One Question Turned This Business Owner’s Life Around

Not everyone has the guts to follow their dream. To wake up one morning and decide to get out there – to start making a living from something they are truly passionate about. But that’s exactly what brave Leanne Ballschmieter decided to do. One morning, one simple question from her husband changed everything…

“We started Aussie Quick Quilt seven years ago. After losing my job my husband asked me what would get me out of bed every morning and I said quilting and travelling.”

With that thought, Leanne decided to open Aussie Quick Quilt. Leanne had been sewing, knitting and crocheting all her way through school, but it wasn’t until later on that she found her love for quilting. The thought of quilting to her seemed a little odd to “cut up perfectly good material only to sew it back together after it had been jumbled up” she jokes. But once she got into it, it wasn’t long before she taught her very first class in an attempt to teach others how to make a quilt in just one day (a process that usually takes weeks!). Now Leanne feels a huge desire to keep quilting alive in this modern world before it dies out completely.

What makes the business unique?

One of the keys to a successful business is having something unique and more importantly, someone behind it with a lot of drive. Aussie Quick Quilt certainly ticks both of those boxes. What makes the business unique, is that the quilt workshops can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. Leanne’s quilt classes have had members aged 9 all the way through to 90! Not only that, but each quilt is made within a speedy 8 hours (not days or weeks as is the usual process). What makes it even more special is that she works with her husband and daughter by her side, applying modern innovation to teach an old-style artform that may even date back as far as ancient Egypt.

“In this fast paced world, few have time for the slow traditional style of quilting so we have put a new twist on it and teach young and old alike to do something constructive with their hands and their limited time.”

How did the business grow?

The business originally started out with the family traveling far and wide across Australia and then moving up to setting up quilt workshops in many locations around the world. Being the passionate individual she is, and with the continued support of her husband, Leanne decided it was time to take her business to the next level and rather than constantly be on the move, to create a quilting workshop base, allowing customers to instead come to her.  

Leanne applied for a loan through Become and qualified for funding with Prospa, allowing her to build the workshop she’d been dreaming of and expand her business. In the Become application, businesses are assigned to lenders that they can qualify for funding with. The application uses technology to analyse the business’s profile and financials to get each business the most optimal funding solution for their needs.

“The prospa loan helped us to create a retreat for quilting workshops to help people to have a break, whether from farm life or [the] city rat race. It allows them to come to us rather than us having to travel all the time.”

How was the loan application process?

Leanne was able to get the funding she needed for setting up her workshop in a short two days and when asked about the loan application process noted that it was “fantastic”.

“We really appreciated the ease of using the service, the respect and help we had from staff. They went out of their way to find out what was important to us.”

Leanne’s story just goes to show that when you set your mind to something, anything is possible. Here at Become, we are proud to help businesses dream bigger and wish Leanne the very best of luck in doing what she loves.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only, should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter and should not be relied upon as such. The author accepts no responsibility for any consequences whatsoever arising from the use of such information.