How SHE Turned a Side Hustle into a Gifting Empire with Melissa Wilkinson from Personalised Favours

SHE-talks E-commerce

In this episode of SHE-talks E-commerce, we sit down with Melissa Wilkinson, founder of Personalised Favours, a company known for its unique personalised gifts. Melissa shares her inspiring journey of starting the business as a side hustle while working full-time, eventually growing it into a booming brand that’s loved around the world.

From starting with just a laser engraver and working out of her garage, to now managing over 2000 SKUs and fulfilling massive corporate orders for brands like Porsche and Lamborghini, Melissa's story is full of invaluable insights for anyone looking to scale their e-commerce business.

Melissa opens up about the unexpected twists and challenges along the way, including how winning a laser engraver at a trade show was the catalyst that led her to quit her day job and go all-in on her dream. She also shares the lessons learned from international expansion, navigating brand growth, and maintaining a diverse, happy team of 50 to 70 employees.

We dive into:

✨ The early days: How Melissa started Personalised Favours as a side hustle while still working full-time.

✨ Scaling challenges: From working out of a garage to moving into a 1,800 square metre warehouse with 12 laser engravers.

✨ Winning moments: How Melissa won her first engraver and used it to transform her business.

✨ Corporate orders: Fulfilling personalised gift orders for Porsche, Lamborghini, and Australian Idol.

✨ International expansion: Melissa’s lessons from entering the U. market, including the branding challenges of selling to different countries.

✨ Peak season madness: Juggling 2000SKUs…and what happens when Melissa sells out of stock

Join us for an insightful episode filled with practical tips and entrepreneurial wisdom from Melissa Wilkinson, a true SHE-com success story.

Resources and Links:

Visit Personalised Favours to explore their range of products.

Follow @personalised_favours on instagram for their latest news and releases.

Thank you for listening to this episode of SHE-talks e-commerce! If you loved it be sure to click follow because the episode we have next week is one you WON’T want to miss.
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