Check out some great sites that are hosted with Plain Communications, the
sponsor of NZine. Each month we will feature a different business site.
Shopping from the desktop at Charlotte's of New Zealand
After hunting around looking for websites that were a little special I
found this wee gem.
"Charlotte's of New Zealand www.charlotte.co.nz is an Internet Mail Order Gift Shop offering people all over the world easy access to a fine range of
products."
Some of the wide range of products available at Charlotte's
It's not amazon.com but it does have a certain appeal due to its simplicity
and feel. At charlotte.co.nz you can purchase sheepskin rugs of various
sizes, neckwarmers, handpainted tiles and bisque china, paua shell
ornaments, and chocolate. Such variety for those who just didn't quite get
enough of New Zealand while they were here, or those who haven't been here
yet. All the products are 100% New Zealand made and are reasonably priced.
The site is easily navigated with clear links to each product page. There
are no banner ads or other distractions to clutter the browsing experience.
Each product has a photo and description with the price clearly labelled.
Instead of a complicated shopping cart there is an easy to use six step order
form which lists all the products, prices and couriers.
Charlotte goes further than a lot of e-tailers and supplies customers with
specially requested items.
"I am often asked about products not featured on my site that people saw
while touring here. I will also send these."
It's this kind of personal service that makes charlotte.co.nz special and
unique.
The owner of the site, Charlotte Mundy of Christchurch, is, as you might
expect from the feel of the site, well organised, thoughtful and pleasant.
She has had no formal training in IT but graduated with a B.Com. from
Lincoln University. After working for many years in administration at the
Christchurch Small Business Enterprise Centre she took the plunge into self
employment. Her goal was to "give self employment a go". By establishing
a small flower business as well as the website Charlotte was able to quit
her job and go out on her own.
She now exports flowers such as Oriental Lilies and Hypericum and grows
Sandersonia bulbs.
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Oriental lily - Casablanca
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"It's seasonal work with picking in the summer and maintenance over the
winter." With the website business peaking in the northern hemisphere
winter the two businesses combine conveniently. "Its nice to be your own
boss. It gives me the lifestyle that I enjoy."
Part of that lifestyle is spent showing her two year old Newfoundland,
Topsy, at dog shows around Canterbury. Charlotte is also involved in
producing the Southern Newfoundland Society newsletter.
Canterbury Net The gateway to online features and resources in Canterbury 
CyberMall New Zealand's first comprehensive virtual shopping mall
Cyber Place Canterbury An on-line resource site
