Coming into this adventure I thought I'd get what I want, when I want. Who wouldn't? You wouldn't come into a new venture thinking you'd fail at everything! But why, oh why, are there just some horrible people out there who just want to be difficult!
I'm now at the point that I know what the business name will be (thanks to the lovely people at the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, what I will sell, how I will sell it and I THOUGHT where I would sell it.
www.littletreasures.com.au - obviously! Apparently not. Unfortunately after doing a search somebody already owns that domain name. So I register an alternate domain name of littletreasures.NET.au. Look, it's a website, it'll get the job done... but it's not ideal and now I've got a domain so it's all good.
After a little more research I find the contact details of the owner of the .com.au site. Wowee! Things are looking up. I create the best email I can, all heartfelt niceness. I even impressed myself.
The response literally was... "Make me an offer". I know it's business... keep emotions out, but come on! So, I did a bit of research came up with a figure and gave it my best shot. Not good enough. He comes back with a counter offer 4 times more than mine with a link to an obscure site to back up his counter-offer. I personally thought the link backed up my price... but apparently he saw something different. So I came back with my absolute maximum saying it was a start up business I couldn't possibly afford his price on my minimal budget - as a sweetener I offered a special rate for all the parents of his Child Care Centre. I still haven't heard back from him to this date. Nor shall I ever.
Unfortunately I was never going to win that little showdown. My need was more than his... so he was always going to win.
Anywho... I've got my own domain name. I'm in the midst of creating my own website (eeek!) and I should receive my first stock items in the next couple of days! That's me caught up. Next time you hear from me it will be for the launch of my official logo and Little Treasures Facebook page. From then on all Blog updates will come from the LT FB page, so you'll have to Like it to get all my future updates.
I'm now off into the world of web development. It's a scary, weird world full of strange languages, SQL databases, Wordpresses and Fantasticos! I may not come back the same, but it will definitely be an interesting ride.
Sweet dreams all.
Monday 28 February 2011
THE Tradshow (buh buh buhhhhhh)
I really need to catch up now. The trade show was over a week ago and so much has happened. I do so like to waffle!
The Kids InStyle tradeshow was really the turning point for me. I'd been warned that some suppliers wouldn't take on online retailers and they weren't wrong. I think almost immediately, one of the first wholesalers' reactions was "ANOTHER online retailer?" I don't get it? I thought the world was tipping from retail to etail? It's news everywhere that Australians are spending more and more of their money online!
Anyway, I kept my chin up and answered questions and asked questions. About half way through I realised that I knew what I was talking about! These snooty Melbourne artsy fartsy designers knew their stuff, but I knew my stuff too. Plus, I wasn't just making it up as I went along I had a plan!
Until THE woman. She was just another supplier who had some really cute baby clothes. Nothing out of the ordinary but it would have been nice to stock her things. Now, you all understand the concept of seasons and how we wear different types of clothing for each season (I know you're not stupid and I'll get to the point!). Well, I'm in the unenviable position of starting up a business mid-season. Suppliers are currently selling summer gear while I obviously need to buy winter gear. Not good, but I understand that and I'm doing my best to work around it. Well, after Mrs Snooty finished berating me for starting up another online business (I think her term was "clogging up the internet with ANOTHER online retail store") her next question was "Well... what ARE you going to sell?" I just stood there shocked, stunned and generally in a state of bewilderment. In fact, I now knew what was going through Tony Abbot's head. The ticker going across the bottom of MY screen was "Do not slap that woman... do not slap that woman... do not slap that woman". I'm sure Tony's was something similar. I can't even remember what my response was but I do remember thanking her for her time and floating off to the next stall.
Well, needless to say there is no way on God's green earth I will be stocking her products. In fact, she motivated me to move into another line! I'm going to create a Little Treasures range of baby clothing and her range is the first one I'm going to... how do I say this? Take inspiration from!
Ha! Take that snooty tradeshow woman and thank you for the beautiful photos on your website that I am, even now, downloading some inspiration from.
