Ian Pattison Jewellers: A Family Legacy Polished with Modern Payments

in.cube8r is a one-of-a-kind Melbourne retail gallery that breaks all the rules of traditional retail, enabling hundreds of local artists to sell their creations and keep 100% of the profits. We spoke with in.cube8r’s owner, Elle-May Michaels, to learn how her unconventional business model works, the challenges of running a bustling multi-artist marketplace, and how partnering with Zeller has eliminated payment friction while supporting her mission of artist empowerment. Incubating a creative marketplace for artists. Walking into in.cube8r, you never know what to expect. With two locations (a long-running Fitzroy gallery and a newer Melbourne Central store), in.cube8r is home to around 280 “Cubers” – local painters, jewellers, fashion designers, and makers of all kinds, each renting a literal cube of space to showcase their work. Unlike a typical boutique that carefully curates stock and takes a hefty commission, in.cube8r flips the script. “It’s like an artist market, but in a retail store. Retail, but not retail.” Elle-May says. “It breaks the rules where you’re supposed to have a niche and so on. I like that it's a little bit chaotic, it makes it fun.” in.cube8r’s model puts artists in charge of their own micro retail space. They pay a membership fee and a small daily rent for a cube, but keep all the proceeds of every sale – a novel arrangement compared to traditional retail. For Elle-May, this approach creates a safe sandbox for creativity. “There’s security in the model – we rent a space to the artist like a market stall, and they keep 100% of sales,” she explains. “Unlike a curated homewares store that has to worry about price points and trends, we can say, ‘If you want to try that weird green, go for it.’ That doesn’t really exist anywhere else.” Over nearly two decades (and under Elle-May’s ownership for the last nine years) in.cube8r has grown into a creative community. Artists renting cubes are fondly called “Cubers,” and many stick around for years. Elle-May and her team actively mentor their makers in marketing and business skills to help them thrive. “Before in.cube8r, I worked in marketing & communications, which helped me advise on things like marketing, systems and growing their business, and people started staying longer as Cubers,” she recalls. It’s a successful if unconventional retail ecosystem built on artist empowerment, but it also comes with some unique operational challenges, especially when it comes to payments. High-volume sales means no room for payment friction. On a busy day, hundreds of purchases flow through in.cube8r’s registers – from $5 handmade cards to $500 artworks – creating a high-transaction, high-noise environment. With so many sales and such a unique commission-free model, it’s essential that every transaction is seamless. Covering in.cube8r’s running costs relies on rental fees, since artists keep the full sale amount of their goods sold. For Elle-May, ensuring payments are seamless and transparent has always been mission-critical – but her previous payment systems weren’t up to the task. In the past, Elle-May used a Square card reader that left her constantly on edge. “We do 200 transactions a day and the store is noisy – I’d miss declined payments because I didn’t see the screen,” she says, recalling how her old EFTPOS terminal lacked audible alerts. “The Square terminals were inconsistent with making a noise when payments declined, and I lost money because of that.” Other issues piled on too, like intermittent disconnects and clunky hardware that chewed up printer paper. Processing payments had become a point of friction for both staff and customers. “I tried other terminals too, but they kept disconnecting. The thermal receipt paper left dust everywhere. It was a mess,” Elle-May says. For a fast-moving creative hub like in.cube8r, these hiccups were costing time, money and patience. She needed a better solution, one that could keep up with a bustling store and not detract from the shopping experience. A seamless switch to a solution that just works. Elle-May began searching for a payments partner that could not only meet in.cube8r’s needs today, but also grow with her vision for the future. With plans to