"Initially, business was way better than we expected and it's still going really well," Christina said.

"We've just had such a good response to our coffee."

While opening Shorty's wasn't a huge career change for Taylor, it was a massive direction switch for Christina who had spent eight years behind a desk, but the business was something the pair had talked about for some time.

"Because Taylor is so passionate, we thought maybe we'll open a coffee shop," Christina said.

"We originally looked at businesses in Canberra, but it's too expensive to buy a coffee shop there and too expensive to start up."

"I was driving to work when I saw a piece of orange cardboard in the window of Marmalade Cafe."

The mother and daughter duo decided to take the leap, driven by the need to provide good coffee, food and service at a reasonable price.

"Some people around here are just so hell-bent on making money and there's no money to be made without good service and a good product," Taylor said.

"Part of the reason we opened is so I can have a good cup of coffee and I pride myself on that."

Taylor is the sole barista at Shorty's and has been making coffee for about two years.

"It's one of two things I'm completely confident in, because I can back it up by making you an amazing coffee," she said.

Taylor uses two different blends of Ona Coffee, a brand which is completely fair trade.

Fair trade ensures fair prices are paid to the producers in developing countries.

"I use a single origin bean for black coffees and a blend for milk coffees," she said.

The pair have a flexible business plan for the future that includes a van to make their coffee mobile.

"I'd love to get a van," Taylor said.

"We'd be able to expand our business in the Highlands without moving from here."

So far, the business has grown organically via word of mouth and Taylor said she felt all the coffee shops in the area should be supporting each other.

"I hope our success will help everyone around us," she said.

"That's the difference: we've created a word of mouth that's positive and we're supporting the businesses around us and they're supporting us too."

While Taylor and Christina are only nine weeks into their business journey they agreed there was no-one else they would rather do it with.

"It's been interesting working together," Taylor said.

"It's definitely been testing and I don't think either of us would deny that, but I can't imagine doing it with anyone else."

Christina agreed and said, while there were aspects of the journey that had been challenging, they had created a family atmosphere at the cafe, both with the staff and the customers.

Shorty's offers free-range eggs and cruelty-free bacon and gluten-free hot chocolate and chai.

"All of our ice cream toppings and milkshake flavours are gluten-free so people can indulge," Taylor said.

"We get fresh produce everyday from Anchors and if people want to make changes to our menu, that's okay too."