In this business profile we meet Toks Aruoture the founder of Punkin Patch Luxury designer baby nursery furniture made to the highest safety standard. Read on as Toks shares her amazing story.
Please tell us what is a typical business
day for you?
No day is typical! A good day will have me awake at
4:30am, in reality it’s usually 5:30. I get the children ready for school and
all out of the house by 8:30. I have different activities scheduled for each
weekday, and my tasks range from visiting clients, processing orders and
liaising with craftsmen or suppliers. At the moment I am working on a project
called DREAM, which encourages mums to be to be more daring in their nursery design
schemes.
What made you start the business and how did you get started?
I went into interior design after a long break from
my previous job as a Medical Representative. On my return to work, the terms offered
were unfavourable to me coupled with the fact that I didn’t really enjoy the
job. My husband suggested I do something I really love, which was interior
design. I had done that as a hobby for a while. I later moved to the United
States and purchased a beautiful baby boutique, then merged my love for
interior design with the sale of beautiful furnishings.
What would you say has been your greatest
accomplishment in the business world to date?
Surviving! Actually it would probably be the fact
that I rescued the business from certain death at the start of the recession.
When I faced the difficult decision to close my store, I chose to move it
online instead. I had gone through and been fleeced by a number of web
designers who never delivered the website I had in mind and now I had 28 days
to learn how to build a website from scratch. 5 years ago it really was rocket science. I had not dabbled in
that side of things before and first I had to overcome the trepidation that
stared at me, next I had to ‘unbelieve’ the fact that my business was over, and
then retrain my mind to get up, dust down and keep going. I still refer back to
that period when I’m facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge, I draw
strength from the experience and it reminds me that it is possible.
What has been your biggest
challenge in business so far?
One of my biggest challenges has been
logistics. A number of our products are made abroad and we have been through a
great deal trying to find a good match for us. Sometimes items get damaged
during transit. Considering the fact that most pieces are custom made to order,
it isn’t as straightforward as simply getting a replacement. The replacement
has to be made from scratch too. We have made some very costly mistakes in our
choice of logistic partners and have certainly learned from them. I see it as
paying for a course in choosing whom to work with.
What are your future plans for the
business?
My immediate future plan is developing
the interior design side of things. I realise that much as I love running
Punkin Patch, I miss the hands-on creative side of things. I am a creative at
heart and I realise I have been doing more sales and admin, that isn’t what I
signed up for although it is essential when you run your own business and it is
still in its early growth stages. On the production side we have some big plans
in the pipeline.
If you had to do it all over
again, what would you do differently?
I would start slowly and focus on
building a solid foundation from the start. Building the foundation is hard and
there are no immediate results. So the tendency is to rush through things in
order to get the business into a productive state. However a solid, water-tight
foundation will keep the business grounded and even when challenges occur- as
they often do- you’ll feel secure knowing the ground on which your business
stands is solid. A bit like the parable of the wise and foolish builders.
Why is it so important to inspire
young women in particular to follow their dreams?
Everyone was born with a gift inside of
them; no one arrived into the world empty-handed. I believe that our gifts our
linked to our dreams, we dream about or aspire towards bearing the fruit of the
gift that is inside of us. Leaving your dreams to fester will leave you feeling
incomplete and dissatisfied with life. It’s leaving business unfinished. Along
with the dreams and gifts come the ability to carry them out. It may be through
networking, taking a course or two on related subjects or getting help via bartering.
There’s always a way to get past the obstacles we face as women.
What advice would you give to
somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?
Make sure you are passionate about
design. Do a lot of research and decide on a niche within the industry- a niche
is important because it gives potential clients a laser view towards you.
What or who inspires you in business
and why?
I love Laura Tennison and Sara Blakely
(SPANX) Sara is daring, positive, inspiring, these are qualities I admire and
they resonate with me. The fact that they are women who started out on a limb,
all on their own from a simple idea is very inspiring.
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
Do what you love and
you’ll never work a day in your life again.~ Confucius
Toks Aruoture
twitter: @punkinpatch
Facebook.com/thepunkinpatch
Linkedin: Toks Aruoture
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