Her authentic posts, trademark pink lipstick and generous advice have made UNE alum Tori Packer something of an Instagram sensation. With followers now numbering 55,300, the dynamic Armidale woman, school teacher, wife, mum and social media coach is surfing a wave of support for the joyous online community she established in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The free, online resource known as The Small Business Community (TSBC) aims to celebrate small business and urges members to harness their inherent strengths: "You are your superpower; I’m here to make you believe it," Tori extols.
One day, she might be providing step-by-step instructions on how to add audio to Insta posts to build brand awareness; the next, she will be sharing the relatable cheer and chaos of motherhood as a way to “educate, entertain, inspire and connect” with an audience.
You are your superpower; I’m here to make you believe it.
The TSBC agenda is simple: “To share the wins of small business and to support each other."
“I feel that everyone who is drawn into this community is the type of person who wants to celebrate others, and when you surround yourself with those kinds of people, it’s like fuel to a fire,” Tori says.
“Anyone who is there to troll or judge just doesn’t get any traction. I’ve formed some magical friendships and it’s this most beautiful corner of social media, full of people lifting each other up.”
I feel that everyone who is drawn into this community is the type of person who wants to celebrate others, and when you surround yourself with those kinds of people, it’s like fuel to a fire.
Big fan of small business
It all started when Tori sought to highlight the importance of small businesses struggling through the pandemic in her own community.
“My parents own a general practice and I’ve been brought up in a family that has always recognised how important small businesses are, so I started an Instagram page. I would post what our local butcher or hair salon was doing, and how people could support them. And it grew nationally and eventually internationally. Now that COVID is over, TSBC has evolved into a platform for helping small businesses leverage Instagram.”
And that’s on top of teaching two days a week – Tori did her Bachelor of General Studies Education at UNE in the 2000s, while living at St Albert’s College – and being “in the trenches” as Mum to three young boys.
“Coming to study at UNE after high school was the best choice I’ve ever made,” she says.
“Once you become an Albies resident, you become part of this family for life and, 21 years later, I maintain strong bonds with many of my Albies friends. Living with all these incredible people … I always felt so safe and supported. And I married an Albies boy (Dave Packer, who studied Rural Science and has just been awarded his doctorate from UNE, in meat science).”
Coming to study at UNE after high school was the best choice I’ve ever made
Social media's power for good
After teaching in Sydney, London and Perth, Tori is now working part-time at the New England Girls' School, happy to have put down roots in country soil to raise her “beautiful boys” in “Armidazzle”. Yet she also feels a compulsion to educate consumers and support the small businesses that comprise 97.7% of the Australian business community.
“I know what it’s like to be a small business owner and to have to continually put yourself out there and access the resources you need. When you pick up one ball, others drop,” she says.
“Social media is so powerful and there is still a lot of improvement that needs to happen. It can be a very dangerous place, unless you know how to use it with intention and integrity. Imagine if we all used it for good!”
I know what it’s like to be a small business owner and to have to continually put yourself out there and access the resources you need. When you pick up one ball, others drop.
Tori is pleased to have provided support for small businesses at a challenging time in history and believes they are emerging stronger.
“Small businesses have become more adaptive to change, more willing to look to the future and plan for a digital world,” she says.
“COVID wasn’t the first blow in Armidale and regional Australia. We had had the drought, then bushfires, then COVID, so it was years upon years upon years of hardship. Through TSBC I want to pay homage to all the small businesses out there doing their best – to empower them to have confidence and courage. The resilience that rural and regional communities show is second to none.”
