Meet Tilisa Akerman, the creator of Tilly Event Hire! What started as a love for hosting memorable events and collecting beautiful décor has blossomed into a thriving business serving the Perth South community.
“I always had a passion for hosting my own events and taking decorating to the next level… My friends would always encourage me to start event coordinating as a career but I never had the confidence to pursue that route. However, I eventually thought hiring out my items could be a great idea!” – Tilisa
With the support of the Self-Employment Assistance program, Tilisa turned her dream into reality. “I was petrified to start a business as I felt I did not have the knowledge or money to even begin with. However, finding out about the self-assistance program, I was guided through the process with the help of funds to get it started. This was a life saver! I learnt about trademarking, registrations, insurance, etc.”
Ongoing mentorship made all the difference: “At times I felt I wasn’t succeeding at a pace I should be, which can sometimes be disheartening. However, Stephanie was always telling me I am on the right track and encouraged me with new ideas and tweaks on how to fix small problems. A big ups to Steph!”
What’s next for Tilly Event Hire? Tilisa is focused on expanding her inventory with quality items for every occasion and dreams of opening a showroom where customers can view décor before booking. “Just the motivation and encouragement the course gives you is a blessing. Just the little things that I never thought I could accomplish, like a website for example – who would have guessed I set that up all by myself from scratch!”
???? Congratulations, Tilisa! Your journey is an inspiration to anyone thinking of turning their passion into a business.
