Mother Cluckers in the Media

Daily Liberal article 7/9/17 by Faye Wheeler

Mother Clucker Eggs founder Michelle Graham on small business operation

A small business at Dubbo producing pasture-raised eggs is marching ahead on the back of demand for real and ethical food.

Army veteran Michelle Graham swapped fatigues for the farm, establishing Mother Clucker Eggs less than 12 months ago.

Within three months she’d doubled her number of fowls to 1000 to keep up with demand.

The family business now supplies six eateries in Dubbo and 12 in Sydney, and retailers in Dubbo and western NSW towns.

While on the surface a different path from her 13-year career in the Australian Defence Force, Mrs Graham considered it built on the skills she gained in that time.

“I think one thing the army does do is it helps you develop into someone who is quite adaptable,” she said.

“And quite good at problem solving and really good at trying to make the most of your time but also gives you a certain level of stamina too where you’ve just got to get the job done.

“So you keep going to you get it done.”

“So while I think at face value it’s very different, the tools you get from being in the army have certainly helped me develop the business to the point where it’s at now.”

As the small businesswoman, wife and mum built up her venture she sought help from federal government measures.

Mrs Graham decided to use the local Australian Small Business Advisory Service (ASBAS).

She’s now encouraging other business operators or aspiring entrepreneurs to reach out.

“Do yourself a favour and before you do too much work go down and see the guys at Orana ASBAS because they can probably take some of the work out of it for you,” she said.

“When you don’t really know what to expect, or what you should be doing, you tend to do things that you don’t need to do, and you waste a lot of energy.

“And being small business it’s usually just you and one other, or sometimes just you, and if you can build efficiencies into your business by getting the help from the guys down at Orana ASBAS… it just saves a lot of really late nights and lets you get back to doing what you need to be doing and that’s producing and growing your business.”

Small business operators can access a new filter tool at www.business.gov.au/smallbusiness to see what measures they may be eligible for.