The Kids InStyle tradeshow was really the turning point for me. I'd been warned that some suppliers wouldn't take on online retailers and they weren't wrong. I think almost immediately, one of the first wholesalers' reactions was "ANOTHER online retailer?" I don't get it? I thought the world was tipping from retail to etail? It's news everywhere that Australians are spending more and more of their money online!
Anyway, I kept my chin up and answered questions and asked questions. About half way through I realised that I knew what I was talking about! These snooty Melbourne artsy fartsy designers knew their stuff, but I knew my stuff too. Plus, I wasn't just making it up as I went along I had a plan!
Until THE woman. She was just another supplier who had some really cute baby clothes. Nothing out of the ordinary but it would have been nice to stock her things. Now, you all understand the concept of seasons and how we wear different types of clothing for each season (I know you're not stupid and I'll get to the point!). Well, I'm in the unenviable position of starting up a business mid-season. Suppliers are currently selling summer gear while I obviously need to buy winter gear. Not good, but I understand that and I'm doing my best to work around it. Well, after Mrs Snooty finished berating me for starting up another online business (I think her term was "clogging up the internet with ANOTHER online retail store") her next question was "Well... what ARE you going to sell?" I just stood there shocked, stunned and generally in a state of bewilderment. In fact, I now knew what was going through Tony Abbot's head. The ticker going across the bottom of MY screen was "Do not slap that woman... do not slap that woman... do not slap that woman". I'm sure Tony's was something similar. I can't even remember what my response was but I do remember thanking her for her time and floating off to the next stall.
Well, needless to say there is no way on God's green earth I will be stocking her products. In fact, she motivated me to move into another line! I'm going to create a Little Treasures range of baby clothing and her range is the first one I'm going to... how do I say this? Take inspiration from!
Ha! Take that snooty tradeshow woman and thank you for the beautiful photos on your website that I am, even now, downloading some inspiration from.
Saturday 26 February 2011
The middle of the beginning
OK. F1 is happily watching a movie (probably for the 700th time) and F2 is asleep after the biggest bowl of porridge you've ever seen. That boy eats more than me!
Where was I? Oh right... Mum... homage... treasures... tears. That's how it usually ends when I start talking about my Mum and if I'm going to cry I'm going tomake you cry!
So! I'd decided to start up Little Treasures from scratch, by myself, with very little funds and two kids while also working for our fruit shop. Luckily I've pretty much quit working physically in the shop however I still do the accounts and payroll, so I'm probably doing a 20 hour week. I'm not looking for sympathy I just want you all to know how flipping crazy I am.
Now I'd decided to do Little Treasures I wanted TO DO Little Treasures. I wanted stock and a website and a gorgeous logo and I wanted it now. But there were a few things in the way... like I had no stock, no website and no gorgeous logo.
For people who know me, they know I looooove research. I don't buy a toothbrush without researching which one is the best for me and my family. I started researching baby stuff and wholesale stuff and wholesale baby stuff and competitors. I had the largest stroke of luck... a baby trade show coming up!!! and soon!!! I really like exclamation marks!!! You'll get used to it!!!
The Kids InStyle trade show was in Sydney in 3 weeks. In the meantime, we were going to Noosa for the weekend for a friend's 40th (I know, a whole weekend!), my oldest friend was having her baby shower, F2 was booked in to have a small operation, F1 had his first ever birthday party to go and the usual intricacies of family life were going on. Whenever would I get the time to research everything I needed to research? Like everything you just have to make it work. The kids weren't QUITE abandoned and the house isn't TERRIBLY clean but I managed to put food on the table and keep the clothes clean (but no ironing for me, I only iron labels onto the kids clothing now thanks to Shannon Lush and some lavender oil).
It was during these 3 weeks I started the Business and Marketing Plans and managed to work out the who, what, where and why of the business. I knew I wanted to stock quality baby goods, but tooling around on the internet I realised there are so many talented people out there. Why not tap into that market? I'd tried embellishing stuff for the kids myself... no good. I have zero talent in the sewing department. But why not be a conduit for all these talented people to sell their goods to a broader market? I guess you could say I'd found my Competitive Advantage. Which is key in a market with so much competition.
