The Geelong Local Creating an Avenue for Fellow Creatives
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The Geelong Local Creating an Avenue for Fellow Creatives

Have you ever come across a woman on a mission? Well, creative talent, community pioneer, mother of two, and business owner Laura Van Noordenburg is what she would look like. Currently not looking to slow down, the aspiring, community driven entrepreneur is blessing our community with a physical storefront of the online business Geelong Creatives.

Geelong Creatives is an online directory showcasing the region’s home-grown creative talent (including illustrators, photographers, florists and decorators) and aims to help small business owners connect, promote and support each other. After realising the abundance of creative talent and the overwhelming demand for bespoke handmade goods in Geelong, Laura created this resource to bring it all together and connect buyers with local works. And now she sees a new avenue for the business, with her biggest and most industrious project in the form of opening a Geelong Creatives store, which will operate as a community shop.

“It will be run a bit like the Mill market, where there is section and stall holders that pay rent for their space. This creates the feeling for the stallholders that they have their very own shop, even if it is a shelf,” Laura says.

Operating for only two years, this relatively fresh business is driving forward with force, with the store being the next step for the team in moving forward, after running a pop-up shop for three months. Laura says, “That was to trial to see if the concept would work for a permanent store, and it did! Yippee! I am looking forward to all the stall holders and members collaborating, getting to know each other and boosting each other in their businesses.”

The business is ultimately ran by a member system, featuring either a six month membership or a one year membership, with these members having first priority for space in the shop. For those non-members don’t stress, shop space is also open to you guys, but members do get a discounted rate.

Keeping Laura on her toes and at the forefront of world domination, she is also working on an array of other ventures. Between packing down the old Geelong Creatives Pop-up shop, working on a market with the Gordon Tafe Open day and the Westfield fathers day market, Laura also takes care of the website and social media, with Instagram being a major part of Geelong Creatives, connecting with customers and advertising events. Teasing us with what else is to come, Laura is currently working on a collaboration with one of Geelong’s biggest brands (which she is keeping a secret for now). Personally we can’t wait, but are sure that it will be worth it.

While Laura is trying to stay focused on all she is juggling at the moment, her ambitious nature is striving for more: “I am looking into expanding for other towns outside of Geelong, for example, Ballarat Creatives, Rosebud Creatives etc.”

When we asked Laura how in the world she keeps going, she proved to us exactly why this concept is such a success, with her top priority been the welfare of her family and her Geelong Creative members. “I am trying to make a better life for my kids. Having me around more and not putting them in child care. I know what it’s like trying to get a small business up and running. My members inspire me – their dedication to the brands is amazing, and all I want for them is to do well. I want to boost them as much as I can so they can do what they love!”

Scrolling through her inspired and visually pleasing Instagram account, you will find gorgeous pictures of her new baby boy in between business news, product shoutouts and event updates, proving this woman is more busy than we could imagine.

And while Laura has a small team helping her along the way to whom she is forever grateful, majority of the work is done by herself. We know every woman on a mission needs some help every now and then, and Laura admits that she is needing some help and is on the look out for a volunteer to help her look after the markets. Aspiring entrepreneurs and creative talents, this one is for you!

Geelong will see the doors swing open on August 20 at the space at 47 Gheringhap Street. The team will begin their opening hours with Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm, while servicing the Saturday morning masses from 9am to 1pm and closing on Sundays.

Main image is from Geelong Creatives pop up store, not new store.