Turning a side hustle into a full-blown business is something many of us only dream about.
But for people living in regional Australia, growing a hobby into a small business can be easier than in the big smoke.
Professor Jim Bright from Australian Catholic University says advantages include lower costs, less competition and a more stable customer base.
"People stay longer [in regional areas], whereas urban environments like inner-city Melbourne, there are a lot of transient people," the career development expert says.
"You have to continually promote and advertise because you are dealing with a new customer base all the time."
If you're living in a regional area and thinking of giving it a go (or even if you're a city slicker looking to escape the competitiveness of the metros) these go-getters might be the inspiration you need.
Space to experiment
Academic Sophie Kurylowicz fell in love with gardening when she returned to Wagga Wagga in south-west NSW after studying in Sydney.
The 33-year-old and her husband embraced their quarter-acre block, growing veggies, fruit and flowers in their spare time.
Sophie started getting creative with the flowers she grew, often taking bouquets to friends' dinner parties.
She decided to see if she could make some pocket money from her hobby.
"I started the business really cautiously and slowly when I was pregnant with my son," she says.
"I thought I will be going on maternity leave, that is great time to start a business. All that free time — very naive!"
In the beginning, she sold to friends and family. Then she approached a popular local florist, offering to sell her flowers wholesale.
Today, the lecturer also runs a florist and flower farm with her business partner Bethany Saab.
Sophie says going regional was the catalyst for her success.
"We could go to all the wedding venues in this area, introduce ourselves, take our business cards and they now promote us."
Her advice for turning your side hustle into a business is to start small and slow.
"By all means be ambitious, but take incremental steps rather than investing a whole lot of money into something before you know it's something you want as a job rather than a hobby."
It's about relationships
Professor Bright says the quality of the relationships you build in a small community can make or break you.
"You have a good opportunity to forge effective and cooperative relationships and develop a reputation very quickly in your community," he says.
"If you are offering business services to your community as opposed to nationally, you may find there is less competition and you can spread the word a lot faster."
Someone who has done well to harness relationships is Alison Swanston.
When she moved to Temora in regional NSW from Sydney with her husband, her hopes of pursuing a career in make-up artistry were dashed.
The 33-year-old, originally from Wee Waa, didn't believe she could make it work in a small town and instead found herself a job as a bank teller.
"I actually can't believe I got a job at the bank, I'm literally that bad at maths," she says.
"But it was good because I met lots of people in the town — everyone goes to the bank."
Alison still did the occasional make-up job, mainly for weddings, and her reputation began to grow.
The mother-of-three young boys has since set up a business as a mobile make-up artist.
"Everyone has your back, everyone recommends you. They want the town and you to succeed because they do want longevity in rural areas," she says
"If lived in Sydney I wouldn't have my own business. Everything was so busy and competitive.
"The beauty about living in a regional area is it's much more affordable. You can raise children and raise a passion project."
Giving it a go leads to opportunity
Malaysian-born chef Soon Lee Low has spent time in the kitchen of top restaurants in London and Melbourne.
So, when he landed in Wagga Wagga with his wife, it was a humbling experience.
His wife started a new job but Soon struggled to find work at "good restaurants" and felt his talent and time were wasted.
While working at the local deli, he started a weekend pop-up restaurant to stay creative.
"Pop-ups were popular all over Australia but Wagga didn't have one," Soon says.
"Wagga is more about chicken schnitzels and parmas, so because of the food I created, it launched my name locally.
"For a whole year I didn't really make any money, but people got to know me and I was headhunted for a cooking school."
Soon now works as a consultant for restaurants, while also running cooking classes and a catering business — goals he says made possible by living in a regional area.
"Cities are very competitive, you always have to be one step ahead," he says.
"I was working 110 hours a week — now I work 40.
"If you can humble yourself, work with what the producers have in the regional areas, keep … networking — opportunities will arise."
Not without challenges
Professor Bright says it's good to be aware of potential obstacles too, when setting up shop in the country.
He says local communities can be tight-knit and sometimes hard to break into.
Local politics might act as a roadblock, he warns, or your new business can be seen as a threat.
"If your work is in demand, you might have the other problem of too much work and being burnt out because people are so hungry for what you are offering," Professor Bright says.
Being reliant on limited transport and communication networks can also present problems.
Sophie has experienced some of those with her floristry business.
"I don't have a flower market to go to, I have to order them online, and my description of blush may be different to theirs," she says.
"It's taken lots of time to find the right suppliers."
Most importantly, make sure you are ready to let go of your hobby, because sometimes turning it into work isn't what you expect.