The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
The biggest challenge has been not being able to make wholesale and exporting really work with the high costs of the NZ-made product, and the price that people are willing to pay for their undies. This has led us to set up a new business model with a separate Intellectual Property company that charges NZ, USA and UK a royalty to make under license, so that Thunderpants can continue to be ethically made locally to its market and run sustainably.
The other major challenge has been the supply chain as our preference is to support NZ companies where we can and mainly subbing Australia where we cannot. We are very keen to help keep the knowledge and expertise of the industry alive in NZ and Australia, plus keep the suppliers and makers in Australasia open for business for future small businesses setting up.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Basically, the freedom vs the responsibility. The freedom of running your own business allows you to set the code of conduct and values of the company alongside all the business decisions. This can be overwhelming but planning how you want things to be certainly helps. Of course this is all off set by responsibility – as an employer, financially, within the community and, of course, as a global citizen.
At the end of the day, you cannot walk away from it as you could with paid employment so it is all about commitment.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We have plenty on the go with the USA and UK branches working on their supply chains and customer base. The intention is for these markets to operate as we do here in NZ. We don’t have any world domination intentions any more like we did at the start but rather we’re happier to replicate what we have achieved in NZ and continue to fly the banner of inclusive marketing, staunch products and conscious consumerism.
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