Small business PR queen, Candice Meisels has established a social enterprise, Fairy Fun Toys, which purchases Australian made or designed educational resources directly from small businesses across the country.
Candice Meisels, founder of Candice Meisels PR, has been assisting start-ups and small to medium-sized Australian businesses for seven years.
“Whilst most agencies cannot work with small businesses and small or no retainers, I have created a model to do just this,” Meisels said. “I love supporting small businesses and sharing their stories and helping them to grow and scale. It has been incredible to watch these businesses grow over the years.”
Candice has five children aged 10 and under. Four are biological and one is in foster care but her open adoption should be through within six months. Whilst in lockdown and trying to homeschool, Meisels started researching quality educational, Australian made resources for her children.
“My husband and I grew tired of heading to the local large stores or placing online orders only for plastic toys to disappoint or break,” she said.
“We realised that we had purchased duplicate toys over the decade and they just did not last. I wanted to buy wooden, handmade, and premium Australian made or designed educational products and I was shocked to find many family-run small Australian businesses that I did not know about before. I had to help them and help parents who were overwhelmed by toy choices like me, and help our children, educators, and charities at the same time.
“Schools, educators, those who home school and therapists are offered discounts or bonus products to support them and we sponsor grassroots initiatives, the first being the Women’s Business School Scholarship fund. We want to assist small business as much as we can and give other women in business the chance to acquire business skills to grow their business.”