What was the biggest challenge starting your online business?
The biggest challenge in starting an online business is to stand out from the crowd. We are competing with businesses not just in our local area, but also across Australia and even overseas, so it is even more important to have a unique selling proposition. MyDayMyWay.com.au does this by creating and nurturing strong relationships with our wedding business clients, offering a unique service of reviews from real brides and investing in search engine optimisation and Google advertising.   

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned?
Although online businesses have many advantages, we still face many of the same challenges as traditional businesses. The most important part of my business is building strong relationships with my wedding business clients. Even though we are an online business, I think it’s important to treat these relationships in just the same way as you would in any other business.

What are the benefits of using social media, such as Facebook, to promote your business?
If you are looking to tap into the Generation X and Y market, Social Media is a must for your business. Social Media has totally changed the way people are using the Internet. Instead of it being an encyclopedia-type resource, people now use the Internet to interact, collaborate and share information between other users. MyDayMyWay.com.au uses Social Media such as blogs, Facebook groups and forums to communicate, market and interact with our target market. If you’ve never used these before they may sound intimidating, but are actually easy to get started with and have effective marketing results.  

Does having your business online cut the cost of spending?  If so, in what aspect?
Having an online business does cut many of the overhead costs associated with having a physical shop front with fit-out and inventory. Although building website infrastructure and maintenance can be quite expensive, especially with a database driven system. The main focus of expenditure for MyDayMyWay.com.au is online marketing – which is easily controllable depending on the type of campaign and budget.  

What is your level of involvement with each customer and how has your relationship with customers changed through using the Internet?
We build and maintain strong relationships with our wedding business clients, so we speak to many of them on a regular basis. Using the Internet means that there is a lot more interaction over email, which suits some clients better, but we always aim for a personalised relationship with our clients, including face-to-face communication and over the phone.

Are you able to attract and successfully take on more business because your company is based online?
There is a level of economies of scale associated with an online business, which means that we can attract and take on more business. Though, it’s a fine line between taking advantage of these economies of scale and maintaining solid relationships with our wedding business clients. MyDayMyWay.com.au benefits from using our systems to create economies of scale while still focusing on our client relationships.

Do you find an increased ease in market research?
Being an online business, there is an increased ease in market research. The statistics program linked to our site is invaluable in telling us where our users are coming from and which areas they are visiting. Most of our online marketing campaigns, including Google, have immediate and accurate reporting.

What advice can you give to other fellow businesswomen on the verge of converting to an e-commerce business?

• Do lots of research on similar online businesses and prepare a SWOT analysis on them to work out your unique point of difference. The advantage of online businesses is you can analyse your competitors very easily by visiting their websites.
• Gain a better understanding of your customers by visiting forums and chat rooms that have the same target market as your business.
• Learn as much as you can about search engine optimisation and pay-per-click programs. With such a monopoly in the market, Google is a valuable source of business.   
  

Why did you join the MentorNet Mentoring Program?
The main reason that I joined the MentorNet program was to create a great support network to bounce ideas off, get regular feedback from and help point me in the right direction. I get this from my Mentor and fellow Mentorees.

What were you hoping to get out of this experience?Starting a new business from home can bring about many obstacles and doubts. Having the personalised support network from the MentorNet program helped strengthen my belief in my business and myself.

What is the biggest challenge in being a Mentoree?
The biggest challenge in being a Mentoree is prioritising the time that I spend working on my business with the time that I spend in the running of my business. Once you commit to the MentorNet program, you need to make it a high priority.

What is the biggest thing you have learned doing MentorNet?
The biggest thing that I learned is that I’m not alone. There are many women out there in a similar position in the start-up of their business, facing similar issues. Combining the power of these women, with expert advice, can create amazing results and solutions.

What advice would you give to our readers if they were thinking of becoming a Mentor/Mentoree?
There are so many different benefits that you can get from the MentorNet Program – from expert knowledge, to personalized advice, and long-lasting professional relationships. If you can prioritise the time, you will definitely achieve the benefit that is most important to you. Go for it!

MyDayMyWay.com.au is Australia's first online referral network helping engaged couples find trusted suppliers using real reviews from real brides. By tapping into social networking and Web 2.0 trends, the modern brides-to-be are provided with a unique experience to plan their wedding. Wedding businesses benefit by using these independent testimonials to build valuable trust and credibility, as well as extend their referral network across Australia and beyond. MyDayMyWay approach is fun, friendly and feminine.

To find out more about MyDayMyWay:

Website: www.mydaymyway.com.au
Blog: www.tanialove.com.au
Email: info@mydaymyway.com.au
Address: Post 13 Fay Street, North Curl Curl NSW 2099

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