expand to more locations, she knew any new system had to be easy to use, reliable, and innovative. “I was really looking for a provider that could meet our needs in the present but also continue to innovate as we grow,” she explains. “Having something easy to use, looks good, is cost-effective and shares our values is really important to us.” Those requirements led her to Zeller – and the decision to switch was cemented by an outstanding first impression. From the moment she reached out, Zeller made the transition smooth. “Zeller’s customer service was brilliant,” Elle-May says. “I enquired, got a call within an hour, and they came to the store that day with the terminals.” The quick, personalised service meant in.cube8r was up and running with Zeller in no time. Elle-May was also struck by Zeller’s modern, small-business-friendly approach. “Being local matters. It didn’t feel like an outdated company pretending to be modern,” she laughs, comparing Zeller to some legacy providers. “A lot of others feel like old services in a shiny new box. With Zeller, someone just came out and set everything up, added our logo, did it all.” Once Zeller Terminal was in place, the benefits for in.cube8r became clear immediately. The devices fit right in with the store’s busy environment, including bright, full-colour digital displays and clear audio alerts to communicate the transaction status. “Zeller is much better. The terminal lights up and makes a noise when something declines,” Elle-May notes, meaning no more missed payments even on the busiest days. Transactions process quickly and reliably, without the dropouts that plagued her old machines. And unlike some older EFTPOS machines, Zeller Terminal doesn’t grind to a halt if the receipt paper runs out. In fact, Elle-May has configured her Zeller Terminal not to print a merchant copy at all, cutting down on clutter. “You don’t have to jam paper into the terminal to keep it going after the roll runs out. It just works.” Making the day to day easier? There’s an art to it. Zeller has smoothed out many other day-to-day kinks in the payment process too. Refunds (even partial ones) are straightforward, so Elle-May’s team can quickly assist customers without having to phone for help. “It’s saved me time and stress. My staff can use it without needing to ask questions, and refunds are easy. If someone is over- or undercharged, it’s simple to look up the transaction in the Zeller Dashboard. Fewer problems in the store means fewer things distracting me from the pottery wheel on my day off!" Simplifying expenses with Zeller Debit Card. For Elle-May, managing small business expenses has also become significantly easier thanks to the Zeller Debit Card. Petty cash used to be a necessary inconvenience for minor daily purchases, but now those days are behind her. “Being able to use the Zeller Debit Card has been really good, it means no more need for petty cash. If we need something for the store, like stationery for example, we just take the Zeller Debit Card – no more messy petty cash.” Zeller Debit Card also streamlines in.cube8r's recurring digital payments, providing clarity and organisation to the business's finances. Elle-May explains: “I’ve also set up a digital card which I use for our online subscriptions so that all goes through one account. So I've been able to segment transactions in a way that's been really helpful.” Focusing on business, not payments. With Zeller handling the heavy lifting at the counter, Elle-May can focus on what she cares about most – supporting her community of artists and continuing to grow the in.cube8r concept. The reliability and ease of Zeller’s all-in-one financial offering means she spends less time troubleshooting payments and more time curating collections and planning events, activations, and future expansions. “The best feedback I can give is: there’s no friction,” she says of the payment experience now. “With Zeller, people don’t notice the payment process, which is exactly how it should be.” Her experience has meant that Elle-May has become an advocate for Zeller among her network of small business owners. “Would I recommend Zeller? Yes. I already have,” she laughs. “I tell them the terminals are great and the customer service is fantastic. It just works.”

