Starting a business almost by accident by selling fun Hawaiian and Christmas themed clothing online has become a booming enterprise for Sunshine Coast resident Karen Saunders.
Karen started selling clothing online in 2009 and later launched her Tropicool Clothing website as a way of ensuring she could work from home as well as care for her young son and disabled brother.
“I really didn’t have much idea of what I was doing when I started the business, but when the clothing started selling so well online I could really see the potential to grow and as a single mother it was a great way to produce an income, parent my son and assist caring for my brother.
“My very first order when buying stock was just $1,000, and over the past decade I have managed to secure a great supplier and from there the business has just grown and grown.
“My clients are located all over Australia and they love the range as it’s ideal for a variety of occasions including themed parties, corporate functions, bucks parties, hen’s nights, cruises, festivals and team building events.
“We have become so busy that we ran out of room at my home, and in February we moved the business into a new two-story warehouse off Wises Road in Buderim and since then I’ve also hired two part-time employees including my 18 year old son,” Karen said.
Karen’s business continues to grow and she has created another business, Kringle’s Christmas Clothing which stocks vibrant Christmas-themed designs for the whole family, including bandanas for dogs.
“It’s amazing how popular the Christmas range has become, people love the matching shirts and shorts as they can wear them and pyjamas or on the day, especially up here in Queensland where it is very warm. We are now seeing a real uptick in orders for both Tropicool and the Christmas range, particularly as the weather warms, the festive season kicks in and Christmas draws closer,” Karen said.
“It’s important that people get their orders in as soon as possible to ensure no one misses out as every year I sell out of popular designs.”
For further information visit https://www.tropicoolclothing.com.au and https://kringlesclothing.com.au