Is your Style 4 Hire?

I came across Style 4 Hire recently and was curious about how it got started, who was behind it and some of the hurdles overcome that make hire services different to typical e-commerce. So here's my interview with Sarah Comerford, creator of Style 4 Hire.

1. How long have you been operating?
Four months

2. What is your background?
I have an applied science university degree in Environmental Management, but have spent the last nine years as The Event Manager for The Wiggles. Currently I am on maternity leave.

3. Why did you want to do Style 4 Hire?
I wanted to put my obsession for handbags and my maternity leave to good use! Just to get the opportunity to work on something I am passionate about while helping to substitute the income I have on hold for a year has been really exciting.

4. Point of difference to other hire accessory sites?
There is a few…We only stock pieces by high end designers, we offer an emergency bag service in Sydney (if you need your bag the same day you hire it – we will get it to you!), we do not charge any membership fees – the client only pays for what they choose to hire!

5. What kind of marketing do you do?
Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, 2threads, blogs), we have a permanent retails listing on Missy Confidential and we are in constant search for editorial opportunities!

6. Biggest hurdle so far?
Juggling motherhood for the first time and a new online business! Not being from a computer/website/technical background I have had to learn very quickly how it all works….and I am still learning about both!

7. Best Tip for others beginning in e-commerce?

Competitor website research! Investigate your competitors to make sure you are well placed in your key market.

8. Given you are a hire site, your terms of return etc need to be spot on. Did you do a lot of research for this?
Accessory hire websites are still a boutique industry in Australia – so I did my research mainly on overseas sites. The USA and UK have well established companies with thousands of handbags for hire. To begin with I spent time reviewing these sites and making a list of what elements I liked, then I combined them with my own ideas to form Style 4 Hire. Some aspects of the business were easy to implement but others, like the courier service, took weeks to decide on. I needed to ensure the service was easy to use (not only for me but for the client when the piece needs to be returned), fast and affordable. Oh and my record keeping system is bullet proof – just in case I need to track down a stray handbag!

9. Future plans (I saw men's is coming.. what kind of accessories for men)?
In the near future we will be launching our Men’s section – offering bags and briefcases, designer ties, cufflinks and watches. We also working on Style 4 Charity – a section of the business that will be dedicated to raising money for research into female related cancers. STAY TUNED!

10. Do you plan to do more than accessories or easier to do just bags?
Handbags are my personal fetish, however I would love to eventually establish an Eboutique offering not only handbags for hire, but complete outfits including accessories.

11. How helpful has the blog been for you?
Extremely helpful! Informative, entertaining, savvy and exciting!