Gift Spring Gift Fair magazine, September 2013 | Page 31

EXHIBITOR/RETAILER PROFILES

SPOTLIGHT
Little
Imports
EXHIBITOR

What was the deciding factor to go
in to business?
For years we have had the wish want
and need to try to make a difference
in our lives and ultimately when this
opportunity presented itself, and
obviously the usual due diligence, we
jumped in with both feet, with Michaels
double degree in International Business
Management and graduate diploma in
Marketing and Selwyn’s 27years involved
in property refurbishment and sales with a very keen eye on design and
décor, it seems to be an unrivaled combination.
Where do you find your motivation /inspiration for your business?
Christmas has always been an enormous part of both our lives, with our
families celebrating the season in a big way. To now seeing the faces
of all our nieces and nephews when they look round the showrooms.
The passion to expand the original ranges and diversifying to suit all
tastes the opportunity to import into New Zealand “something a little
different”.
What has been the best piece of business advice that you have received?
Watch you cash flow, ensure that you surround yourself with the right
people and only buy 10% of things that you like and 90% things you don’t
(remember its not all about you)!!
What has been the hardest thing/time that you’ve had to work through in
your business, and what lesson did you learn?
The first and second year of business. The first because everything
is new, it is always the most difficult time. And the second because
although you know what you need to do their never seems enough time
in the day to do everything.
What has been the high points and how have you been able to build on
those great times?
The building of relationships with our existing customers and suppliers,
meeting new ones and enjoying and feeding off the positive feedback.
In the last 4 to 6 months being able to acquire and supply our customers
with a number of items they may have missed out on and consequently
being able to offer our customer a one stop Christmas shop.
What are three key points in your business that ensures its success?
Hard work and long hours is a must in a new business. Building and
maintaining the relationships with all our customers and suppliers alike,
as sales are the key to all businesses. Having the right product (we will
all make the odd booboo), realizing that all regions from North to South
in NZ have slightly different tastes
and try to ensure and that our reps
and ultimately our retailers have new
product lines every three months.
Where to from here for you?
It must be a one stop shop for all
you Christmas needs, from life size
Santa Claus’s to beautiful delicate
hand blown glass Christmas trees
and table decorations and everything
in between. Also growing our ever
changing home décor (every day)
range and launching our “advise and
décor” service for those people that
that may not have the time to think
about christmas, and we cant have that!!!

KERR
COWAN

EXHIBITOR

How many years have you been in this business and what’s your history?
We bought Kerr Cowan in January 2012 and prior to this Mike has a long history
of importing and wholesale in Consumer Electronics (30 years). I have a
wide and varied history including working as an Engineer, Quantity Surveyor,
and prior to joining Kerr Cowan, a Retail Operations Manager. Kerr Cowan
has been in business since 1936, and are the exclusive distributors for Salter
Scales, Pedrini and Kinox cookware, Laica Water Filters, and our new ranges
Les Lumieres du Temps (French candles) and Duni Consumer (German napkins,
candles and table accessories).
How did you come up with the theme for your business and what is
the inspiration •H[YH\