By Jessica Micallef
Josh Murray has cracked into the business scene and is making sure everyone is clucking about it.
The face of Josh’s Rainbow Eggs in Monegeetta, Josh started out as a nine-year-old who wanted pocket money. Now 18, he is selling his eggs into 42 supermarkets across the state.
“Mum and dad realised this could be a way to teach me about business, so they gave me enough chickens so that I could sell the eggs,” Josh said.
“I was also homeschooled at the time so I had a bit of time on my hands. I started going to Gisborne every Friday and I sold eggs to the people who worked inside the shops.
“I did that for about a year but you can only sell so many eggs like that.”
Josh then decided he wanted to sell his eggs at local farmer’s markets.
“It was really great,” he said.
“I sold 187 dozen eggs in Sunbury one time at a farmer’s market – that was my record for a while.
“The one good thing I got from farmer’s markets, other than sales experience, was that I met someone who was the manager of Riddells Creek Foodworks. I met her and I thought to myself I could sell eggs there.
“She said ‘yes’ and that’s when I started expanding into other various independent supermarkets. I spent about a year trying to maximise sales there by being in the store and talking to customers.”
Josh’s Rainbow Eggs then made their way to local Coles and Woolworths supermarkets in 2015.
“The business just grew from there,” Josh said.
“That’s why I stopped doing farmer’s markets because you have consistency. If I knew I was going to sell 127 dozen eggs each week, I’d lock that in.
“That’s why supermarkets were my next move.”
Josh prides himself on ethical free-rang eggs that he provides for his customers.
“There is no suffering caused by our business, it’s just that simple,” he said.
“The chickens literally live the best life they possibly can. We treat our staff well, we respect our customers, we’re sustainable,” he said.
“We aren’t selling eggs as much as we are selling trust.”
