Clark says after coming up with the idea for her business and deciding it was something she wanted to pursue, she started “Googling” to find a manufacturer.
“You don’t know what’s involved until you’re in it,” she says.
While at a friend’s wedding she met someone who had cycling clothing made in China and shared the manufacturer’s contact details.
Clark says she went to China and met the manufacturer and returned thinking she’d established a good relationship with them, but “I just never heard from him again”.
Clark says she went back to the internet and found an agent who helped her find another manufacturer.
She advises that when looking for an agent to help with manufacturers she followed her “gut and intuition a lot”. She also looked at rankings and feedback previous customers had provided about various agents.
“A lot of it just came down to the conversations you have and make sure you ask a lot of questions. There’s no such thing as a silly question. The more you ask the better.”
Clark says she’s also taken on a business coach and attended courses on everything from trademarks to meeting Australian standards. She’s also received support from entrepreneurial group The Entourage.
Clark says the next step for She’s Empowered is to branch out into maternity jeans work wear for women.
