Anita McLachlan was preparing for a summer holiday when she realised she couldn’t find what she wanted. A conversation with a friend confirmed there was a gap in the market for swim & resort-wear for women her age.
Anita reached a stage where she wanted something more outside of running a household. Being in a military family, and moving around quite often, she needed a business that would allow her a lot of flexibility.
So she started Sequins and Sand, an online boutique that provides swim & resort-wear for women.
Anita’s thoughts on running her own business:
“I love it when I know that I’ve helped women restore their self-confidence. For a lot of women in my target market, getting into a swimsuit is a really big deal, an emotional journey. Some find it really difficult. When I can help restore confidence in them, it gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction. It’s the reason why this business exists.”
What Anita Wishes She Knew When She Started
- Know how to market – this should be one of the focuses from the get-go. It will fuel your business and position it for growth.
- Find a mentor – and value that relationship!
- Be authentic – this will boost others’ respect for you and the credibility of your business
Anita’s Advice to Other Business Owners
- Refer back to your WHY, often – it’s your navigation beacon.
- Keep your social media updated and relevant to your business
- Join HerBusiness – you don’t have to constantly network, but you do need some point of connection with others who are like-minded or have advice from those with experience
Anita wishes to grow her business 2-3x the size it is now, ideally. She loves providing support and guidance to her clients but wants to reach a point where she can step away from the business some days. She wants the ability to travel more often.
Anita’s ideal client is a woman between the ages of 35 and 55, who is having trouble finding swim & resort-wear that suits their age and style, and wants to reward herself with nice attire to wear to the beach or on holiday.
Anita’s favourite entrepreneur is Marie Forleo. She admires her confidence while keeping her ego in check. In her words, “she carved a new path for business coaching and does it in an approachable, sincere, genuine, and generous way. I admire her intelligence and how she inspires others to be the best version of themselves. I never stop learning from Marie and I absolutely love MarieTV.”
Anita’s input on what problem has been solved by being a HerBusiness Network Member:
“As a solo-preneur with a small, scattered team and living a nomadic lifestyle, the HerBusiness Network Membership gives me the chance to connect with like-minded women in business. I love the bonuses, such as free webinars, that come with Membership. Being able to leverage that to participate in the IDEAL Business Accelerator course actually sealed the deal for me – yet another bonus!”
Check out Anita’s awesome shop, here
This post was authored by Allison Mullin. Allison is completing a journalism internship with HerBusiness. She studies editing, writing, and media at Florida State University in the United States.
