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Cybersecurity isn't exactly the topic most small business owners jump out of bed excited to learn about. And that's precisely why Tushar built AssessEasy. "I wanted to make cybersecurity so easy that it's like ordering a coffee or grabbing a bottle of ketchup," he says with a smile. As the founder of AssessEasy, Tushar is on a mission to help small and medium-sized businesses protect themselves online without the overwhelm, jargon or enterprise-level price tag that often c

What happens when a sales and marketing expert teams up with a telecommunications engineer? In the case of Nidhi and Kapil, you get a business that's helping Australian businesses cut through the noise and connect with customers in a more meaningful way. The husband-and-wife duo behind Guni SMS didn't set out to build just another tech company. In fact, their story started with two very different career paths. Nidhi built her career in customer service, sales and marketing, w

Most people don't spend 20 years in banking unless they genuinely love helping people solve problems. Steven from InLend is one of those people. What might surprise you, though, is that banking wasn't actually part of the original plan. "I studied IT," Steven laughs. "I went into banking thinking it would be short term." Twenty-one years later, after building a career across lending, credit assessment, coaching and property finance, that "short-term" role turned into a deep u

If you've ever felt intimidated by finance, Julie and Andy want you to know one thing: "Just pick up the phone and ask." It's a simple philosophy, but it's one that sits at the heart of Inigma Finance — a business built on relationships, education and helping people navigate lending without the jargon or judgment. For Julie, finance has been part of her world for more than two decades. Starting in equipment finance before moving into retail banking and branch management, she

When most people think of accountants, they probably don't picture someone who spends their weekends volunteering, growing organic vegetables, training for a 10km run and obsessing over pickleball. But that's exactly what makes Manisha so refreshing. As the founder of MLD Accounting & Business Advisory, Manisha is on a mission to change the way small business owners think about their numbers. And despite her impressive corporate background, she insists it's never really been

What happens when creativity, marketing and a genuine love of community collide? You get Debbie. If you've been around The Collab Co for a while, you'll know Debbie wears a lot of hats — marketer, business strategist, community builder, podcaster and founder. But at the heart of it all is someone who genuinely loves helping people grow their ideas into thriving businesses. Interestingly, Debbie's entrepreneurial journey started in a completely different space. "Some people on

Two businesses, one newsletter, and a son who thinks my job is Craft Club Hello everyone, It's Debbie here. We may have met at a networking event, over coffee, or at a random webinar with 300 other people. Hello from Digital Solutions! Okay, let's be real. If you're on this list, I probably added you, and I hope that's alright. This is the very first issue of The Strategy Edit and I'll be upfront about what it is: a weekly newsletter where I share what's actually happening in

AI is everywhere right now. And if I’m being honest, most small business owners I work with are sitting somewhere between curious and completely overwhelmed. I’m Debbie Hatumale-Uy. I’m a marketer by trade, a small business owner by reality, and a Digital Solutions advisor. I spend a lot of time testing tools, breaking them, fixing them, and figuring out what’s actually useful in real life. This post is about how I actually use AI to create content faster without sounding ro

If social media feels louder, faster, and more demanding than ever, you’re not imagining it. Every year we’re told there’s a new trend we must follow, a new format we have to use, and a new platform we’re already “behind on”. I’m Debbie Hatumale-Uy. I’m a marketer by background, a small business owner by reality, and someone who works closely with business owners every week. This post is about how I’m approaching social media in 2025 without chasing every shiny thing. Socia

If you’re thinking about sourcing products from overseas, let me start by saying this: you’re not silly for feeling overwhelmed. I didn’t set out to become someone who teaches sourcing. I fell into it by accident, made plenty of expensive mistakes, and learned everything the hard way. I’m Debbie Hatumale-Uy. I run an e-commerce business, I’m a Digital Solutions advisor, and I source products overseas every year. This article is the beginner’s guide I wish I had when I started

If you’ve ever opened Shopify, stared at the dashboard, and thought “where do I even start?” you’re not alone. I see this reaction every single week. I’m Debbie Hatumale-Uy. I’m an ecommerce business owner, a digital marketer with 15+ years of experience, and a Digital Solutions advisor. I’ve built, broken, rebuilt, and scaled Shopify stores for my own business and helped countless others do the same. This post is how I simplify Shopify for beginners so it feels achievable, n

If you’ve ever felt like the rules keep changing, you’re not wrong. Algorithms shift. Platforms evolve. Trends come and go. It’s no wonder small business owners feel overwhelmed. But here’s what hasn’t changed. People still want connection. The Digital Landscape Is Moving Fast Change Is the New Normal We are experiencing more change in a few years than previous generations saw in decades. AI, platforms, and tools are evolving quickly. That doesn’t mean organic content is dead

If you run a small business, you’re constantly one email away from someone else’s problem becoming yours. This weekend, that email came from Sendle. Effective immediately. All bookings halted. No real warning. No runway. No meaningful guidance. To be clear, I don’t use Sendle much these days. Over time, I realised they were contracting out to the same couriers I was already working with, so I went direct. It gave me more control, clearer communication, and fewer layers when s

To this day, I still hate the word marketing. I know, ironic. I’m a marketer. I’ve worked in corporate marketing for global brands, now run my own businesses, and I advise other small businesses on marketing every day. Go figure. But the word itself often feels cold. Performative. Salesy. And at some point, I realised something important. The moment I treated content like marketing, it stopped working. The biggest shift I’ve made in my career wasn’t a new platform, algorithm

Let me be real with you: I used to do everything manually. I printed every shipping label one by one. I handwrote every thank-you note. I...

Before I was running a business from my living room, I was managing campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the world. McDonald’s. Canon. Nestlé. I knew how to build a social media calendar a year in advance. I knew how to write headlines for million-dollar product launches. I knew how to interpret a spreadsheet filled with KPIs and ROI metrics. But none of that prepared me for running a small business. When I launched Only The Sweet Stuff, I wasn’t sitting in a corner of

So many small business owners get stuck in perfection. “I’ll launch when my branding is done.” “I need professional photos first.” “I’m...

Spoiler: I didn’t have a business plan. I didn’t have a fancy studio or startup capital. I had a baby in a pouch, a craft machine I...

Everywhere you scroll, someone’s selling something. Flashy offers. Countdown timers. "Buy now" plastered on every post. But here’s the...