I had now imported my first 20ft Container and unloaded everything into our family home. 

In that container was my first amazing Balinese Door and with the help of my brother Russell, who is a carpenter, we converted our carport into my Bali Storage Shed using my vintage Balinese Doors.  This also then became the backdrop for photographing stock. 

We had garden statues in the back yard, painting up the hall way, mirrors in the lounge and a full shed of furniture.   Until my container arrived I had just been selling small items, painting, jewellery and homewares.   I needed to sell quite a lot of small items to make $1,000

Now that I had furniture.  I had imported my very first four poster bed in my  first container as I had always loved four posters since I was a little girl.   Little did I know then that I would specialise in hand carved bedroom furniture.   I could now sell a single piece for $1000 or more.  The customer would come on the weekend  with a trailer my son and my husband would help load and I quickly learned that this was far easier to sell one larger item than selling all the small items.  Furniture was my passion I loved finding it and selling it much more than smaller items. 

As a teenager I would save old cupboards from my uncles farm or friends sheds that were being thrown away and I would restore them as this was my passion from about 14 years old.  

An old iron bed was against our shed with passionfruit growing over it when I decided I wanted to restore it and make it my bed.  This photo of my bedroom was taken in about 1977 how funny that macrame wall hangings, pot plants and natural cotton bedspreads and macrame cushions are all back on trend now....

Bali was full of vintage doors and furniture and recycled unique items so now I was really enjoying the shopping.   I was just be so attracted to certain pieces I was now buying with my heart not just picking pieces I thought would sell like I did with the smaller items.  I am still not so good at the smaller items but furniture and doors I just love them so it is easy I feel I am drawn to each piece that I buy.

As my business got busier I dropped another day at work.   I needed to photograph my stock and get it on line as quickly as possible.  Arlene my friend I had known since I was 6 years old came to work for me 1 or 2 days a week to help get items ready for despatch so I could focus on photographing and listing items and customer inquiries.    My dining room had become the packaging room.

I am so grateful for Arlene she has been with me from the start and still works for me today.  Through the tough times of my journey which we will cover later Arlene  often offered to come in and told me I did not need to pay her.   It is nice to know you have that kind of support when the going gets tough I know Arlene has always wanted Bali Abundance to succeed.  In business you really need to surround yourself with people who are working with you and have the same vision.

We have a great team today and I feel very grateful for my A Team  especially when I am overseas I know my business is being taken care of.

I had left my job in the city working for a lawyer to work full time on my business. 

I saved enough from selling my stock and paying myself a minimum wage to go back to Bali again.  This time I had more than a 20ft container so my shipping guy suggested it was more cost effective to get a 40ft container…. 

Stay tuned for what happens next.

Click the link below to watch our video series Behind Bali Abundance