What began as a fun creative outlet has now evolved into a thriving – and award-winning – distillery for Gavin and Amy Shaw. From their picturesque five-acre property in Plenty, Victoria, the father-daughter duo have grown Hillmartin Gin to now be stocked in over 120 bars, restaurants and pubs around Melbourne. A seven spiced chai gin? A single vineyard pinot noir gin? Why not! Gavin and Amy are on a mission to make everyone a gin lover. A serendipitous start. When Gavin Shaw was chatting with one of his friends on the phone during COVID, he didn’t realise he was about to take the first step towards a dramatic career change. Despite a background in science and a passion for good food and good drinks, the idea of creating a gin brand wasn’t really on Gavin’s radar to begin with. “The business started off really as a hobby,” he recalls. “Prior to Hillmartin Gin, I had another business, and it meant I traveled a lot. When COVID hit and we couldn’t travel, I was spending a lot more time at home and looking for a way to keep busy.” Gavin’s passion for crafting unique gins started to take shape during a conversation with a friend. “I was lamenting the fact that if I were to plant grapes with the intention of making wine, I’d be dead before I made anything decent,” he laughs. “And my mate said, ‘Why don’t you buy a gin still? You can run it in the morning and drink the gin in the afternoon if you want.’ What a great idea, I thought. Because who doesn’t love a good gin?” Once he’d acquired his shiny new still, Gavin started out experimenting with different botanicals in the family shed, but admits his first few batches weren’t to everyone’s taste. “I was thinking I was making fabulous gin and Amy told me I was going to kill somebody. Thankfully, it’s come a long way since then.” A family affair. With a background in finance and digital customer acquisition, Amy was busy working in the corporate world until a less-than-polished Instagram post made her realise her father needed her marketing assistance. “Before Amy joined, I did a post on Instagram one day, and I reckon about three seconds later the phone rang,” Gavin chuckles. “Amy said, ‘Dad, I have a plan. Step away from the computer. I’ll handle the Instagram from now on.’ So I’ve left it to her since then. She pretty much runs the business these days. I just make gin and do what I’m told.” Crafting excellence. Hillmartin Gin has made its mark on Australia’s spirits scene with a lineup of gins that range from timeless classics to contemporary twists and unique innovations. For example, The Seven Spice Chai Gin combines traditional botanicals with warming spices to create a one-of-a-kind blend that’s smooth and aromatic. “Instead of milk like you’d have in a chai latte, we finish it off with a wildflower honey. It really does taste like chai,” explains Gavin. Gavin and Amy’s dedication to quality and innovation has now earned them national and international recognition. “Last year, our Seven Spice Chai Gin was judged Australia’s Best Contemporary Gin at the World Gin Awards in London,” Gavin says. “We also picked up gold for our London Dry Gin at the same event the previous year. That was a bit of a shock to us – it’s a big award to win.” Work hard, play hard. Building a brand in the craft spirits industry is no small feat, and Gavin and Amy have embraced the challenges head on. “You work really hard,” Gavin says. “Starting out, it’s almost hard not to work seven days a week in this industry because a lot of the promotional stuff is on weekends. So throughout the week, we’re making gin and running the business, and on weekends, we’re often at food and wine shows, gin shows, markets, promotional events, you name it. Good thing it’s a really fun industry. We’re fortunate to call our passion our profession.” To help manage the workload, Gavin and Amy have recently expanded the team. “We’ve hired a full-time sales rep and someone to do the markets for us,” Gavin shares. “You can’t work seven days forever. It’s important to get a break.” Smiling and saving with Zeller. From humble experiments in the backyard shed to now winning international awards and being stocked all over Victoria, Hillmartin Gin’s growth has been exceptional. Alongside this expansion came the need for efficient systems to keep the payments side of things running smoothly. “We were using a competitor for payment processing, but Amy came back from an event one day and said, ‘Hey Dad, one of the other vendors said he’s paying much lower fees than we are. We should look into it.’ That’s when we switched to Zeller,” Gavin explains. “The fees are significantly lower, and the terminals are very easy to use, so it’s a win-win.”

