When Monica came to Australia, Perth initially, she quickly fell in love with the country and... with a local man. She decided to stay but she also made a pact with herself: she wanted to maintain a strong link with her home country.
Only a few years later Monica, after moving with her now husband from Perth to Melbourne, decided to set up her own business. A tiny rather than small business for now, including only Monica, but with lots of potential and plenty of enthusiasm.
Su Misura Italy was born in 2018. The name translates into "Bespoke Italy", and the business offers a range of activities, tailor-made to match the needs of the clients: Italian classes, Italian-language tours in Melbourne, and (coming soon) trips to Monica's region, Piedmont, for small groups.
What are the main hurdles setting up a business in Australia? Monica mentions the fact that being new to the country one has no existing network to rely on, which can be daunting. But an unexpected big help came from social media, Instagram in particular: Monica has met not only potential clients but also several small business owners through her profile, with which she shares ideas and support.
"Quando io faccio una cosa bella e viene condivisa da un'altra persona su Instagram, senza nessun guadagno, penso che sia una cosa bellissima"
Su Misura Italy is in its early days but Monica feels very positive about the future. Her dream of creating a viable business that keeps her close to her origins is slowly becoming a reality.
