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For 20 years, the mining town of Collie in WA's South West was without a safety store, meaning local businesses relied on getting their equipment elsewhere. After identifying a big gap in the market, Alecia Swan and her husband decided to change things with their business, Partners in Safety.
A mechanical fitter by trade, Alecia was juggling working from home as a self-employed consultant and raising two young children when she decided she wanted yet another challenge!
She had developed a keen interest in health and safety over the span of her career and saw an opportunity to start a new business in her hometown.
“Safety just became a bit of a passion of mine, I want to keep people safe, and I want people to go home safe every day when they go to work,” Alecia explained. “That's pretty much the reason I started Partners in Safety, I thought ‘there's an opportunity, let's take it and see what we can do’.”
SBDC assistance is a safe bet
After hours of late night research about how to start a business, Alecia turned to the SBDC Regional advisory team for help.
“Not knowing much about business to start off with, I wanted to learn as much as I could and understand exactly how starting up a business works, what it took and what being a business owner would look like for me,” Alecia said.
“SBDC’s business support networks really helped when I reached out to them, they directed me into some really good spaces where I grew as a person and developed my understanding of business ownership.”
A grant through the Collie Futures Small Grants Program, administered by the South West Development Commission, also helped Alecia bring Partners in Safety to fruition.
“The SBDC business advisory helped with the grant application, but I did the majority of it myself,” Alecia said.
“I never thought I would be a grant writer, but it was actually a really good opportunity for me to understand exactly what the business was about and what I wanted it to look like.”
Slow and steady wins the race
Partners in Safety quietly opened in March 2025, and business has steadily ramped up since then. After the soft launch of the store, the team engaged with local stakeholders and tradespeople to figure out how to best meet their needs.
“We’ve given ourselves time to understand exactly what the gaps in the market are and where we need to focus our efforts,” Alecia explained.
After working tirelessly behind the scenes, Alecia and team feel ready to support all of Collie’s safety demands.
“Now, we’re ready to show people what we’re all about.”
“We're a one stop shop for all your safety needs, whether that be consulting, PPE, workwear or personal protective clothing, so we just hope that the community likes our shop, and that they want to support us.”
Close knit community
A busy mum of two young kids and now the head of two small businesses – Partners in Safety and her consultancy business, Alecia’s energy seems endless.
“I’m not really sure how I make it all happen, it just happens,” Alecia laughed.
“I just put one foot in front of the other and try to do the best that I can every day, and while sometimes it doesn’t look like it, with consistency and adaptability you see the results over time.”
As a born and raised Collie local, Alecia has really felt the support of her community since opening the doors to Partners in Safety, and it has given her a push to persevere through the challenges.
One of the biggest benefits of running a local business is that I know most of the people in town and I get to have a conversation with those people when they come into the shop.”
“They get to see all the hard work that my husband and I have put in over the last two years.”
Alecia is proud to be part of such a resilient community, and she is strongly committed to helping the town flourish. The business shows support for local community groups through sponsorships and donations.
Safe and sound into the future
While Partners in Safety is still in its infancy, it has come a long way since Alecia first started brain-storming business ideas in 2023.
“It's very heartwarming to see that we've come so far in such a short time and being a brand new startup business, I'm very proud of it,” Alecia said.
Looking to the future, Alecia wants her business to become the place that fulfils all the key safety needs for anyone living in Collie.
“Business progression, stable contracts and strong engagement with local businesses are all things we hope for in the future.”
As is usual in a new business, Alecia and her team are learning and growing every day and embracing unexpected challenges as they come. With the tenacity they have shown so far, nothing will get in their way.
“We will tackle the challenges head on, whatever they may be,” Alicia declared.
More information
- Find out the steps you can follow to start and grow your business
- Access business advisory services in your region through SBDC Regional
- Read more WA small business stories
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