Name of your website?Aquarian Craft
Your name?
Taraeta Nicholls
Your Location (city, etc)
Trayning
Please give us a short summary of your website?
A delightful variety of handmade country craft items that are useful and attractive - wheat bags, trivets, clove bags, lavender wands and bags. Vintage and out of date sewing patterns, knitting patterns and project sheets. Plus lots more!!
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I moved to the country where there is limited employment. I decided to use the resources around me plus a love of craft to build an online business.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My first real craft dedicated website was launched in July 2007
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Aquarian Craft came about because I am born under the star sign of Aquarius. If you want to know a bit about me just google aquarius, that sums me up!
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
Everything is handmade by me. In the heat packs I actually grow the grain that goes inside!
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
To continue to build the business, so I can offer employment to other people in rural areas.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
At the moment I spend a lot of time working in the business instead of on the business. But since starting the business I have been accepted and completed the Australian Government's Enhancing Entreprenurial Skills course.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would build a custom workshop and hire people to do the manufacturing and website updating for me. This would give me more time to work on my business instead of in it.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, I have a few ghost sewers in the wings that can help me tomorrow keep up with demand if required.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Learning about website development was one big headache. But now I have worked it out, and it is working great!
What has been your biggest challenge?
Ensuring I dedicate enough time, but not too much as I do have a wonderfully supportive husband but he also needs some of my time too!
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Auction sites, and getting myself ranked in google. Plus a few other sellers who have been known to throw a few customers my way too
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Initially I started on auction sites which was easy in comparision to working independantly. There is a lot more to learn about sourcing traffic as an independant website.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I have run the current Aquarian Craft website Since July 2007. I have no intention of selling it so I will run it indefinately.
One positive about selling online?
Getting to send items all over the world from a tiny little town, surrounded by paddocks, in Western Australia.
What is your website address?
Aquarian Craft
