No Worries about adapting to coronavirus
Rick and Andrea Postrak have proven that Territory business people are nothing if not innovative by setting up a quirky Aboriginal-owned company in Tennant Creek.
They established No Worries Garden Service as a grounds maintenance business in 1999, progressed into plant sales, and then added a pet shop and reptile showroom.
The business demonstrates how Territorians are adapting and expanding in a changing COVID-19 marketplace.
Rick and Andrea accessed a Territory Government Pivot grant, which enabled them to add the pet store to their garden centre and finish building the reptile room.
They also gained a Territory Government grant under the Smarter Business Solutions program to make their business more energy efficient by upgrading lighting and air conditioners.
Andrea said the grant was easy to apply for.
“The grant was very useful and appreciated as it enabled us to do this job quicker than we would have ever been able to do ourselves due to costs, and to open the reptile show room to the public."
As part of the NT Government help, No Worries Garden Service gained the assistance of Barkly’s senior small business champion Gillian Molloy.
“The small business champion helped us get through the process very well,” said Andrea.
Smarter Business Solutions helps Territory businesses, Aboriginal enterprises and not-for-profit organisations reduce day-to-day energy, water, waste and material costs.
The program offers different types of support including:
- advice on efficient technologies and practices
- a walk-through site survey to identify potential savings opportunities
- grants to encourage and support cost savings or initiatives – up to 50 percent of the cost for efficiency improvements to a maximum of $20,000; up to 20 percent for the installation of off-grid renewable energy systems to a maximum of $20,000; and up to 10 percent for the installation of on-grid renewable energy systems to a maximum of $10,000.
