Susan
More to marketing. Welcome to more to marketing, a podcast on marketing, product and everything in between. I’m your host, Susan and today I’ve got a special guest. My special guest is April. April has had a very unusual career doing all different things, which has merged into her current passion. So I’m going to let April tell you a bit about. Herself. And then we’ll dive into what she’s doing right now. Welcome, April.
April
Hello, thank you for having me.
Susan
I’m so happy. Tell me more about you and your background.
April
Ohh well you are correct. My background is a little bit what would be the word yes different and a little bit sometimes almost crazy but yeah no, I’ve done. I’ve done a fair few things but they’ve all sort of been interlinked I would say. And and you’re right, it has gotten me to where I am today and what I’m doing. So started out in a very basic industry of hospitality, worked into management, then worked myself into. Tail. And from there I ended up being a visual merchandiser for close to 15 or so years over my 20 year career in retail. And from that I worked with many amazing companies, some national companies and international companies as well. And then from there I decided to Chuck it all in. Quit my job. And go back to TAFE and open up my own business, which I have now.
Susan
Fantastic. And I have to say that the key theme that kept rolling through everything that you’ve done, so I do know your career background quite well is customer experience. Customer experience and the passion behind customer experience. So tell me about what you’re doing today and this business that you’ve just started in the last year. Tell me about it.
April
So I’m in the disability industry now, which seems to be a big difference from what I just said, but it’s, yeah, you’re right. It’s really not because I’m still serving people in the community. It’s just a very. A small community or a smaller community in which I’m reaching now, so I am a trainer by train and I am a teachers aid by trade, so I am an educator. And with those qualifications and with that passion that’s enabled me to actually form a very specific niche. Service that I provide actually to the disability industry nowadays.
Susan
Fantastic. And if you can’t work out what today’s podcast is about everyone, it’s about creating a new business and focusing on customer needs. So talking more about this one specifically, April, I know that you’ve got your background now in being an educator. You have a huge passion in the disability space. From personally from friends, family and what you’re seeing out there as well as your own heart and wanting to do so, this is really a a passion business to to bring to life. But I suppose, why did you think it was needed? What gap was there in the market that you identified? Can you talk us through that process?
April
I can. So that’s and that’s something that’s been really big for me and it was actually a bit of an eye opener. So when I when I quit my job in retail after being a merchandiser for a long time. And I literally. Mean when I said I quit my job. Job and I went to TAFE and I got my qualification and after sort of studying for about 6 months I landed a role within a disability service in the local area and from that I just started off as you do as a casual be introduced to the industry like you said, even though I had lots of personal experience. With disability, obviously this is different because it’s professional, it’s there’s so many legalities and policies and procedures and and so much stuff in this industry that is just it. It can be very overwhelming sometimes. But then from then, yeah, I I grew into that role and eventually I went from casual and I was put on part time and eventually I ended up being one of the programme managers. In my later days in that in that area. And from that I was working with a beautiful bunch of young men. They were ranged in age between sort of about 18 and 2324. They all had autism, mild intellectual disability. But very, very capable. So in terms of the language that I would recommend them as or. See them as would. Be like higher functioning. I know a lot of people don’t like that term, but it is a term. That I grew up with. So they. All were after work. They were after just being part of the community. And they wanted everything that you and I want in life.
April
But from working at this programme I really saw that it wasn’t specific enough for these young men. These young men had so much potential and I could start to see the gaps as soon as I became that programme manager, I was seeing the gaps straight away and obviously I took this to management and said, look, this is, this is the gaps that I’m seeing. This is what these boys need. How can we work with this and? And of course we worked with some of it. In the programme but. In the end I was just like you know what, there’s there’s an opportunity here to take this even further. And as I started talking to parents of these young people. I I really sort of went OK, I think. I think I can work with something here. You know, it was just a gut feeling. It was. It was like, I know I’ve got people. On. My side and I just went with it. Yeah, that’s that’s how it all sort of started.
Susan
And as part of that journey, naturally you have to start thinking about, OK, I’m. I’m going to build a. Business here? Mm-hmm. How did you come about choosing your name? What was what was the? Process behind that for you.
April
It’s a funny story behind that, actually, I had no idea what I was gonna call business. Ohh absolutely no idea and it actually came from my email. I had to create a new business email. This is probably the most random way a business name has been created. I had to create a new business email and I sent that through out to a few parents that I was starting to work with and. As as you know, it’s hard like trying to find. A password or a new? Email and I kept putting in all these things and were all taken. And I’m like, man, what’s going on? Why are people taking all of these things and? I was. It literally just came from that and I I was like, OK, well, I’m. I’m delving into life skills. So I was like, I want something with life skills in. And from that it literally my email was life skills and it had the word tutoring in it. And I literally looked at that and went. I think that’s my business name.
Yeah, that’ll do. And it worked and it’s.
Susan
Yep. And it clearly says what you’re doing as.
