But if the founder of private consultancy Acre Town Planning still had questions about whether she had made the right decision, they were answered on the big stage of last week’s Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
Her Barham-based business, Acre Town Planning, was named the Yield Insurance Home-Based Business Award winner.
After eight hard years of work, Kate admitted she was thrilled and equally shocked – and perhaps more than a little relieved – to hear her company’s name read out.
“You don’t really start a business for the accolades, but to have the recognition on this scale is really lovely,” Kate said.
“For us mainly, it's just about getting our name out there because as a home-based business, we don’t have that bricks-and-mortar presence in any town’s main street,” she said.
“And picking up a prestigious award like this really helps when you are building your credibility and customer trust and shows you're offering a good service.”
After returning to her hometown of Barham, Kate decided to branch out on her own and launch the business.
While she initially doubted whether there would be enough work to sustain a private consultancy in rural New South Wales and Victoria, her doubts were quickly put to rest.
Within 12 months, work was pouring in through the door, uncovering a strong and untapped regional demand for consultancy services.
After putting in the hard yards through the foundational years, the past two have seen the once-solo venture Acre Town Planning quadruple in size.
Kate said she has been joined by two NSW-based senior planners and a Victorian planning administrator, with her small staff spread across Parkes, Deniliquin, Tocumwal and her base in Barham.
Together, the team offers strategic work helping landowners, developers and everyday residents navigate an increasingly complex planning landscape, whether it be the approval process or co-ordinating different consultants needed on a project.
“In the past, people used to be able to navigate the process themselves, but now there are so many layers, so many boxes to be ticked, a lot of people really need the specialist assistance we offer,” Kate said.
“We're just taking the burden off their shoulders, helping get a more efficient result, and increasing their chances of a successful approval.”
While Acre Town Planning does handle projects in Sydney and Melbourne, their passion lies in their own backyard.
“We really get enjoyment out of working on projects in our local communities,” Kate said.
“We want to be serving the communities in which we live – it’s what we're passionate about. We just want to keep offering really good service, helping people get the results they want, and continue expanding.”
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