January 2000 was a busy time for Alison Zwaard, founder of Out of Afrika. “In the same month I launched the website, launched the mail order catalogue and gave birth to my first son. I was the woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown,” she laughs.
She was also a verge of a very successful business. www.Outofafrika.co.uk sells African-made homewares and gifts over the internet and in its first 18 months it has thrived, enabling Alison to open a “bricks and mortar” shop in Sheffield and also set up a wholesale business.
Yet trading on the internet before setting up shop may seem like an unconventional way of starting a business, especially for someone not entirely comfortable with technology. “I’m a total technophobe, but you don’t need to be technically minded to have a website. All you need to do is know what you want and find the right people to implement it.”
This philosophy meant Alison didn’t hesitate to look for a company to handle her online payments rather than trying to do it all herself. “We investigated the e-commerce banking market, looked at four or five companies and eventually choose Worldpay.”
“Security and cost were the two main issues. People who are buying off the web are very concerned about security, although fraud is not as big a problem as people think. And small businesses need to control their costs. When we were looking, some wanted to charge 8% commission [on each transaction] which was just ridiculous.”
The customer service was also near the top of her priorities because, as Alison admits, when you’re trying to look after three businesses and two children you need all the help you can get. “It’s easier when they take care of it all. It’s one less headache.”
