A PASSION to deliver an environmentally friendly clothing range has resulted in Nick Barclay and Andrew Quinn's product landing on the shelves of 20 stores.

When and why was Outdoor Clothing Concepts Pty Ltd established?

Nick Barclay: "Andrew Quinn and I established Outdoor Clothing Concepts Pty Ltd in pril 2004, specialising in the marketing, management and sales of select high-quality premium apparel brands.

"Our first objective was to build an organic cotton industry in Australia, so e established Organic Cotton Advantage - a business we own and operate as part of OCC Pty Ltd. To start, we signed an agreement with Patgonia, the famous US outdoor clothing company, to distribute their organic cotton line, Beneficial Ts, exclusively within Australia. This success led us to manufacture, market and launch Certton, our Australian-made, Australian-grown organic cotton apparel line in 2005.

"We also market and manage the international sales direction for Yono, a premium outdoor clothing brand from Japan."

 Andrew Quinn: "We wanted to start an apparel business with a point of difference and have been fortunate enough to source great products that are totally unique. Our organic cotton, for instance, is the first commercially grown Australian organic cotton in 10 years and we are very happy to support the farmer who decided to take this step."

Why are you passionate about Organic product?

AQ: "Organic product is real. It's nothing new - it's the way Australian farmers and farmers around the world have produced healthy and quality crops for thousand of years."

What were some of the early difficulties you faced in establishing a small business?

NB: "Starting a new business in any industry has difficulties. We have a lot of passion for what we do and where we're headed, but needed to work hard to turn that into a loud enough voice. We know the benefits and the quality of our product - conveying that to the market is where the hard work begins."

AQ:  "Once we had the Australian-grown organic cotton, it was important to us to then carry out the rest of the process of turning this cotton into finished garments in Australia. We had to ensure the quality and price competitiveness of our products in a local industry that is facing hard times due to the huge influx of imported goods."

What are some of the hidden costs?

NB: "We wish the costs were hidden, but have always kept a strict reality of where the money was going and how best to manage its use."

How did you go about building a profile and name for yourself?

 NB: "We're very proactive in the industries we're in. With regards to organic cotton, we are members of the BFA (Biological Farmers Australia), we attend organic tradeshows, have a bi-monthly stall at farmers markets in Brisbane and have focused on building an Australian retail network surpassing 20 shops. Our partnership in Yono sees us representing the brand at international trade shows and travelling globally to keep in touch with our distributor network."

Describe your level of success to date?

NB: "We're a small business with a big future. Organic Cotton Advantage has just signed an exclusive sales agreement with an agent in New Zealand and we continue to grow all sectors of our Australian sales channels, with continued business from excellent corporate customers and premium Australian fashion brands purchasing our organic cotton fabric to work in with their new season collection launches. The launch of our online shop has also been a successful step, allowing customers to shop securely from the comfort of their own home or office.

"We have grown Yono from distribution in two countries in its first year to current representation in Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg & Scandinavia."

 AQ: "With Organic Cotton Advantage, the diversity of businesses that are now buying our fabric and garments are what really signals our success to me. 

"When we started, we mainly supplied environmental organisations and stores that were already educated in the benefits of organic cotton. More recently, there has been a much more broad-based appeal to our product and we have supplied mainstream fashion brands and ASX 100 companies with products that are important to them as a means of getting involved in 'The Green Revolution'.

"With Yono, in two years, we have established a recognised, premium outdoor clothing brand in some of the most developed clothing markets in the world."

How do you stay competitive in the marketplace?

NB: "We ask our customers that have supported us for three years what they want and go hard not only to service their requests, but bring their ideas into a better quality product that we couldn't have achieved without them."

Who are some of your clients?

NB: "DB REEF, Greenpeace, Surfrider Australia, The Big Issue, ANU, Ksubi, Huggalugs, Natures Child, CSIRO, Pure Earth."

What are the benefits of running a small business?

NB:  "A feeling of control and knowing that with hard work, we can build ourselves to a medium-sized business and beyond."

AQ: "Being able to create something from nothing with hard work and good ideas."

What are your plans for the future?

NB: "We are purchasing our own premises, releasing more Certton Australian organic cotton products, plan to further build upon our international distributor network for Yono and continue to offer the same high level of expert apparel marketing, management and sales service which is the cornerstone of our business."

What advice could you give others wanting to get a small business off the ground?   

NB:  "If you're thinking of starting your own business, it's already off the ground. The ultimate question you have to first answer for yourself - and it's not just about being solely strong in one business element, be it product, marketing, finance, sales or advertising. It's whether or not you can work out how all the pieces of the puzzle pertaining to your business fit in tight unison together and have you got the stamina and commitment to not only create a picture, but make sure you have the follow through to guarantee it's a certified masterpiece."

AQ:  "The core of what you are trying to achieve should always remain constant, but you will need to evolve with the business and adapt to the many changes that are not foreseeable. 

"We have enjoyed the process of growing our business as the market has dictated and therefore, we did not over capitalise at the start when we probably would have spent money where it was not needed."