Daniela Norton started her business after moving to the rural community of Agnes Water and realising she needed something to do while her husband was at work.
“I was away from friends and family and felt very lonely at times, with two kids under three,” she explains.
“The biggest drive has certainly been the aim of having my husband home on day with us, so we can be a family every day. I started my label Lil Puppet at the end of 2015, sewing clothing and personalising and painting t-shirts and baby rompers.
“Having a husband work away gave me lots of long nights, while feeding babies to research how to grow and establish a business. Those first days were tough and there was many times were I didn’t want to go down the road of being a mumpreneur anymore,” says Norton, who has a strong background in hotel and event management.
The label’s online presence took off very quickly and by the end of 2016 had a huge social media following on its Facebook page and built a solid customer base.
“I was no longer able to do the work load by myself. After a failed search of trying to find local mums who would like to jump on board and help sew, I had to outsource overseas. It was important for me to find an ethical and small manufacturer overseas that can produce my designs in a fair and ethically manner, which we did. We have been working very closely together ever since. Having the extra time has really helped and the brand has expanded rapidly from there.”
Her latest range is a swimwear collection that is sun smart but still stylish. However, the little farm shed was not big enough to hold all stock, and so Norton and her husband built a 100 square metre (sqm) warehouse on their property.
“I am so incredible proud of my business as I have built it up all on my own from the ground up with no assistance or help from family―our growth has been 100 per cent organic. Even tough times have been tough sometimes, financially and emotionally, I have reached some amazing milestones in the last 2.5 years.
“It just shows that persistence, determination and believing in your dreams. One of the biggest achievements I have reached the nomination for the Ausmumpreneur Awards 2018. We took gold home in the category retail business excellence. This year Lil Puppet has seen over 150 per cent in income growth, has employed two casual staff, has five brand representatives and has built a 100sqm warehouse.”
