A North Queensland town and its growing affluent market is crying out for small business operators.
When Orvon Gough returned to Charters Towers from Brisbane in 2017, he was drawn back to the region in search of work life balance and greater flexibility. Before long, he identified a gap in the market and had started his own business. 18 months on, his business is thriving.
“I’ve lived in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane but grew up in Charters Towers. My wife and I decided to move back to the region five years ago because we felt it would give our kids a great childhood, similar to the one I had growing up here,” said Orvon.
“I don’t miss the city traffic, peak hour commutes and the sky high cost of housing in capital cities.
“Housing affordability is also obviously a big plus to coming home. We were able to purchase a nice amount of land and a beautiful family home which was out of reach when we lived in the city,” he said.
When Orvon returned to Charters Towers he worked in Council for a few years before seeing a gap in the market and deciding to open his own video production business.
“It’s relatively easy for start-ups here because of the low cost of entry to market, and genuine desire from the community to ‘support local’,” he said.
“The benefit of living in a town like Charters Towers is that there are opportunities to seize. I saw a gap in the market and I went for it.
“When I worked in Brisbane, if I went out and did a job, it could take me up to an hour or more just to get to the job. Whereas here, I can be on location for my business within five minutes most of the time. So, that's an advantage for me as a business owner. I’m more productive because I'm not wasting time in traffic.
“There really is an opportunity for people thinking about lifestyle and career opportunities post pandemic to explore small business opportunities in Charters Towers,” he said.
Even though Orvon doesn’t have a bricks and mortar shop front, he says Charters Towers is the perfect place for small business and welcomed new developments which are bringing great office and retail space to the community and complementing the beautiful rich heritage of the CBD.
“Charters Towers is built on locals supporting locals and I’m glad I took the leap and opened a business in the region. I finally have work-life balance and with four children, it ensures I can provide and care for my family while managing work at the same time,” he said.
“It’s really an arrangement that suits my specific needs, drives the economy and provides a service to the local community,” he concluded.
Comments