While she already has strong creative skills and knows how to make earrings and candles, we had to figure out the logistics. This included things like setting up an ABN, coming up with the name for the business, deciding what products to sell and the marketing side of things,” says Luka.

“It has been really rewarding to see Bec not only grow her business but to have her trust in me. I love hearing about her success and to see her be proud of herself.”

Selling crafts at local markets

The Savage Queen is thriving! With Luka’s support, Bec has hosted market stalls in Brisbane with great success.

“It was about a 3-month process for me to make all the inventory, get a site booked and eventually do the market,” says Bec.

Although the process was long, it was extremely rewarding for both Bec and Luka.

“The markets have given Bec a purpose and you can see that she takes that responsibility with such pride. She is able to have choice and control over what she is doing, and she is learning that her voice matters,” says Luka.

What’s next for Bec?

The next stage of supporting Bec with The Savage Queen is developing a website so she can sell her products online. This will involve assisting Bec to organise photography of the products as well as set up social media accounts to promote her products. Luka will also support Bec to learn about how to navigate the internet appropriately and safely.

Bec has recently moved out of home and hopes to use the money she earns from The Savage Queen to help with her expenses.

“It makes me feel good to earn my own money. I plan on using the money to decorate and buy things for my own house. I look forward to doing more markets with support from Northcott,” says Bec.