Look out world, I'm going to bring Brisbane's talent into YOUR home!
I think I'll leave the trade show until the next post. It really needs it's own Title and everything...
Where was I? Oh right... Mum... homage... treasures... tears. That's how it usually ends when I start talking about my Mum and if I'm going to cry I'm going tomake you cry!
So! I'd decided to start up Little Treasures from scratch, by myself, with very little funds and two kids while also working for our fruit shop. Luckily I've pretty much quit working physically in the shop however I still do the accounts and payroll, so I'm probably doing a 20 hour week. I'm not looking for sympathy I just want you all to know how flipping crazy I am.
Now I'd decided to do Little Treasures I wanted TO DO Little Treasures. I wanted stock and a website and a gorgeous logo and I wanted it now. But there were a few things in the way... like I had no stock, no website and no gorgeous logo.
For people who know me, they know I looooove research. I don't buy a toothbrush without researching which one is the best for me and my family. I started researching baby stuff and wholesale stuff and wholesale baby stuff and competitors. I had the largest stroke of luck... a baby trade show coming up!!! and soon!!! I really like exclamation marks!!! You'll get used to it!!!
The Kids InStyle trade show was in Sydney in 3 weeks. In the meantime, we were going to Noosa for the weekend for a friend's 40th (I know, a whole weekend!), my oldest friend was having her baby shower, F2 was booked in to have a small operation, F1 had his first ever birthday party to go and the usual intricacies of family life were going on. Whenever would I get the time to research everything I needed to research? Like everything you just have to make it work. The kids weren't QUITE abandoned and the house isn't TERRIBLY clean but I managed to put food on the table and keep the clothes clean (but no ironing for me, I only iron labels onto the kids clothing now thanks to Shannon Lush and some lavender oil).
It was during these 3 weeks I started the Business and Marketing Plans and managed to work out the who, what, where and why of the business. I knew I wanted to stock quality baby goods, but tooling around on the internet I realised there are so many talented people out there. Why not tap into that market? I'd tried embellishing stuff for the kids myself... no good. I have zero talent in the sewing department. But why not be a conduit for all these talented people to sell their goods to a broader market? I guess you could say I'd found my Competitive Advantage. Which is key in a market with so much competition.
Look out world, I'm going to bring Brisbane's talent into YOUR home!
I think I'll leave the trade show until the next post. It really needs it's own Title and everything...
Where to begin?
When a gorgeous, crazy, energetic, unstoppable friend of mine gave me some tips on starting a new business she told me to start up a Blog on Blogger. Well, here I am! I thought I'd get in early and start telling my story from the beginning... like anybody REALLY cares but that's the joys of blogging. Nobody HAS to read it or comment on it or even know it's there.
It's been almost a month now since I saw a business for sale on Lifestyle Careers. It was just a little business selling baby gear online but it got me excited. I'd been thinking of doing something similar for months, if not even years, but I didn't know where to start. Where would I find suppliers? What would I call it? What would I stock? There were a million questions and finally there was one answer to them all! So, I wrote back and said I was interested. She sent me everything she had, but the financials didn't stack up. She SAID she was selling a fair amount of stock, but there was no proof. The business had only been up and running for 6 months and she had pretty much abandoned it for the last 3. So, for the first time in my life I made a really low offer and she rejected it. If she was playing hard ball, she lost. I was actually happy!!! Within the few hours it took for her to say "Thanks but no thanks" I'd already designed "Little Treasures" in my head. I was so excited because I could see how it could be done... even how I could be "different" to all the other baby boutiques out there (and there are PLENTY!)
The name, you ask? The name is an homage to my beautiful, sarcastic but loving Mother who passed away from cancer in August of 2007. When she died she had 7 grandchildren, each of which she adored and treasured. In fact, she called them her treasures. So Pam, here's to you and the unconditional love you gave ALL your grandchildren and to the extra little one who came along later, who I hope you met in the "somewhere else".
Alright all... I know I haven't finished (or even really started!) but my "extra little man" is calling me from his bed. It's cuddle time and you people just don't live up to that!
Chat soon and be good!
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