Wow, how things can change in 6 months..... Manufacturers, Patents and Prototypes in Small Business Startup Journal - The Journey To Starting My Own Brand of Travel Clothing and Handbags

Over the past 6 months I have been tackling two major challenges.

The first being where to have my bags manufactured. I have given up finding an Australian manufacturer and was looking overseas. Then, one day a few months ago, I happened to give one last ditched random attempt at a search for an Australian manufacturer on my phone.

And up came one new company that I had never heard of before.

They were based on Melbourne and had literally just started offering manufacturing services for private label.

I emailed them and didn’t hear back for a week. I almost gave up but decided to jump online and message their messenger service on their website to ask if they had received the email and if it had gone to the junk folder. It turned out it had.

I set a video meeting with the Company owner Simone, and not only did she say that she thought I had a good idea but that she was able to manufacture my bags.
I literally can’t believe how far I have come in 12 and 6 months. This time last year I thought I had found a manufacturer in the UK, 6 Months ago I was back on the search for another international manufacturer after being ghosted by my UK manufacturer and had given up hope of ever having my designs made in Australia.

Now I am importing samples of rfid blocking, anti-slash, leather and canvas material.

I am hoping to have all the samples by next week and I will be sending them off so that final technical sketches can be made by the manufacturer.

I am also saving up for the rest of my costs to have a prototype made for each design, which I absolutely cannot wait for.

Personally, I have also left the contract role I took in February as it turned out to be not the opportunity I thought, and actually after working with a fantastic team, they dissolved the department I worked with and never even had me start with he other department I signed up for.

They wanted to shove me back into sitting at a reception desk, cleaning kitchens and taking phone calls when that was not the role I had accepted. I have come too far to be shoved back into a junior role with little to no respect, and they wanted me to work 11am -7pm even though I explained that I had my grandmother to take care of and I struggled to get home safely with those inconvenient times ( I took the job being for hours of 9-5pm). so I found another job and quit ( I have come so far, 3-4 years ago I would have taken anything from anyone and just thought that what was what I was worth).

Anyway, Even though Sydney is back into a lockdown, I have so much to do with learning the ropes of my new job and juggling the prototype stage for my designs. I am still looking into the patent process as well, but I believe I will be going to get a design patent once my official final technical sketches are complete and I have my final prototype complete.