A SMALL business has been honoured for battling through a pandemic and the founder's personal struggle with Crohn's disease.
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It was spending time in the Tamworth Post Office sending items to customers that got Hayley Rose Parton nominated by a staff member.
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Tamworth-based online retail store Wild Rose Country has been crowned by Australia Post as one of 57 local business heroes.
The postal service is awarding unique businesses adding valued connection to their local communities, a package worth up to $5,000.
Ms Parton will receive a pack valued at $500 that includes items tailored to her store like postage satchels, packing tape and more.
One-woman-show
The founder does everything behind the scenes, including ordering the stock, tagging it, uploading it online, photography, wrapping and even modelling.
In 2017 Ms Parton was diagnosed with Crohn's disease - a chronic inflammatory bowel disease - and had to shut up the shop front.
"That was probably the only downfall of being a one woman show," she said.
"I couldn't really run it all on my own going through all that medical stuff.
"That's why I brought it back to online and then that way when I have good days and bad days just working from home, I can maintain it that way as well."
The business has been thriving ever since it went online, even during the pandemic.
"I think within the last few years with the help of social media, even with COVID, it really did help the business," she said.
"Because everyone was on lockdown they were all shopping online, so it sort of boosted business as well."
Along with the $500 package, Ms Parton will feature in posters stuck in the window of her local post office for a month, receive personalised sending offers and gain access to business coaching.
She started the business without a clue of how to actually run one.
She's keen to see through the business mentor if she's on the right track.
The stock of clothing and items are predominantly inspired by Western fashion and sourced from America.
"The Western lifestyle's always been in my family, and I've grown up with it," she said.
"I just love that fashion, and it seems to show that everyone else seems to like it now."
In a market which is becoming saturated with the cowgirl aesthetic, she always tries to be one step ahead and strive for unique products.
"[People] don't like seeing what they're wearing on someone else down the street, they like to be individual and unique," she said.
"I try to strive to have a unique product."
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