General News
10 August, 2023
New era for Maryborough’s Telstra shop
The town’s one-stop telecom shop has signalled a change in direction with the ownership of the business now in younger hands. After heading operations at Maryborough Telecommunications for seven years, Rob and Jacque Durbridge have handed over the...
The town’s one-stop telecom shop has signalled a change in direction with the ownership of the business now in younger hands.
After heading operations at Maryborough Telecommunications for seven years, Rob and Jacque Durbridge have handed over the company’s reins to local couple, Cameron and Mikaylah Teague.
For first-time business owner and current manager of the store, Cameron, the decision to take on the shop was an easy one.
“I’ve worked here for two and a half years and it was only six months ago that Rob, the previous owner and my boss prior to this, presented this opportunity to us because he wanted to retire and pass the business on to someone younger,” he said.
“I’ve just fallen into the position and it’s such a great opportunity since I’ve been working in the store for a while and I know the ins and outs of the business — that kind of thing just made sense.
“Overall, it’s been a very smooth transition and Rob’s been very supportive, him and Jacque have done so well with the business and we just want to continue that.”
At 27, Cameron’s age is a strength, allowing him to bring in new ideas to push the business forward.
“I feel like I’m quite ready. It is pretty daunting, being young and a new business owner is scary but it’s also exciting,” he said.
“There’s a lot I’ve learned on the job. As a young person, we’ve grown up with technology which is a big advantage. We naturally understand things and are able to fix items on the fly.
“Sometimes there’s a stigma around business owners being older. People think they’re in that position because they’ve had a lot of experience and gone through a lot more but then there’s business owners in their teens who are also extremely successful.”
Managing the administration workload alongside Cameron, and bringing her business acumen to the mix, for co-owner Mikaylah, being a community-centric store is essential.
“After and during COVID, we tried to keep using the services of our local businesses to keep them going and now it feels like people are supporting us in the same way,” she said.
“When customers come into the store, we make sure they’re well looked after. If they’re buying anything in-person they get assistance straightaway and have everything explained and set up for them.
“We also want to revamp the store and make it more welcoming especially for our elderly customers, we want it to be comfortable.”
Going into the future, the pair want to solidify their brand — making the store stand apart.
“We’re partnered with Telstra and always will be but we don’t always want to be known just as the Telstra shop because we plan on supplying so many more products that aren’t related to it,” Mikaylah said.
“There’s also small changes we’d like to implement since it’s the little things that can make a huge difference.
“We want to make changes that we’re proud of, including those that help solve issues for the local community.”