Reese Salmon had been creating fibre arts products for a while before starting her business Nyiwarri Yarn. Here, she shares she overcame self-doubt and took a few small steps to launch her venture earlier this year.

As a First Nations business owner, the most valuable piece of advice I would give to other prospective Indigenous entrepreneurs is to take the leap of faith and make that small step to starting your business.

Whether it be registering your ABN, choosing a trading name (I recommend this first!) creating a website, a business email or a bank account – any progress is still progress. 

My first steps

For over a year I sat on the idea of whether my products (handmade items) were good enough to start a fibre arts business. Being on social media, I found it impossible not to compare myself to others – this placed even more doubt in my mind. 

Then one day, I decided to put all the self-doubting thoughts to the side. Within a week I registered my ABN and trading name, made a business email, set up a bank account and created an Instagram account. 

The journey continues

Consistently running a business is not an easy task and can easily take up all of your extra time, but the pros significantly outweigh the cons.

Having only started my business in April 2023, I feel as though I have gained so much confidence in myself and my business.

At the start of my business I almost felt ‘shame-job’ promoting myself and my products (again the self-doubt crept in), but this was unfounded. I was met with so much support from the Blak and non-Indigenous community that I came to realise, the self-doubt I was feeling was an internalised attitude. 

If you’re thinking of starting a business perseverance and tenacity is key, please believe in yourself! 

Like every article on TomorrowMoney, this is not personal financial advice.