2. Art Hide has grown immensely in the past year. You‚ve seen growth in the team, have more people on board and have increased your revenue. How does this motivate you for your next year of business?
Apart from setting new goals and targets for the business, the time spent away on projects and at trade shows has equipped us with invaluable insights. However, what we have learned is that these ventures come at the cost of being away from the family, and so we are keen on balancing things better in 2017.”3. So, what promotional plans do you have in place for 2017?
We'll be focusing on streamlining our promotional efforts with new and more sophisticated marketing and PR strategies, and carefully refining our trade shows ventures, both at home and abroad, on the basis of what works best for Art Hide, making sure we get maximum traction. As I (Kura) spent a lot of time away in the past year putting together all these plans, on a personal level, I want to prioritize my health and fitness and spend more time relaxing with my family and friends in 2017.
The kids kicking off the first day of Christmas, all smiles.
4. Now that we know that Art Hide will be going above and beyond in the next year, would you be able to give us a quick snippet of what type of products to expect at these shows?
We'll be focusing on colour this year and releasing new shades in some our best selling rugs and cushions. Accessories-wise, we'll be looking at using our laser burnt hide technique on new shapes for the season.‚
5. While the Art Hide team is planning, designing and preparing for the coming year, they are also busily planning and creating collections for previewing at upcoming trade shows - but there is always time for fun! Here's the Perth-based team celebrating the end of the year at the Three Coins Italian restaurant...
The Perth-based team enjoying a celebratory dinner
The sisters also enjoyed a few sneaky vodkas with the Sydney team to celebrate the success of the Amigos de Hoy stall at the Finders Keepers market.
Kura and Bree at the Finders Keepers Market
Having worked their magic with the Australian audiences, the sisters are now gearing up to get more firmly established in the USA, starting with trade fairs in Florida, Vegas and New York. To make things easier, Kura's husband and children will join her in the USA as an added Christmas treat, starting their tour with a tour of Disney World! Bree will also have support to manage the New York trade fair stand.
6. And how did you both celebrate Christmas this year?
Apart from the Art Hide family growing immensely, the family has a few new additions too, including a dog, 3 chooks and 2 rabbits! We had a splendid week of fun in the sun at home in glorious Western Australia, and are now gearing up for our USA tour. Beautiful Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia, where Kura's family will be spending some time on Christmas Day Bree on the other hand, ‚Did the usual big Christmas lunch with family, opening presents and following up with drinks in the evening with friends and neighbors. Boxing Day was spent lounging around, eating leftovers, and making things with the Lego sets the kids got this year as presents!‚7. What was the menu for your Christmas feast? Any special traditions you follow?
Kura: Our Christmas feast was a beautiful spread of quality seafood and beef, as we aren't all that fond of turkey, and those were complemented with beautiful salads and an array of lovely wines!‚ Bree explains how they have a long running tradition of celebrating ‚themed Christmases. ‚This year the theme was ‚Pirates‚ so the kids had their hats and costumes and for the parents - cocktails that contained lots of rum!‚
8. With all that you have going on, how do you plan on bringing in 2017?
Kura: "Me and the family will bring in the New Year on an overnight flight from Perth to Sydney and then on to LA..should be a bit of fun!" Bree: ‚We will have a quiet New Years Eve, just me, my husband, my girls are ringing in the year ahead in a beach shack up on the central coast of NSW."9. And finally, heading into the New Year as such successful business women, you must have gained a lot of valuable experiences. Do you have any tips to share with other budding entrepreneurs to help them achieve similar success?
Kura believes ‚its important to set clear a clear vision and strong values for the company, as these form a firm foundation for everything else. 'She also adds a few words of caution. ‚Know that you can't please everyone all of the time in business ‚ you need to work out what works for you and your business. Look after yourself in whatever ways work best for you‚ if you go down, then everything goes down, particularly in the early years.‚ Perseverance is key. As Bree simply puts it, ‚Don't give up! Sometimes business is just about keeping on doing what you're doing, even when things get tough. We are trying to work smarter, not harder this year; this will help free up more time in the business, which in turn will give us more time with our families. The sisters signed out with their final message: ‚We hope our efforts and designs inspire and delight you as they did us! We are immensely grateful for your interest in our range of products, and look forward to your support for Art Hide in the coming year as well. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and look forward to seeing and hearing from you in 2017!‚ And with that note, we wish all our readers all the best for the coming year!