WHAT started out as an idea to help console a grieving friend has bloomed into a thriving enterprise for Kim Oakhill, one that has been backed by the Awesome Newcastle board.
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The Medowie mother-of-two developed Helpful Love – a website that promotes alternative, helpful and useful approaches to gift giving – after a close friend’s daughter died suddenly two years ago.
“I searched everywhere for a gesture that was a bit different from flowers,” Mrs Oakhill said.
“Something useful or helpful; something that said ‘I love you, I could never imagine in a million years what you’re going through, but here’s a little something that may help you through this unimaginable time in your life’.”
Mrs Oakhill started talking to friends and family about her idea of creating a community of genuine, quality local vendors who provide helpful and/or unique services.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Mrs Oakhill also received overwhelmingly positive feedback about her Helpful Love idea from the Awesome Newcastle board when she pitched it to them in April.
Awesome Newcastle provides $1000 grants every month to help community projects in and around Newcastle.
There are 10 members, all businessmen and women from Newcastle, that contribute $100 from their own pockets to an ‘awesome’ idea each month.
Out of three ideas that were pitched to the board in April, they picked Mrs Oakhill’s.
“For them to give $100 out of their own pockets and pretty much say ‘go forth and conquer’ is validation for me that I am heading in the right direction,” Mrs Oakhill said.
“They’re all successful people and really liked my idea. And the invaluable feedback I received was amazing.
“They each gave me 5 minutes of their time to give me advice on my business.”
Helpful Love is growing by the day, with current vendors offering remedial massage, home cooked meal deliveries, environmentally friendly home cleaning services, empowering love letter packages, and even private lounge room concerts.
“It’s a community and web directory for now, with links straight to the vendors’ websites for people to purchase or make further inquiries,” Mrs Oakhill said.
“The future vision is to have a wide variety of awesome, quality vendors across Australia, and potentially even the globe. We’re working towards offering Helpful Love gift vouchers for redemption with any vendor within the Helpful Love community from July 1 this year.”
Helpful Love is not Mrs Oakhill’s only business. She is also a marriage celebrant and is part of the Sassy Celebrants community.
