October is Small Business Month! And to celebrate, we’re highlighting some of the great small businesses we have throughout the New England and North Coast. See all the stories here.
Today for Small Business Month, we’re celebrating three New England businesses making a practical difference in their communities: an Inverell physiotherapy practice bringing personalised healthcare closer to home, an Armidale excavation business tackling the smaller jobs others may overlook, and a traditional chimney sweep offering experienced service and free advice to help keep local homes safe and warm.
Physio Effect – New England
Quality physiotherapy, closer to home
Inverell, NSW
Growing up in a small rural town, physiotherapist Naomi Marks understands the challenges regional Australians can face when trying to access timely, quality healthcare. It’s an experience that inspired her to establish Physio Effect in Inverell.
Locally owned and operated by Naomi, Physio Effect provides personalised physiotherapy for a wide range of needs, from sporting and workplace injuries to women’s health throughout life — including pregnancy, the postnatal period and menopause.
One of the benefits of the practice is continuity of care. From the first appointment to the last, clients see Naomi directly, allowing her to get to know each person and tailor treatment to their individual needs and goals.
Based at Inverell’s new aquatic centre, Physio Effect can also incorporate hydrotherapy and aquatic rehabilitation where appropriate, giving local residents another option for their physiotherapy care.
Naomi’s commitment to rural health extends beyond her own practice. Through her role with the University of Newcastle’s Department of Rural Health, she also contributes to efforts to strengthen the rural health workforce and improve access to care in regional communities.
A lifelong learner, Naomi is dedicated to evidence-based, contemporary physiotherapy and continually developing her knowledge to support the people who come through her door.
For Naomi, it all comes back to making quality care more accessible to the community she calls home — helping people feel better and return to the activities they love, without always having to travel long distances.
JC Digging Armidale
Small jobs, tight spaces and a can-do attitude
Armidale region, NSW
Not every excavation job needs a big crew or heavy machinery. For Dylan and Kate Crisp of JC Digging Armidale, helping with the smaller, trickier projects is exactly where their local business makes a difference.
The couple moved to the Armidale region in November 2022 and saw an opportunity to help local residents with jobs that can be difficult to get done. Their business specialises in small-scale excavation and tight-access projects, from backyard clean-ups and garden improvements to solar power trenches and French drains around homes.
Dylan and Kate enjoy working closely with customers to help them improve, maintain or reshape their outdoor spaces. They’ve found that many of their clients are people who have struggled to find someone willing to take on the smaller or more fiddly jobs that bigger companies may turn down.
For JC Digging Armidale, those jobs matter. Whether it’s a practical addition to existing infrastructure or a backyard that needs some attention, the focus is on listening to what the customer needs and finding a way to help.
The business is also a family affair. Their six-year-old son, John, has a passion for excavators and machinery and is often keen to be on site, helping out as a spotter or keeping a close eye on the machines.
For Dylan and Kate, building a business in the New England is about more than excavation. It’s about being useful to their community, taking pride in the work and helping people get those jobs done — especially the ones that might otherwise be left waiting.
Chimney Sweep Kit Dawson
Traditional skills, local experience and advice that’s always free
Kentucky South, NSW
With more than 10 years of chimney-sweeping experience in the New England, Christopher “Kit” Dawson brings traditional English chimney-sweeping skills to homes across the region.
Having emigrated from England in 2007, Kit offers a bespoke chimney-sweeping service, safety inspections, and the removal and installation of wood-fired heating and cooking appliances.
Whether you’re preparing your fireplace for winter or considering a new wood-fired appliance, Kit can help with practical advice and professional service. And there’s one thing worth knowing before you pick up the phone: Kit’s advice is always free.
For chimney sweeping, safety inspections or advice on wood-fired heating and cooking appliances, get in touch with Kit Dawson.
Throughout October, we’ll run stories highlighting the great local businesses we have right here in our communities. This is a free service – the businesses highlighted have not paid for this story.
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Please share this story to help support New England businesses! See all our Small Business Month profiles here.