When one door closes, another opens, and that's just what the creators of Tanyuk Collective have just done.
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When Ashlea Wilson, Cass Anthony and Bec Star all closed their individual businesses at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, they did not know if, or when, they could return.
A brainstorming session led to everything quickly falling into place, when the trio discussed opening a place together and balancing out the overheads attached to running a business.
And so Tanyuk Collective was born operating from the Main Street in Stawell.
Tanyuk is a word used by the local Indigenous community and language of Djab Wurrung.
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"Sonny Secombe has been our go-to guide for the language for our name, which means, moon or luna for our local area," Ms Wilson said.
The new collection of businesses is located at 139 Main Street Stawell and incorporates a beauty and lash specialist, cosmetic tattooing, body art tattooing and spiritual healing all under one roof.
"I decided to move from Melbourne about two months ago and the idea just sprung from there," Ms Anthony said.
"We knew we needed the space and the very next day after we said it we found a place."
Ms Wilson said the way the business was set up there was minimal contact between clients.
"Because we have our own individual business and look after our own client base, there isn't a full salon of people coming in and out," she said.
"With restrictions in place, every service is still doable.
"The beauty and tattoo industry is known for its hygiene. It's a large part of learning."
Ms Star said not many changes needed to be made within the tattooing industry with the new coronavirus guidelines.
"We already have the highest of hygiene standards apart from the medical industry," she said.
"There is nothing new that has been brought in that we don't already do.
"For me on a personal level, I'm much more glad people are aware of hygiene and germs and making sure they are feeling well before they come to receive treatments."
Business closed but still paying overheads
Ms Wilson's business, The Beauty House, closed at its previous location for 10 weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Not only was there overheads coming in from the business but bills at home as well," Ms Wilson said.
"It certainly will make it easier to collaborate together and share the financial load.
"We wouldn't be able to do it all on our own and getting back on your feet after coronavirus is going to be extremely difficult for a lot of businesses.
"Because it is such an unknown time we've really tried to manage everything we do so we can navigate our way through different scenarios which might come up due to the pandemic."
The beauty industry was one of the first industries to be shut under the government's pandemic restrictions.
Ms Wilson, who specialises in lashes, said the time spent at home during the pandemic as allowed her to identify the need to balance the lifestyle between home at work.
Making the move to the country
Ms Anthony, who is also a beauty therapist and specialises in cosmetic tattooing and eyebrows, was travelling from Melbourne frequently to also work out of the Beauty House location.
"Our family is from Stawell and we've always come here for holidays," Ms Anthony said.
"I've never lived in Stawell but have been working here every four weeks.
"Where I was living in Melbourne was beautiful and you were not too far away from the city but far enough to still feel like you weren't in the hustle and bustle of city life."
Ms Anthony's children have also transitioned into the country lifestyle and attending a local primary school in the area.
"It's nice to be able to be so close to everything," Ms Anthony said.
"In Melbourne, we didn't live too far from school and work but everything just took longer to get to.
"It's certainly been nice to have more time on my hands."
Not just a tattoo business
Ms Star was looking for an opportunity to open a tattoo and healing centre in the region.
"I have a completely different entrance, down Star Lane which is pretty cool because my name is Bec Star," she said.
"I do custom tattooing but another service I offer is energetic tattoos as well.
"I am a healer and work a lot as well with the universe. I do a lot of energetic medicine with a lot of my tattoos as well. I offer readings, sound healing, colour therapy and quantum healing.
"I try and incorporate everything I believe in come together into that one space."
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