I am thrilled to share our next small business in the spotlight, which happens to be owned by a great bloggy friend Victoria. Victoria and I met when she traveled to ProBlogger in 2015, at that time traveling from Sydney with the gorgeous Sammie from The Annoyed Thyroid and Kim from Zonkt Designs. We had a fantastic weekend and shared some great times together. I am loving having the opportunity to share my small business finds, even more exciting when it is a new business of a good friend. Enjoy!

Please introduce yourself and your business?

I’m Victoria, Chief Gift Giver at “A Box Of…“, blogger at Boiled Eggs & Soldiers and wife to one, mother to two! We live in Tropical North Queensland and “A Box Of …” are bespoke gift boxes filled with beautiful products from local creatives and small businesses or from entrepreneurial women across Australia. All the gifts in the boxes have been carefully & thoughtfully curated with the recipient in mind but in gifting A Box Of… you are also supporting many small businesses, they really are the gifts that keep on giving in every way.

How did your business begin?

A move in 2015 from Sydney to North Queensland meant that I had to reach out and meet new people in a new city. It wasn’t possible to continue with my previous corporate career and I wanted to do something that I could do from home and still be flexible with kid commitments. I saw the move as an opportunity to start something new again involving things I love, like shopping and gift giving! I wanted to seek out local talent and started connecting with creative women and small businesses in the region. The idea to curate thoughtful, useful and slightly quirky gift boxes full of their products was sparked. I extended the gift range to include products from entrepreneurial women across Australia. I spent 6 months researching and sourcing products and then launched the website in early November in time for the Teacher present / Christmas trade.

What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?

The main obstacles have been my own knowledge limitations. While I’ve been pretty good at shopping online I’ve never done anything like this before so each day has been a steep learning curve on the setting up a shop front. Overcoming self doubt has been the biggest obstacle. I’ve been working with a business coach who has been wonderful in talking me through that. Also because this is a totally new venture for me and I’ve only just launched so I envisage there will be more to come but I’m really passionate about the business and if I hold true to why I’m doing it I hope that I can overcome whatever obstacles come my way!

Tell us a little more about the product or services you provide?

Our gift boxes are available Australia wide through our online shop. The boxes have been curated into themes and we can also create bespoke boxes depending on needs, we like to be flexible like that! We can cater to individual and corporate customers and also are gearing up for events as well. Currently we’ve got Teacher & Christmas themed boxes being the end of the year along with our regular range of Mother to be and New Baby boxes, Thinking of you type of boxes with some beautiful tea related products, tropical themed boxes, Housewarming boxes and a range of exclusive stationary. We have new ranges ready to go in the new year which I’m really excited about.

There is also a blog on the website where we’ve got interviews with the people behind the products, our latest news, updates, special offers and general chatter. My goal with this is to showcase the talented people behind the brands and support entrepreneurial women in my small way, something I’m very passionate about as well.

Where would you like to see your business in 5 years?

In 5 years I would like to see the business being well established, profitable and having grown from boxes being packed from our home to being big enough to have a warehouse. My goal in launching this business is to bring joy & kindness to the recipients of the gift boxes, support small businesses and help women follow their dreams. I hope that “A Box Of…” becomes the “go to” place for thoughtful gifts and the place from where new businesses can be launched. I really want it to be a creative hub.

You can shop your Box Of at www.aboxof.com.au or follow the latest news & updates on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

Thank you for sharing your story Vicki, I absolutely love your products!

Are you the gift giver in the family? Does the idea of a gift box appeal to you?

Nicole xxx

**Small Business Spotlight is not a post that is sponsored or paid for in product or kind. I simply love the opportunity to promote small business.

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