One of the main times a woman will decide to start her own business is after having children.  The sad reality is that trying to juggle being an employee and being a parent is an almost impossible task.  No matter how understanding your employer is, or how great your organised childcare, there are times when you just have to stay home with your children. 

This was really brought home to me in the last couple of weeks after my daugther fell suddenly and seriously ill.  I was so thankful that I could just drop everything to care for her and that I was able to let her have the necessary time at home to fully recover.  Too many working parents have no alternative but to rush back to work before their children are fully well.  These past few days have allowed by daughter and I to become even closer and have reminded me why I started my own business.  Running your own business involves a lot of hard work and long hours, and can be stressful, but if one of the reasons you are contemplating it is to be able to spend more time with your children when they need it, then don't hesistate as it is absolutely worth it.

In the last few years the internet has been inundated with online shops selling children’s products.  Below are a sample of some of the tips that we have given our clients to help their website stand out. 

• Make sure your website is eye catching and beautifully designed – a simple home page with a navigation menu and one large graphic will entice more visitors into your site than one with several similarly sized pictures and a bunch of text;
• Invest in quality product photography – poor photos will make your products look cheap and unattractive.  This simple fact alone is enough to guarantee that you will sell very little;
• Make sure your checkout facility is easy to navigate;
• Regularly test the buying process on your site to make sure there are no glitches;
• If you are selling in a saturated industry, you will need to find a niche – don’t just sell more of the same products that everyone else has, find a way to present them differently – a lot of successful businesses may not be selling unique products, but they are marketing them in a unique way and that is what brings in the sales;

The key to a successful website, apart from great customer service and realistic pricing, is initially to make sure your website is visually appealing – you HAVE to make sure your products look amazing.

If you would like a personalised analysis of your own business, or a business plan /marketing plan written, please contact us on admin@theideasbook.com.au for more information.

Launch Initiative is currently running two businesses, focusing purely on supporting Australian Designers.

Their Design portal allows aspiring designers to enter design cometitions across Womenswear and Menswear during Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer. Members submit their designs, which are then critiqued by industry figures from Australian Magazines, Press and Stockists.

The designs with the highest votes are manufactured by Launch Initiative on behalf of the Designer. Giving those struggling to find the funding to back their business a foot in the door.

Their Design Studio gives aspiring or established labels access to Sample Machinists, Pattern makers, PR and Fashion Agents, Production teams, Warehousing and Business Coaches.

Design Studio opens 1st April in Alexandria, Sydney.

www.launchinfashion.com