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KATIE Wockner understands the power of social media and says it has been a critical part of the success of her online business.
Offering innovative makeup storage solutions to the busy business woman, the founder of The Makeup Box Shop says social media is particularly important for visual products such as hers.
"It allows connectivity with existing potential customers in a way that previously didn't exist and provides a great channel to communicate your style, vision and products in a natural way that can build awareness and give great inspiration," says Wockner, 31.
"I very specifically use Facebook and Instagram to inspire my customers and it is not always about my product line, it is an honest representation of makeup, preparation, rooms that are genuinely beautiful, inspiring and well organised."
Founded in 2010, The Makeup Box Shop has grown from a small home office to distribute more than 1,000 units annually.
Wockner says she recognised a gap in the market after searching for storage solutions for makeup and not being able to find them.
Although it has been daunting and difficult moving from the corporate scene to a small business owner, she says a step by step strategy assisted her with the transition.
"The thing that helped was that I took a staggered approach and I was able to pull back on my previous role strategically as the business has built," she says.
"The approach was measured, although at times it has been very hard to manage and has felt like living in a pressure cooker but as they say, pressure makes diamonds."
Wockner says although she is thrilled with the current success of her business, she strongly believes in continuous improvement.
"I will never stop looking for new ideas that my customers will respond to and ways to improve my existing product line," says Wockner.
"I would love to see my products in a major department store such as Myer or David Jones and even an international chain one day."
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