As a busy wife and mum to 4 teenagers, I’m always looking for an easy cleaning solution. We provide just that for one of the most neglected cleaning tasks – ceiling fans! Our easy to use, removable and washable covers will have your ceiling fan looking amazing and make the cleaning job a breeze (pun absolutely intended!) Handmade in Australia, we offer a variety of colours and designs to suit any decor.
When did you start your business?
Unofficially I started playing around with the idea in early 2017 and made some for friends and family. It wasn’t until 2020 that I got serious and set my mind on starting and growing Fan Friends.
What was the inspiration behind starting this business?
I don’t know anyone that likes or wants to clean their ceiling fan, and I’m no different. I am always looking for a way to make life easier and cleaning my ceiling fan was no different. When I was laying on my bed and the fan was off, I couldn’t ignore those blades covered in dust and I knew there had to be another solution. I’m not entirely sure how we came up with the idea, but it appeared and I got to work creating a removable cover that would make the cleaning process easy. Add to that that they come in a variety of colours and designs, we make your fan look good too.
What are you most excited about in your business?
When I receive emails and messages from customers who love our product. Every single comment, email or message really makes me so happy and excited. What started out as something to make my life easier has become something that I have been able to share with others and to see the genuine happiness and excitement they get, makes me feel the same way. One of the best ones was when a child who was scared of the fan being on, was happy to have it on after our patterned covers where on it. That truly made my day!
What has been the most challenging thing about starting your business?
Stock availability. Being a handmade business with just me at the sewing machine, there is a limit to how much I can make and we began to sell quicker than I could sew. Some weeks I would be spending up to 60 hours cutting and sewing, just to have to do it all again the next week. When I knew I needed to outsource some of the making the challenge was then finding someone. After many months of trials with different people we eventually found a great couple of people who sew for us on a regular basis. You’d think that would solve our stock issues, but it hasn’t, we still sell out regularly. I’m told this is a great problem to have, but I’m not sure our customers feel the same way! As the business grows this will be a juggling act for us, but we are getting better at it.
What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a business?
Get a coach and be a life-long learner. I thought I knew how to run a business, and I was very wrong. After more than a year in business I knew I had a great product but didn’t know how to get it in front of people so I started looking for a business coach. I started working with The Elevatory in mid-2021 and realised how much I needed to learn. I didn’t understand how much of an impact my branding had on how my customers would view me, my website was not optimised for conversions, I didn’t have email marketing set up and I had no way of capturing emails for my database. I had a lot to learn and learn I did. That one step completely turned the business around and set up the foundations I never knew I needed. I’m always learning. Things change in the e-commerce world overnight and I am always looking to learn from those who have come before me and gain as much knowledge as I can. You can never know too much!
Why did you enter the AusMumpreneur Awards?
As a nationally recognised award, I had seen and heard of others who had won in the past and I wanted some of that! The credibility that comes from being a finalist, let alone a winner is beyond what you can ever create for yourself. To be known as an award winning business is the dream and so I knew this was an award I had to enter.
What did you enjoy the most about being part of the awards?
The submission and interview questions. When I initially looked at them, I was terrified at what I was going to have to write, as I find it hard to write about myself. The process really helped me to think about what I had achieved over the few years we have been in business. The interview process was extremely daunting, but at the same time gave me an amazing opportunity to talk about what we have accomplished as well as the challenges we had faced. The whole process has given me the confidence to talk about the business in a different way. We have started and grown a phenomenal business with an even greater product that everyone needs.
What surprised you most about the awards?
How supportive everyone would be. I know that we always hear about ‘women supporting women’ but it truly was in action. The zoom call when everyone was waiting to go in for their interviews was a truly supportive place to be. You could see the nerves, but everyone had lovely comments to make to help everyone feel at ease. When someone came out of their interview they would share how they thought it went and give any tips they had – it truly was a joy to hear everyone.
How did the awards help you in your business?
Being able to put the ‘finalist’ badge on my website brought a level of credibility to my brand. As an easily recognisable award, it showed to everyone that visited my website that I was a legitimate business that they could trust. Being a finalist helped with the community we have within our brand. Posting about attending the awards and ultimately winning Bronze, I saw the amazing supportive community we have at Fan Friends, something that we continue to grow.
What advice would you give to other mums thinking about entering the awards?
DO IT! No matter how big or small your business is, don’t wait to enter. 2023 was the first year I had entered any awards and while the process to enter does take time and energy to think about what you will write in your submission, it is truly worth it. Next year, I will be there to watch you get your award on the Ausmum stage!
What has been the best thing about starting your own business?
The flexibility it has given me for my family. We’ve had our challenges as a family over the last few years and having the flexibility to give my family what it needed has been amazing. Having your own business definitely has it’s challenges, but the rewards you get far outweigh the challenges. Knowing that when my family need me, I am there, and being able to work from my own home without having to ask permission from an employer is definitely a perk!
What’s happening next in your business?
We have scaled so quickly in the last 18 months that the next 6 months we are making sure that we have all our processes and procedures in place. Growing at a fast pace comes with it’s own set of challenges and before we hit the accelerator again, we need to get a few things in order. It’s a strange place to be as we could so easily keep going, but I know in order to grow, you sometimes have to pull back and make sure you are headed in the right direction. A sling shot needs pulled back before it is let go to fly forward.
What are your big plans for the future?
World domination! ha ha ha We would love to take Fan Friends to the world stage. Quietly in the background we are monitoring and looking at overseas markets that we could launch into for the future. There’s a lot of work to do before then, but that is the big picture. I would love to have the business in a position to be able to employ local mums who need a few hours work around school pick up and drop off, who can pick and pack our orders. A small team of mighty women who help us grow Fan Friends.
