COUTURIER Angelina Arcaro prides her small business on the exclusivity of its creations.
COUTURIER Angelina Arcaro prides her small business on the exclusivity of its creations. "Whether you're looking for old Hollywood glamour, cool and classic lines or the high drama of a cutting-edge creation, my gowns will have you owning the room," she says.
But it's this very exclusivity that is thwarting the growth of Arcaro Couture in South Perth.
The company, which opened for business in 2003, specialises in the creation of unique, one-off bridal gowns and eveningwear.
Although Ms Arcaro sometimes employs contractors for assistance, she is the business's sole owner/operator and is involved in every aspect of the production process.
After 30 years in the fashion industry, Ms Arcaro said the business was developed after she noticed a significant increase in the number of brides-to-be desiring unique, one-off gowns.
"I just adore bringing a woman the couture experience, the knowledge that her wedding gown or evening gown is absolutely and uniquely her own," Ms Arcaro said.
"And I especially love the beautiful energy and intensity of working with brides-to-be."
After six years in the bridal industry, however, Ms Arcaro recognised that expanding the Arcaro Couture brand would require an extensive marketing campaign and budget.
In order to reach more clients throughout the state she could no longer rely on walk-ins, which had been a major portion of her client base in the past.
"Letting people know I'm here, that's been the biggest challenge so far," Ms Arcaro said.
"I've set up a website and that's getting my label out there and I'm getting good responses, but I really needed to expand my business.
"In my line of work, label recognition is everything. My storefront has been my advertising; my location in South Perth has been very positive and most people who walk in because they see my shopfront.
"But I wanted to expand the business, so I took on a public relations lady who's really on the ball."
Ms Arcaro also recruited the help of the Textile Clothing Footwear resource Centre of WA, which was founded by Belmont Business Enterprise Centre founding manager Carol Hanlon.
With almost 40 years' experience in the fashion industry, including 20 years operating her own national fashion design and manufacturing business in Victoria, Ms Hanlon provided Ms Arcaro with access to business workshops, online mentoring, forums, industry cluster networks, and national and global linkages to SMEs operating in the textile, clothing, footwear and leather industry across Australia.
"The industry cluster networks have been the most beneficial [for the business] because you don't really get to deal with people in your industry all the time face-to-face," Ms Arcaro said.
"And just being able to get useful advice online has been a huge help, especially for specific projects I'm doing; they email you directly and you can network online, which is particularly useful for me when I need advice on promotions."
Ms Arcaro also became part of the TCF Australia Business Growth Project, a federal government-funded project under the Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business Program, which provides local SMEs with the tools to grow.
