Take a Trip Down that Little Lane, Where Everything is Australian-Made

CrowdInk had the chance to sit down with Tessa White of Down That Little Lane, an online ‘place to share delightful things.’ She talks about her personal favorite products, how she was inspired to start the business, and what entrepreneurs can expect to encounter on their own professional journeys.

CrowdInk: What was the inspiration behind Down that Little Lane?

Tessa White: DTLL was created after a full year of searching our homegrown Aussie websites and just not finding one that fitted all my criteria for shopping on. I wanted unique and personalised products. I wanted handmade or something I couldn’t find in my local stores and the be all and end all was I wanted total quality but without a hefty price tag.

I wanted to support small businesses and help them grow to a much larger scale. I longed to know more about every delivery that came to my door over the years so I went to my web developers and chatted about how I would want the site to work and we went from there.

CI: What are some of the popular buys on the site?

TW: Our top sellers are always the personalised or custom-made pieces. The biggest bonus about working with smaller businesses and items that are handmade is that they can be changed and customised to suit most requirements however odd they may be.

CI: What makes you unique? How are you different from other sites?

TW: We bring together a large quantity of small boutique brands that have had to go through a quality approval process to be part of the website, creating an ever evolving online marketplace that supports lots of stay at home parents whilst also being 90% Australian Made and Owned.

CI: What’s your favourite piece that you’re currently selling?

TW: That is a very hard question to answer! I always have a few. These are my current favorites:

• The Horse Lover Framed Print
• Our Leather Ladder
• The Hanging Pod Chair

CI: What was the biggest challenge you faced when setting up the business? How did you overcome it?

TW: Time and Money! This is probably the same as everyone. To get yourself out there fast and starting earning money either takes working around the clock to ensure you are not missing a single opportunity and networking your butt off OR just spending a fortune on marketing.

I had spent my money on the website, so time was all I had and I just worked all hours I could and did it all myself.

CI: What tip do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

TW: However many hours or days you think a job will take up? Ensure you would have the space to double that at least. Do your research, know what your point of differentiation is going to be, and ask as many questions of others as you can before launch. It can save you not only time, but money too.