Amidst the struggles businesses have experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, one store has found benefits in being forced to move online.
Silvermist Studio, a jewellery shop tucked away in the leafy town of Healesville, was one of many local businesses that was greatly affected by lockdowns and restrictions that started early last year. With no customers being allowed to visit the store in person, the company was initially unable to keep the same level of business going. Tim Peel, owner of Silvermist Studio, explained the disarray that led to him connecting with a Facebook page.
“The very first lockdown, I spent a lot of time sitting at my workbench going ‘What do I do?’,” he said. “Poleaxed, I think, is probably a fair description. However, we went about pivoting our business to an online format, largely because that’s the only thing we could do. In early 2020, we started to engage with Buy From a Bush Business.”
The Buy From a Bush Business Facebook page was created to bring attention to businesses in regional towns, especially those who have suffered adversity. While lots of businesses initially utilised the Facebook page, several more became eligible, including Silvermist, when the pandemic hit. Tim and his wife, Liz, found that their “good quality, high-end” jewellery pieces gained the most traction on the page that boasts almost 338,000 members. Their daughter, Stephanie, excitedly spoke about how the page had helped Silvermist expand online.
“Their main source of income is now through Facebook,” she said. “Buy From a Bush Business really helped because there was already a fairly big audience on that page. Silvermist was able to reach people all over the country, and even some internationally too. They’d almost entirely relied on foot traffic in Healesville and repeat customers before the lockdowns started.”
Tim was ecstatic over the booming of sales, and expressed gratitude towards the Buy From a Bush Business creators.
“We went from an audience of 1,000 members to 7,000 on our own, and about 400,000 on Buy from a Bush Business,” he said. “The ladies who started Buy From a Bush Business should probably be awarded medals, frankly. They have done some extraordinary things for the regional parts of Australia, and they’ve certainly done extraordinary things for our business. It’s an incredibly valuable resource that shows social media and its capacity for good.”
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