Mother Mary is a one-woman baking powerhouse based an hour south of Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula, cooking up cakes, crackers, biscuits, granola and more for her loyal fans and stockists. Wherever possible, Mother Mary Bakes opts for locally-grown produce and organic ingredients in all her products, delivering them across the peninsula several times a week. In addition to her mouth watering baked goods, Mother Mary also runs semi-regular baking workshops, often with a focus on the fine art of sourdough. We sat down with the founder of Mother Mary to learn about her business and why she switched her business banking from Westpac to Zeller. What’s the story behind Mother Mary? “Well, I should probably start by saying that my name is actually Hannah, not Mary. It was my grandmother Mary who got me into baking, and the business is named after her. When I was a teenager, nan and I would bake up all her old family recipes that had been handed down from her mother, and that’s when I fell in love with baking. I started the business as a bit of a hobby-slash-side-hustle with my cousin who also loves baking, and the thing that connects us both – as well as being great friends – is our grandmother, so when the name was first suggested, it just felt right. After several successful stalls at local markets, I decided to make Mother Mary my full time business. My cousin lives too far away for it to be a full time thing for her, but she’s always more than happy to do some taste-testing whenever she visits.” How did you set up the business? “Once we had our brand name in place, we got an ABN and headed off to our first market stall with a car packed full of goodies we’d baked in mum’s kitchen, a fold out trestle table and a metal cash box, thinking everyone would be paying in cash – but that didn’t last long at all. We quickly realised that less than half of our customers were carrying cash, but luckily most were happy to pay into my personal Westpac account using PayId on their phone. It wasn’t ideal, but it was workable temporarily. We noticed many other stallholders were using mobile EFTPOS readers, so we bought one of those pretty much straight away, although it wasn’t a Zeller one. It only took a few stalls for me to realise mum’s kitchen wasn’t going to be big enough if I wanted to make Mother Mary a full-time gig, and mum very kindly offered me the use of a shed at her place, suggesting I could turn it into a dedicated bakery. My partner is an electrician and lots of his mates are tradies too, so it wasn’t long until we’d connected power to the shed, added plumbing, plastered and painted the place, and fitted it out with ovens, benches, fridges and other equipment from Facebook Marketplace. So in a few months, the business grew from mum’s kitchen and a cash tin to a purpose-built bakery with a website and a way to take card payments. It stopped feeling like a hobby and instead felt like a proper business – it was very exciting. A few months later, tax time rolled around, so I connected with a friend-of-a-friend who’s an accountant. They were very encouraging about the business in general, but not overly delighted about the fact the business finances were mixed in with my personal finances.” You mentioned Westpac. What made you switch to Zeller? “Well, despite my accountant not being thrilled with it, I continued running the money side of the business via my personal Westpac account for a couple more years because…I guess I just didn’t have the time or energy to go into the bank and set up a business bank account . I know that sounds silly, but when you’re running a small business, standing in line at the bank with a million pieces of paperwork just isn’t appealing…so I put it off. Then a couple of years ago, a friend showed me her Zeller Account on her phone. I noticed there was money in the account, and I asked her which bank she was with. I thought the app was somehow showing her balance from her bank account. She explained that Zeller has its own transaction account built in, so you literally don’t need a traditional business bank account. Then she showed me her Zeller Terminal, which was much better looking than my old EFTPOS machine , and I thought, ok, this seems like a better solution, and it will make my accountant happy having things separate, so I downloaded the Zeller App then and there.” What’s your favourite part of the Zeller product suite? “I love that it’s an all-in-one solution, so I don’t need to be switching between multiple apps or tabs – it’s all in one place. As far as what’s my favourite part, well, I guess I switched to Zeller for the transaction account originally, then when I got the Zeller Terminal, I realised the transaction fees are a fair bit lower than what I’d had, and that was nice too. Another good part is the Zeller Debit Card . It means whenever I buy ingredients or petrol for the delivery van or anything else for the business, I just use that card and it’s immediately visible in my Zeller account, so it makes tracking my spending very easy. Virtual Terminal is also brilliant for taking orders over the phone, and I can send out payment links and invoices from the dashboard. Plus the business earns interest on its savings with the Zeller Savings Account. When you add it all together, it’s an all-in-one solution that does absolutely everything I could want it to and more. It’s so much better than what I had before.” What advice would you give to other small business owners considering switching? “Well, one thing I can say is that I absolutely detest paperwork, so the fact I could sign up for a  Zeller account without having to visit a bank branch or fill out any painful forms was a big plus. It was very easy to switch, it made my accountant happy, the tech is excellent…so my advice would be to just do it. When you run a small business, time is money, so I understand people thinking it’s easier to just stick with what you’ve got. But with the cheaper fees, the debit card, savings account, virtual terminal, invoices and everything else built into an all-in-one solution, it’s a no-brainer.”