April
Well, and it does. And it’s funny because everybody now that I’ve sort of connected with and worked with have has gone. No, it’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect. So it’s it’s sort of cements with me that sometimes you do just have to take that chance and and take that. That thing that’s just sitting in front. Of you and roll with.
Susan
It sometimes, Yep, Yep. Exactly. And as part of your setup process. So number one, of course you need a. Name. You need an email, but what else did you set up for your?
April
New business, basically I started straighting to curriculum because that was. That was the big thing for me, obviously. Speaking about learning. The gaps, I knew what needed to be. Done so, that was. The first thing for me and I found that was the most important thing, because if I was going to go out and try and get. New clients to. Come on board with my business. I needed to show them what I could do. So that was that was the first thing. And I know that’s probably a little bit different to. Other businesses, but that’s the nature of the disability industry as well.
April
Is basically finding finding that one thing and and showing your clients and showing your service what it is. This is what I can do. This is how I can do it. This is what I can offer.
Susan
Yeah. And what about other things for them to find you like, did you end up doing anything for websites, socials, Flyers, booklets? What? What else did you decide that you would need when you’re first starting up? And then what did you progress to as your? 2nd.
April
Phase. Yeah. So I mean the first, that’s right, that first phase was literally initially probably about, I would say 3:00 to. Four months that I just. I hit the ground running and I had the name. I had a couple of clients under my belt. I had a curriculum going. Perhaps structure within the back of House of. Business. And then it was OK. Now that I’ve got that settled, what do I need? I’ve got a business name. I need a logo. You know, I I need something that’s going to say, hey, this is me. So I found myself an amazing graphic designer in the community and she has been so wonderful.
Susan
Yep.
April
And she really understood me from not just a professional aspect, but also a personal aspect, which is what I needed because I spoke to a lot of graphic designers and. That they just. Couldn’t quite understand what I wanted to portray. She she got that? So when it came to designing a logo, obviously I’m a very creative person in general, as you could probably tell from my history. But so I. I had a really good understanding of what I wanted. I just didn’t know how to put it together. So when I gave that to her. And she sort of came back and once again. She gave me 3 designs and she added a fourth. One in and. She goes. I just put the 4th one in just just because. And I said I’m so glad you did because that 4th one that she showed me was the logo that I wanted. As soon as I saw it, I went. That’s it. That is me. But I also wanted to reflect the fun because I’m I want to create an environment for my clients. That is fun, that is. You know, socially acceptable and that’s just relaxed and I wanted. All of that to show. Within the business logo and I think it really does that which I’m really happy about. So after that it was on to yeah website design that was a big thing for me and I knew I’ve never. Sort of done this before at this level, so I really used my graphic designer to sort of show me the ropes and and I I trusted her so much with what she has already done. I literally same thing, gave her everything that I wanted and. She really helped create. Something that I didn’t really probably knew I needed or wanted, which was a really amazing feeling because same thing I sort of had ideas of what I wanted to see on it, but when she packaged it all together for me.
Yep.
April
I was just. Like this is it, you know this is this. Is what I was after. And and that was that took probably about four to five months to actually put in place design. You know communicating to and fro with little changes and things that I wanted to see and things that maybe we thought we could add or take away before we actually launched it last year. So yeah, it was it was. Definitely an experience that, yeah, I’ve never had and very happy I have though, because I’ve learned a lot from that too. Learned a lot.
Susan
What was one of your biggest lessons that you learned? From doing the website and changing iterations.
April
Is that I think for me. Not always what you think will work will work. And it’s funny because I think I know that from previous experience, but when when it’s something really personal or really close to you, I think sometimes we can be a bit blinded.
April
And go. Now I know what I need. I know what I want and I’m very open to other creative people stepping in and and doing their thing. But yeah, it’s still, you know, there was things that she really put forward and said I think this might work for you. And it was like, man, I didn’t even know that that existed. I didn’t even know. I knew, like, needed that. That’s really cool.
April
So yeah, that that was probably my biggest learning curve and I’m still working on the website now because it’s already going through an update and I’m actually learning back of how stuff now as well with the web design with what I’ve got planned in the future, which is I’m really excited about now.
Susan
It is. It’s it’s one of those one of those interesting things that learning the technique of briefing. Into a designer, no matter what it is, is an art form on its own, and the best thing to do in those situations is to never have the solution in mind. It’s always about what your scope is and what you need, and let them come up with multiple solutions. Like your example, you’ve given of the logo you gave a brief in of this is what you want to feel and this is what you want people to think about when they see it. These are the emotions that are connected with it. And then she came up with four. But it happened to be that 4th amazing last one that she just threw in that she wasn’t quite sure about, but she thought it did fit you. That was the. One that worked and resonated best for you.
