At Thankly, we send handwritten cards and gifts for everyday occasions – saying thanks and showing gratitude the old-fashioned way. Often flowers can be expensive and many just don’t have time to purchase a card, gift or get to the post office to get a stamp. We want to make it easy.

The idea for Thankly came when I was standing in a post office waiting to buy a stamp for over an hour on my lunch break. I realised that people didn’t send thank you gestures anymore, such as handwritten cards, because it was so hard! We all just end up sending an email – which just doesn’t pack the punch a real life card does. As I was standing in that line, I dreamt up this idea about how I was going to solve the problem. That’s how Thankly was born.

Since our launch, we have seen 400% growth and are still growing 25%-30% month on month. That is an amazing result for a small business - especially as we have not invested in traditional advertising and have solely relied on word on mouth.

Collaboration has been such an important piece of the puzzle for Thankly and that means that we need a strong mobile and online network connection and accessibility while on the go. We are Optus customers so we have exactly that. From video production for our Youtube Channel, Thankly TV, to collaborating on files, emails and our social media channels, being connected is vital to our team and the success of our business.

I also turn to online resources like Optus Yes Business for advice and support from a wider network of small business owners.

Social media has also contributed to this success. It allows us to tell our story and differentiate ourselves from other gift stores, which really is our personalised gesture for individuals and businesses. Social media has been invaluable as a startup as it’s meant we can build a loyal client base and allow people to engage with our story organically without having to pay for traditional marketing.

Finally, as a small business owner, I never have enough hours in a day and have to prioritise the most pressing things first. To maximise my time I have a few productivity hacks that I use to make sure I’m being as efficient as possible, but at the end of the day, if you want to be ahead of the game, you’ve got to work really hard. That means that sometimes it you have to sacrifice other things.

I also outsource every possible job I can afford to, such as cleaning, washing, cooking. I make sure I don’t do any tasks that don’t push me or my businesses forward.