#ecosleep

[thesleeprevolution]

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[getsidekicker-blog]

Jane from EcoSleep talks to us about starting her business, growing in the Australian market and the trials of time zones

How did your business start and why?

I started my business out of frustration! I have 4 children that would not use a top sheet on their beds under the quilt cover so that meant I was busy each weekend removing quilts from covers, washing and drying covers and putting the quilts back in.

So I invented my Coshee bed linen. Coshee is short for Cover-Sheet and what you get is a quilt cover with a clip on/off top sheet. With this idea came the start of my business and my journey into bedlinen! Our Coshee set means you no longer have to make your bed in the morning as you just smooth the cover, less washing, and a great nights sleep with no tangled sheet. The perfect bed set for all the family.

Tell me about your business and the vision of your company

I based my business not just on the Coshee idea but everything I wanted to change in the bedlinen industry.

Our Coshee sets are made out of a beautiful soft cotton for Kids and Teens and bamboo/cotton for adults, all in a good thread count as I want the sets to last and be good for more than 1 year not replaced as often. We manufacture under an Oeko-Tex rating that ensures there are no added chemicals in the manufature processs so when you get a set in its reusable bag and not plastic you can pop it straight on the bed. Our bamboo is sustainably grown and is a perfect fibre for bedlinen.

Our motto for EcoSleep Australia is 'love the environment you sleep in' and we mean this. Choose bed sets not laced in chemicals and always choose your quilt covers one size larger than your bed so you get the most of the coverage and don't get cold at night. Our Mulberry Silk quilts are the same, perfect for the Aussie climate and very long lasting. I want to see homes with few items in the linen press, less washing and easy to make beds.

For our next range I would like to see it in a longer length than Australia currently has as our mattress's and beds are now bigger so we need to go to a 220 or 240cm long cover and then we would also be inline with other countries. I have managed to 'disrupt' the industry just a little with our Coshee sets so why not be known as a positive disruptor for the community!

What are some challenges you have faced?

Our challenges have been many. Retailers would like to see our packaging in plastic but we use reusable bags so it means you need to use POS material at the displays and this they think will distract the customer so they are slow to take on our idea here and stock it. I see Australia as not wanting to change the status quo and stick with what they have but it is time for a change and there are so many great Australian ideas out there we need to make them available in stores here otherwise they head overseas and we miss out on some great concepts.

When I started manufacturing I interviewed factories in China to make sure they and their staff worked well together in a happy environment and would use the guidelines we wanted. My factory team is now part of our growing business and we enjoy working with them. If you are using manufacturing I think you need to know the people and hence the reason I spent a long time finding the right team to work with and many months travelling backwards and forwards to China.

We have a great community that buy from us online through our stockists and in stores but we would like to be on shelves so people can touch and feel the goods.

My idea must have merit as we have been already been copied overseas and so it was great that we had a trademark and patent behind us to help protect our Australian idea. Now we just need to get it on shelves in stores around Australia.

We all know how hard it is to grow a business, do you have any marketing tips to share?

Marketing your business is the hardest thing to do on a budget. I have found some great ways to start that are free are:

1. Adding your company to google maps, join every directory you can and list your business, blog, set up Facebook and Pinterest business pages and if you can fit it in Instagram and Twitter.

When you have all of these define your market and start talking about relevant topics around you and the industry you are in and look to engage your audience. I run our marketing for here and overseas so I structure my campaigns a little bit different but I am often chatting online at odd hours to engage the overseas market and vice versa here. If you can use HootSuite or Buffer to help with a 24 hr marketing strategy and times to tweet do so but always remember to jump on and chat when you can as people then know you are real and care.

2. Join networking groups locally and introduce them to the face behind the business. Give out cards but one thing I always do is listen to others before I tell them about my journey as it is a two way street!

3. Attend expo's and exhibit if you need to. Choose your market carefully to do this. Mine is so broad as we span the Eco market as well as the Retail and Wholesale groups and we have a large target audience so at times I struggle to remember which basket my eggs should be placed in!

My last thoughts are enjoy what you do and be passionate about your business. Not everyone makes money or is successful straight away. It takes time, courage and perseverance to get to where you want to be so be honest when you are struggling and ask for assistance. People can always say no but they will often say yes.

Visit www.ecosleepaustralia.com.au for more info.

Interested in meeting local business owners? Our Local Business Event later this month is the perfect place.