Starting a business is a little overwhelming, but you always evolve over time - you take on challenges in increments, so anything is achievable if you are patient.

Rachael Flynn left a career in teaching in 2000 to pursue creative interests and develop a successful rurally based business. Red Tractor Designs is known for images which capture rural ‘stories’ which have been reproduced onto greeting cards and other stationery products. Rachael lives on a wool and sheep property near Mudgee with her husband Michael and their two small boys, James and Paddy. In the early days, Red Tractor Designs was run from Rachael’s home. Now it operates from premises in town, includes a wide range of products, and provides employment for four local women.

What gave you the motivation/inspiration to follow your dream?

After having my second child I could see that combining teaching, childcare and travelling was going to be a real challenge. I wanted to be a stay-at-home, work-from-home Mum. I’d always painted so I decided to try and sell some cards at local markets and see where it would take me. From this very small beginning I now create original artworks and work closely with a designer, printers and manufacturers to transform my images into products ranging from cards to cups.

At what point did you realise that your dream was actually possible and what was it that made you think you could really do it?

In 2004 the house was becoming swamped with boxes of cards, plastic sleeves and envelopes. I had to decide whether to stay small or take the plunge into setting up a larger, more costly business. I had some interest from retailers and the general public, which gave me confidence that I had something people might like to buy. I had no ‘business’ background and had to start from scratch, setting up a computer system with databases, invoicing, catalogues etc. and I moved all my stock to a small cottage in town, as space at home was becoming a problem.

When you were a child, what did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up?

Although creativity featured strongly in my childhood and I was always making things, I am not sure I ever considered it as a ‘career’. I am a primary school trained teacher, but most of my teaching career was spent in the field of visual arts education. My first position was teaching art to secondary students at Young, and I continued teaching art for some years when I moved to Mudgee.

How did your childhood influence you in later life?

I had an idyllic childhood growing up on a wheat, sheep and cattle property near Quandialla, west of Young. I am an only child and I spent a lot of time with my cousin, who also enjoyed ‘creating’. We spent many school holidays playing with Lego and ‘producing’ our own puppet shows.

Who are your role models?

Many authors and artists are role models for me. One who comes to mind is the children’s author Alison Lester, and I was fortunate enough to hear her speak in Mudgee as part of her book tour. Her background was similar to mine - she’d made the decision to leave teaching and explore her talents as a writer and illustrator. Her story encouraged me to continue with my endeavours.

My most important role models are my family. My husband and parents teach me through their selflessness, love and constant support; and my boys teach me to take an occasional reality check, as a Saturday morning soccer match is much more important than some trade fair in Melbourne.

What does success mean to you?

I don’t think success necessarily means making a great deal of money. For me it means being able to develop an idea into something significant that people will recognise and support. To be able to make your idea continue to grow is testament to some success, I suppose … with a great deal of luck thrown into the mix as well!

What has been one of the biggest barriers you have had to face, what happened, and how did you overcome it?

Starting a business is a little overwhelming, but you always evolve over time - you take on challenges in increments, so anything is achievable if you are patient. Funding the business in the early years was very challenging, but it becomes a little easier as your customer base increases. In the beginning I printed what I could afford rather than investing in big budget projects. Perhaps some of those hardest years are behind me, but there are always new challenges ahead, which are what makes life interesting!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What is your vision for the future?

Our biggest supporters have been rural and regional retailers. Our future plans involve moving into metropolitan areas and abroad with our new label, ‘Jam Tales’, which represents other Australian stories apart from rural scenes. It’s early days, but so far the new label seems to have been well received. I am redeveloping my web presence and exploring the commercial licensing of my designs to publishers and manufacturers, as I prefer to concentrate on the actual creating of images. We are now moving into a large warehouse in Mudgee as we have outgrown our cottage. In 10 years time I would hope to have a ‘real’ studio; it would also be nice to separate ‘work’ from ‘home’. I would also like to revisit my contemporary oil painting style, but hopefully Red Tractor Designs and Jam Tales will still be going strong in another 10 years!

What would you like to say to other women who may be just starting out on a Daring to Dream journey?

I have lots of advice … whether I adhere to it myself is another matter!

Be patient. It has taken me over eight years to become established in the marketplace. Be prepared to take risks and to stick your neck out a little bit - and know when to pull your head in too. Try to present original ideas which offer something memorable to your customers. Treat your customers with respect - they are your employers. Never offer them inferior quality if you want their support. Be honest, and self-evaluate regularly. Accept the fact that sometimes customers just don’t want what’s on offer, so don’t flog a dead horse … walk away and move on. Draw positives out of negatives - some of my most valuable lessons have come from my biggest blunders. Surround yourself with positive people - mentors and business advice is useful. If you can get good business advice from the start it saves a great deal of backtracking. Have good communications with your staff and appreciate them. I am very fortunate to work with motivated, loyal and like-minded people, and without them, the business just wouldn’t operate well. We have a monthly meeting to keep us all informed, to plan for the future and to discuss positive and negative feedback. When working from home you need to be extremely self-disciplined and establish boundaries, especially for friends. Make (and stick!) to a timetable to allow a good work/life balance. Look after yourself with good sleep and exercise patterns - it will make you more productive.