Province
Names: Wanita Pettenon and Tracey Ashbury
Business: Wickerwerx, Burnaby
Contact: 604-421-0050; www.wickerwerx.com
Number of employees: Two, plus three helpers for the holidays
Time in business: Four
What do you do? We create gift baskets for people looking for higher-quality products. We have found a niche with corporate clients and we also sell online and ship the baskets all over the world.
How did you get into this business? I was looking for a business I could do at home so I could be with my kids. Tracey had a job, so she didn’t need to look for an income. I’ve always had an artistic side, even though I worked as a bookkeeper and accountant for 14 years before having children. I knew someone who made gift baskets as a side job and the more I looked into it the more interested I became. I knew that if I really wanted to be successful, I couldn’t do it by myself and Tracey was the one person I could think of who I’d butt heads with the least. She has no interest in doing the designs and creative stuff, but she handles all the administrative and accounting work.
What is unique about your baskets? They aren’t mass-produced. We have been tempted to produce lesser-priced baskets to attract more customers, but we chose not to sacrifice quality. We’re not looking to become millionaires — the business puts a little money in our pockets and it’s very satisfying.
Future plans? The business has grown so much, and it has the potential to grow much larger. We’re only advertising on the Internet, but this is where we’re comfortable for now. I’m excited about five years from now — I want to take it to a higher level. I don’t know where yet; I have to do a lot of research. It’s a little bit scary.
© The Vancouver Province 2006