LOCAL businesses featured in the Buy from the Bush (BFTB) campaign vary greatly in their products - from homemade chocolate to hand-stitched garments - but they all seem to have have one thing in common.
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Business boomed after the BFTB Instagram account featured their products. A recently released report showed the campaign generated $5 million for featured companies in its first four months.
In total, more than a dozen Tamworth businesses can be found by scrolling through BFTB social media accounts, some multiple times.
Local business owner Maggie Quirk said her chocolate shop Deva Cacao had more retail sales in the 48 hours after the BFTB post than in the entire three years of operation beforehand.
"We are eternally grateful ... it was overwhelming but it was so exciting," she said.
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Faced with the toughest week of business she'd ever had, Ms Quirk was losing hope.
She hand-makes organic chocolate from scratch, and in a unique twist, sweetens it with local bush honey.
"We did an Easter chocolate for the first time and it looked so good, but then lockdown happened and sales completely stopped," she said.
But right before Easter, BFTB picked up her choccie bunnies and promoted them.
"It turned the most heart-wrenching business moment into the best week of business in our lives," Ms Quirk said.
It turned the most heart-wrenching business moment into the best week of business in our lives
- Maggie Quirk, Deva Cacao
Deva Cacao was sending out orders to people in every state, something The Magic Pudding can relate to.
The Tamworth gift shop was featured on BFTB before Christmas, and the product promoted was a shoe-shining kit.
Owner Sara Winston-Smith said she had two on the shelf when the BFTB post went up, but had to order a further 90 to keep up with demand.
She ended up posting them all over the country.
"There must be a lot of men out there that got that gift for Christmas," she said.
"The initiative is such a simple concept, but ... it's absolutely amazing and definitely well thought of."
Ms Winston-Smith said it was important to maintain a sense of camaraderie between small businesses in a town like Tamworth.
Mae and Jeune co-owner Laura McInnes agrees.
She said the magic of BFTB is that it harnessed the power of social media, so people can share a post and support small companies for free.
"For someone to think something is cool enough to share is hugely motivating," she said.
"The second someone tags their friend, you've shown them, plus their friends, and it's a domino. It's a very smart group of people, and I think it's quite magical.
"All you can do is thank them a million times."
BFTB was launched in October last year, during the worst drought on record. Its purpose was to draw attention to creators, boutiques and businesses in regional and rural areas struggling in the big dry.
The initiative began with one woman - Grace Brennan - and an Instagram account.
In just four months, it has spiralled into a "mind-boggling" success.
The results are contained in a newly-released economic impact evaluation by AlphaBeta Australia, commissioned by BFTB and Facebook Australia.
The report glowed with positive statistics, and said 90 per cent of businesses reported an improved quality of life.
On Friday night, the BFTB Instagram page had close to 340,000 followers.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
