September 2024 Winner
Christy, Bluebell Bathhouse Shepparton
We interviewed Christy Bull, the owner of Bluebell Bathhouse in Shepparton, Victoria, who is our September monthly $2,000 ‘refer a friend’ winner! Read what Christy had to say about Smartpay and the win below!
Congratulations on the win! Tell us a bit about your business, Bluebell Bathhouse, Shepparton VIC.
My name is Christy Bull, and I own Bluebell Bathhouse. I have been a fully qualified beauty therapist since 2010.
My beauty career started in Hepburn Springs, Victoria, at the Historic Bathhouse & Peppers Mineral Spa, working alongside five-star massage and spa therapists. I moved to Shepparton in 2015 and soon after opened ‘Beauty at Fernwood’. Risky at first, with no regular clients after just moving to the area but with the support and belief from my parents, I thought, why not give it a shot?!
March 2020 is when everything changed, with beauty therapy marked as non-essential with the COVID pandemic, I closed Beauty at Fernwood and stored all my beauty equipment at home. Between lockdowns, ‘Sweet Home Beauty’ was the next step, I started renovating the front room of my house where I was treating my clients.
With all my spare time, I put my mind to creating a space in Shepparton like no other. Scribbling different business names, treatment menus, pricelists, protocols and products, all in a notebook. I wanted to create a space where women could gather to relax and inspire one another to come together.
‘We don’t take enough time out, I hope that the Bluebell Lounge inspires women to spoil themselves often rather than once in a blue moon’.
Construction of Bluebell Bathhouse commenced in August 2021, and November 19th 2021, was the launch day!
At Bluebell Bathhouse Shepparton, we aim to create a place of relaxation and tranquility, appealing to those who are looking for an escape to lounge and bathe for some quality and well-deserved “you time.” We offer beauty services along with relaxation treatments, including mineral soaker bathing, massages, and facials, that will leave you feeling rejuvenated and untroubled, returning to your normal daily activities.
With all my spare time, I put my mind to creating a space in Shepparton like no other. Scribbling different business names, treatment menus, pricelists, protocols and products, all in a notebook. I wanted to create a space where women could gather to relax and inspire one another to come together.
‘We don’t take enough time out, I hope that the Bluebell Lounge inspires women to spoil themselves often rather than once in a blue moon’.
Construction of Bluebell Bathhouse commenced in August 2021, and November 19th 2021, was the launch day!
At Bluebell Bathhouse Shepparton, we aim to create a place of relaxation and tranquility, appealing to those who are looking for an escape to lounge and bathe for some quality and well-deserved “you time.” We offer beauty services along with relaxation treatments, including mineral soaker bathing, massages, and facials, that will leave you feeling rejuvenated and untroubled, returning to your normal daily activities.
When and why did you decide to make the switch and join Smartpay?
I decided to switch to Smartpay to make my business work smarter. The cost of owning a small business can be overwhelming, and Smartpay has made a huge difference in our overheads. It was hands-down the best decision I made in a long time for my small business!
What made you recommend Smartpay and make the referral to another business?
Again, I know the stress of the overheads it takes to run a small business. Referrals are easy when you're helping people save money to put more staff on your books, buy more retail stock, or even buy the best products to enhance client satisfaction!
Congrats again! How does it feel to be the lucky winner? Any ideas on how you might spend the $2,000?
Pretty GOOOOOD! I would like to spend the money on a staff retreat to enhance team morale!
August 2024 Winner
Montana, Amy's Country Cafe
We interviewed Montana, the owners of Amy's Country Cafe in Allora, Queensland, who is our August monthly $2,000 ‘refer a friend’ winner! Read what Montana had to say about Smartpay and the win below!
Congratulations on the win! Tell us a bit about your business, Amy's Country Cafe, Allora
My husband Jason and I bought Amy's Country Cafe in Allora almost 16 months ago now and it's our little slice of heaven. We decided to look for a better way of living and raising our son, Axel, a few years ago. So after 15 years of running hospitality venues on the Gold Coast - we got out of the hustle and bustle and, by chance, found the gorgeous town of Allora. Things just fell into place here for our family! In our cafe - we love offering up delicious food with a smile. We are blessed with the best customers, from our amazing regulars who walk over for a cuppa daily to the travellers passing through and exploring this beautiful town.
When and why did you decide to make the switch and join Smartpay?
Being new business owners, we knew we had to find a smart way to manage payments. Some internet research led us to Smartpay, and we took the plunge straight away!
What made you recommend Smartpay and make the referral to another business?
Since day 1, we've been very happy with Smartpay, especially since they provide a backup option in case of network failures. This isn't something we have seen from past providers, and being in a small town, this has been a saviour when our internet providers have gone down! This alone gave us the enthusiasm to recommend Smartpay. Second only to no fees 🙂
Congrats again! How does it feel to be the lucky winner? Any ideas on how you might spend the $2,000?
Absolutely, thank you so much!! I knew what to do as soon as I heard the news that we were going to split it. Our town does a "Bush Christmas", which is an amazing event on the main Street, Herbert Street, where we are located. It has markets, roaming reindeer, performances from local schools, rides and, of course, Santa! Part of this money is now earmarked to sponsor this event, bringing so many people to our beautiful part of the world.
The second part will go to funding our staff end-of-year party! Because our staff are what makes us fabulous at Amy's - and they deserve to be celebrated!
Thank you again Smartpay!!
July 2024 Winner
Liza, Hutch & Co Lilydale
We interviewed Liza, the owners of Hutch & Co in Lilydale, Melbourne, who is our July monthly $2,000 ‘refer a friend’ winner! Read what Liza had to say about Smartpay and the win below!
Congratulations on the win! Tell us a bit about your business, Hutch & Co, Lilydale
We are a cafe located in Lilydale, Melbourne. We are a specialty cafe offering fun and inventive seasonal menus and specialty roasted coffee. Our front of house is a hardworking team of professionals, which is the core of our business and what helps us deliver an outstanding guest experience.
When and why did you decide to make the switch and join Smartpay?
It was an easy decision! Switching to Smartpay helps us save money on EFTPOS fees, which we put towards operating costs. This is crucial given the current tough economic trading conditions.
What made you recommend Smartpay and make the referral to another business?
The process of switching to Smartpay was very easy to follow, and the savings are substantial, so I was happy to spread the word to my friends.
How does it feel to be the lucky winner? Any ideas on how you might spend the $2,000?
It feels amazing! I will be travelling to Europe next year, so the winnings can help fund it…might need more referrals to help fund the entire trip! Thank you so much, Smartpay! Happy to be a recipient.
June 2024 Winner
Ian and Cathy, Automobile Germany
We interviewed Ian and Cathy, the owners of Automobile Germany in Bayswater, WA, who is our first monthly $2,000 ‘refer a friend’ winner! Read what they have to say about Smartpay and the win below!
Congratulations on the win! Tell us a bit about your business, Automobile Germany.
Automobile Germany has been in operation for over 30 years. We are a small business run by my lovely wife, one other mechanic and myself. We specialise in European vehicles but also work on all other car models.
When and why did you decide to make the switch and join Smartpay?
We were contacted by a sales rep at Smartpay and immediately thought that switching from the bank to Smartpay would be an easy decision! We enjoyed using Smartpay so much that we referred 3 other businesses and were rewarded with a cashback!! Absolutely brilliant, and now to top it all off, we have been lucky enough to win the $2,000 monthly draw. Thank you, Smartpay!