April
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Susan
And the other points for technology as well websites or any technology and platforms really, they’re always evolving. So unless you’re living and breathing that and you’re that expert, you’re not going to know what it can deliver. Yes, that, that’s that’s the the nice surprise you can get by working with people that can do websites or platforms, whoever it might be, they can come back with value ads that you didn’t even realise you wanted because you didn’t know they existed.
April
Exactly right. And that’s a good thing.
Susan
And then sometimes it’s actually. I gotta really think everything.
Susan
Ohh. Fantastic. No, I’m loving this. So you’ve now set it up. You’ve got your website. You got a couple of clients under your belt. You’ve got your quickly them and everything’s humming away for you. What did you do when it came to promoting apart from naturally word of mouth, which I’m going to assume is huge in this niche industry? What else?
April
That, to be honest, was pretty much it up until now.
Susan
Fantastic.
April
So I worked very organically and I continue to work very organically because that’s that’s what I want to create. You know, I want that organic environment, I don’t want. To be a big provider like. There’s there’s there’s heaps of providers. It’s like there’s. Heaps of big retail companies, we I don’t think we need another big company in this industry. I want to stay boutique style. That was something that I wrote down in my business plan straight away I knew. That’s what we needed, and that’s what I wanted to build. So. So yeah, to answer that question, it literally has grown very organically up until sort of now in the last few months. I’ve started getting a bit more extended word of mouth. And started to get a few sort of emails and responses from people outside of my little bubble. I guess of clients, but I’ve loved that fact too that I really haven’t had to do much. To grow and I’ve grown extremely quickly, which is fantastic, obviously as as anybody knows in business, it can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing. You know, having too many customers to deal with or too many clients to deal with is a great thing because people want your service and and want you to support them and. Book them in any way, shape or form doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, but it can also be a bad thing, because then obviously you need to put in other things, including the biggest thing of staff and money and and time. To to accommodate that growth and that’s been the trickiest thing to navigate in the last few months. So yeah.
Susan
No, that that’s is a is a very interesting dilemma to have the pros and cons as you’ve mentioned, I suppose in reflection if you if you go back the last couple of years about this journey about creating your new business and going live and the iterations that you’ve made and the changes. And what you’ll see in the future to be.
April
Mm-hmm.
Susan
What are a couple of your key learnings?
April
Go with your gut. Yeah, absolutely. Go with your gut instinct. I think that’s that’s something I’ve always lived by anyway. But when it’s when it is, like you said, a passion project. I think you really, really have to listen to that, because that’s gonna direct you no matter where you’ve got to go.
Susan
Party. Really, when you found that gap as well?
April
Particularly when you found that gap and when you found something that you you think is gonna be pretty darn good. So that that would be #1 other key learnings. I think I’ve taken out of it is. Don’t rush anything. Or don’t try and rush anything goes back to my previous point of letting things grow organically. I think if I had gone in and I had gone gung ho with advertising with, you know, trying to find stuff straight away when you haven’t really got the business to where you want it to go, I think that’s jumping the gun.
April
And I think that can create more of a downfall in the long run than anything else. So yeah, definitely instincts and don’t rush things. Take your time and make decisions. Obviously, there are times in business as anybody knows that you do have to make decisions and you have to make decisions quickly. But when you don’t. Don’t see how things are going to form because my business has has grown from my clients. You know, I listen to them and they have been the ones who have directed me where to take it. And I’ve loved that. Absolutely loved it, so I’ve never really done that before.
Susan
You never had that power to be able to influence.
April
Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Like I said, you know, when you work in retail, you’re always answering to somebody higher and you’re you’re. You’re given instructions to just follow and do and whereas now, that’s right. I’m in the driver’s seat, so I can steer this ship wherever it needs to go.
Susan
And and talking about you and steering things, my final question, I ask everybody, if you are brand any brand at all, what one best represents you and why?
April
Sorry my. My favourite brand, or one of my favourite brands that I actually have worked with is a company called Athens. A lot of your listeners probably would have no idea what that brand is unless they’re a surfer or a a skater, but yeah, no, it’s an Australian brand that derived from Central Coast of NSW. Couple of guys surfing dudes and same thing there. Their company grew very organically. They use a lot of natural products and their ethos is to question everything and I. Love that because I. Love questioning everything you know when things aren’t going. Right. OK. You can sit there and you can copy it or hey, you can start to ask questions and. Start. To get answers to your to you know different parts that you could possibly take. So umm yeah. And they just make really good clothing so.
Susan
I love it. I love it. Really. Symbolise your journey as well too.
April
Very much so, very much.
Susan
Awesome. Well, thank you so much, April, for today. We’ve learned so much from when you first start looking at your business and creating that business plan to ensuring that you do a phased approach so that you’re not doing things too rushed, that you really take your time but go with your gut. And at the same time, if you believe in it, go for it, because there’s usually a reason behind that. So thank you again so much, April. Appreciate your time and if anyone wants to hear some more amazing podcasts with guests like this, don’t forget to follow more to marketing. More to marketing.
