Elise Brown owns Fairdinkum Dogs, a local manufacturer of handmade dog coats. In this episode, she talks through her experience of buying the business at just 18 years old and then growing it while keeping family as her number one priority.
Show Notes
Elise Brown owns Fairdinkum Dogs www.fairdinkumdogs.com.au in #castlemaine. She was only 18 years old when she bought the business from a family friend (who was the second owner). That previous owner thought Elise was a great fit for the brand, and the product, because she had seen her riding her horse past her house, with her #BorderCollies on her tail.
Elise talks about;
- buying your #firstbusiness at 18, and the second one soon after
- how the opportunity to buy the business came about
- nervously asking how much they wanted for the business, and within an hour chatting to the banks and previous business owners
- getting her #mothershelp with #buyingabusiness
- getting her #grandmothershelp to learn to sew after purchasing the business
- reassessing priorities when first daughter was born and deciding then to take the business online
- buying her second business, a #petshop
- being 20 and running both businesses
- lifting a tonne a day, falling pregnant and selling the business
- Wanting to just focus on being a mum
- seeing both sides of the coin, being a #wholesaler and a #retailer
- @KerryAnderson (mother) giving the confidence to just pursue my dreams
- #waterproofoilskindogcoats #custommade to fit any breed shape or size.
- why #Shopify is an amazing website (so you can upload your products onto the website but then with the click of the button you can be selling off @Amazon @eBay @Facebook @Instagram
- how #Shopify was a really big turning point for my business
- #DigitalChampionsGrant (federal government grant) - having two days of training and @michellebridges as our guest speaker
- getting picked as 1 of 30 businesses to be part of the Facebook gift guide
- turning up at local shop shopping center and seeing my photo there and at #MelbourneAirport
- #digitaltransformation
- being part of our community
- being Seventh Generation Castlemainian
- constantly reiterating that we're #Australianmade and #Australianowned
- being there for you and your best mate
- tips for #productdevelopment
- Disciplines to @contentcreation
- #blogging and just giving away information and helping customers
- #localcommunity #Family
- moving to the regions
- being a part of the community
- support from the local community and family
- #smallbusinesscommunities
- #collaboration
- #Australianmadedogtreats
- #Manufacturingbyhand
- #handsewing
- #locallysourced
- #Sellingtostaff
- @MidlandPetSupplies
- #websiteplatforms
- #employinglocal
- #animalwelfare
- the Australian Rural Entrepreneurs Book http://www.kerryanderson.com.au/products/australian-rural-entrepreneurs
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