La Toriana

www.LaToriana.com.au

1. Tell us about your business

Online baby/kids boutique specialising in Australian and New Zealand designers, synonymous with quality, style and affordable clothing, toys and accessories for premmie babies to kids 8 yrs. Special focus and passion on organic and premmie baby clothing. We give a % of our premmie baby catagory to 2 non profit premmie baby organisations. We have a blog where we encourage our readers to join in with recipes, tips, pics etc and where we showcase some great Australiana and new Zealand designers... many who are mums in business too.

2. When and why did you start your business?

Launched in 2007, was a way to keep my 3 daughters and I together in a way. My twins passed away due to issues of premmaturity and their names are part of the business name and feature in the logo with my other daughter. My 3rd daughter was a true gift from the heavens and also a premmie baby I realised family was more imposrtant too and wanted to get off the corporate 9-5 syndrome and work from our rural property if I could.

3. On a personal level, what have you achieved with of your business?

Self fulfillmen. flexibility of time around the family, personal satisfaction of doing it all on my own, testing my own boundries and knowing I am helping non for profit premmie groups out there. also helping other mums starting up new online businesses. I love the fact of having the 3 girls as part of the business, and I am very passionate about providing a quality service with queality products.

4. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in growing your business?

No one initally wanted to supply me as I was unknown, many wanted $$$ up front, some said come back after being established, many thought online retail in baby/kids industry was saturated, some said I didnt even sound like a baby boutique... oh I could go on. Sourcing was hard, setting up and learning a website and retails (I am a nurse!!) awareness of our serive, branding and obtaining good organic google rankings and getting known out there in the market place in a most cost effective way possible.

5. What activities have been successful in promoting your business?

Networking has been invaluable. Social networks, business mums networks too. Branding consitently has been a big plus and doing a LOT OF RESEARCH! Having great suppliers and rapport with them has been excellent.

6. What activities were less successful for marketing your business?

Not aiming properly for my target market and spending $$$ on little return. Seeing an offer that was "too good to be true" and the return just wasn't there. Yep "offers that sound too good... are bad! And often too good to be true alright".

7. Name your favourite thing about your business

I love the creativity of it and the customer liasions. seeing return customers and referrals from customers and seeing people on forums praising us makes me think i am on the right track. I love the feedback and creativity in my blog! of course I love the excellent products and the wonderful rapport I have with my suppliers too.

8. Who or what other businesses or business people inspire you?

Ohhh many! Margot spalding... who went from nothing to a big corporation. smaller businesses that are just starting and can see their passion and determination. so many things on a daily basis gives me inspiration... from so many sources. Both personally and professionally.

9. What are your plans for the future of your business?

Continue to grow my customer base and awareness of La Toriana. Continue to provide the customer care. I would love to make it to that next level... a warehouse, a staff or 2 to help and to really break into another higher level, though am not sure how. Mail order is another area I would like to do. I don't think I can do any of this on my own though, so will need to look at that soon. I am a one mum show here... everything is done by me now... everything... so its hard and getting time consuming... not enough time and I need to delegate and outsource something... time is almost here.

10. Share your best business tip with our readers.

Make the most of every moment, there is a business opppounity in the making right now... it all depends on how you see it and what you make of it... how you approach it and then what to do with it. Make sure that you time manage well... a skill for life make time for family... the kids are so precious and grow up so quickly... Be kind on yourself and take time out... just for yourself once a week make sure you still ahve the passion... without it it will fail. Most of all... network... research... network... research... net... you know the drill. Treat everyone as you would like to be treated as well. Its funny how some of my little breaks came from.

Visit us at: www.LaToriana.com.au