Starting up a start-up

Zoe Randall was studying Micro Business Operations and Project Management courses at TAFE Digital. Then she discovered the perfect way to combine both of the skill sets she had learned, with the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship (SSE).

Now, Zoe has built Flower Stream, a simple and accessible online marketplace for the floriculture community to sell arrangements across Australia.

Flower skills to business skills

Without adding a business and entrepreneurial education to her floristry skills, she says she’d still be “sitting at my desk trying to figure out what I want to do in the business world”.

“These education opportunities have been an amazing kickstart,” says Zoe, who was living in Young, about two hours from Canberra.

Digital solutions for rural challenges

“Living rurally has been the biggest challenge,” Zoe says.

She loved her hometown lifestyle, but when it came to getting a business venture off the ground, it was hard to know where to start.

“But studying through TAFE Digital and the SSE, it means I have been able to access business hubs, networking events and just warm communities that can encourage and help my business to flourish.

“After TAFE Digital, I knew that the SSE was a great step for me, to help me actively learn and put into practice some amazing skills.”

Building networks for business

 “The people that you meet, both students and facilitators, are some of the best people around. Everyone is so open to new ideas, as well as helping you to build on your own business. There’s no competition, only collaboration.”

Being able to complete courses predominately online was a massive advantage for Zoe, allowing her to easily slot in around her studies and job.

And as a regional student, Zoe was eligible for a mobility scholarship to help cover the costs of her travel to, and accommodation in, Sydney, allowing her to focus more on her business, and not her finances.

Make your move

Interested in hearing from female entrepreneurs?

Are you a woman looking to establish a micro business, a small business, or do you already operate a business? Women in Business is a NSW Government and TAFE NSW initiative that offers a fully subsidised (eligibility criteria apply) online program that can give you great skills.

Women in Business