Is it the best time ever for rural people to pursue their side hustle?

Early in January our young family drove from my wife Alice’s mother’s house in Tamworth back to our place in Briagolong Gippsland. The 15 hour trip was spent avoiding places on fire, or travelling through towns threatened by fire, and there wasn’t a blade of green grass to be seen. How could any farm boy feel positive at that time? 
Call me weird, which I am at times, but there was something that did lift the old spirits, the country was being noticed by those living in the city again. There’d been some compassion from ‘Townies’ due to the ongoing drought, but the terrible fires had really caught their attention. The media was wall to wall rural people telling stories of sadness, survival & heroism, and it rated well!

Which brings me back to the original theme of this post. I’m a firm believer that a compelling backstory is one of the strongest forms of marketing. Everyone living in ‘the sticks’ has a tale relating to drought or fire, and country people spin the best yarns. So now is a great time to tell your story and have a red hot go at the side business you’ve always thought about in the shower before heading off to the 9 to 5. Do it!
The internet, social media and relative simplicity of modern e-commerce sites means it’s never been easier to tell your yarns and distribute products & services to everyone in Australia. Hell anywhere in the world really! Successful promotions such as  #Buyfromthebush and #Emptyesky back up my thoughts. 
There seemed a growing disconnect between city & rural people in the last decade but these natural disasters, though terrible, have brought all areas closer. Hopefully it continues and I for one feel very grateful for the support shown by our city cousins. A high percentage of our early sales have gone to metropolitan areas.

Happy for any feedback

Steve Noble 

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