Just like the saying from little things big things grow, over the past decade Saskia De Paoli has grown her once small store to something bigger than even she had imagined.
When she stepped into the vacant premises at Millaquin Markets in 2011, she believed the space would be something special and 10 years later she now knows she was right.
The store offers gifts, homewares and various stylish selections.
“I have been wanting to do this probably forever, since I can remember,” Saskia said.
“From 2011 we have grown bit by bit and now it has become something massive that I really didn’t expect.
“My dad, who is now 90, helped me paint the boards for the store and even he said, ‘oh, we’ll see how we go here'.
“He thought, I don’t know about this.”
Saskia said that looking for new opportunities to keep the offering fresh had helped grow the business, as well as having worked in the local community for years prior to opening.
“Nobody expected it to go this crazy, but I think because I have been around for so long in shops, we have a strong client base who have known me for years.
“We are always seeking out new things and I think that over the past ten years we have figured out what works and what doesn’t.”
“Everything you see in the store I have picked myself to make sure that there is something available for everyone.”
The store boasts a laid back atmosphere which Saskia believes has been one of the keys to success over the past decade.
“The community feeling is what makes it,” she said.
“Knowing that you can come in here and buy something or you can just wander, there is no pressure to feel like you have to buy, it makes people feel comfortable with coming in store.
Having built a fantastic team who work alongside her, Saskia said the teamwork is what keeps the store going day in, day out.
“Each of the girls in the shop have their own little followings,” she said.
“People come in just to see Nina, Tessa or Karen and I love it – it is what teamwork is.”
To mark the occasion, Saskia will be hosting a celebration on Thursday, 1 July for all who visit the store.
There will be cake, champagne, canapes and lucky door prizes donated by suppliers of the store and the once popular coffee machine will be turned on for the occasion.
Find out more about the event and Saskia here.
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