The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Due to the growth in e-commerce and opportunities that social media have brought, our business has seen growth month-on-month. That also means we face issues with inventory management and human resources (I still have the corporate jargon!). We are still trying to overcome these issues by growing our team and hiring good people who can ride with us in this business. It’s a realisation that one cannot try to be good at everything, and sometimes we have to let go of the tasks that aren’t our strength.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
To be honest, we are probably in such a state of contentment that we can think of few cons of running Tara Treasures. Of course, there are the usual pressures of cash flow management, but nothing major to sweat about!
On the pro side, I get to exercise my creativity with my new designs! I was a designer many moons ago and stopped when life took over. Working full time with Tara Treasures allowed me to dust off the art books and colour pencils that I have stored for so long. It helps that we have great team members who deal with the accounting and logistic bits of the business.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
A decade ago, we dreamed of helping women artisans in Nepal grow their families. We did not have a seed fund or even much cash to start this business. Today, we have increased the women artisans we hired to almost 70. Our small business in return, has supported us through job losses, raised a young family and supported a small team in Australia.
There’s growth potential through consumer awareness to buy better products that are ethically made. This is supported by a growing group of parents who want eco-friendly toys that are made from natural material. We constantly listen to feedback provided from other parents on how we can improve our designs, resulting in friendships and what I call my “mum tribe”.
Some days, we feel like we are living a dream and have to constantly remind ourselves to enjoy this business journey of running Tara Treasures.
Head to the Tara Treasures website to browse their beautiful range. You can also join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
