Corinne Noyes is a businesswoman, of the type I am fascinated with at the moment: those that start with a germ of an idea, grow it from home, then expand into a viable business. She runs Madame Flavour – a really cool tea company. I decided to ask her a few questions about her business, thinking big, and for some pearls (tea leaves!?) of wisdom. You’ll like her.

To start, briefly tell us about who you are and what your business does.

I’m a career marketer – building brands and developing beautiful products that make a difference is my passion. I’m married to a gentle, practical man whose support has made it possible for me to start and build Madame Flavour. I soon discovered that doing it yourself is a very different proposition to a cushy corporate environment. I’m also mother to three year old Sienna who keeps life real and fun. I started Madame Flavour from home in 2008, selling loose leaf tea in ‘infuser pods’ as a more special alternative to paper tea bags. Woolworths was our first customer, and we are now in over 1200 supermarkets in Australia and Hong Kong, as well as cafes and hotels.

You started out your business at home and now you’ve managed to make the leap to business premises – has that been tough to do?

Yes and no. We had reached a point where Madame was dominating – first in the spare room, then the laundry, the hallway and entrance were piled high with cartons of tea. The answering machine said ‘Welcome to Madame Flavour’ and we spent most nights glueing tea boxes or sticking stickers. My husband had had enough, and it was difficult for my two staff. Having said that, it was daunting to commit to the extra monthly outgoing. Now that I have made the move, it has pros – people relate to us more as a real business, and cons – less flexibility than blending work with personal chores; I feel like I’m going to a job again.

You must have to ‘think big’ to grow a small business like that?

With a history of working on large brands, that is what I know to do. I created Madame Flavour for supermarkets. The intention was to create a household name. I’m lucky that the large numbers didn’t daunt me, that I had the experience to know how to develop the brand and create credible presentations. Having said that, the hardest part was having to dip into our own pockets, to mortgage the house, our haven in the country, for my husband to have to keep working to satisfy the bank. That has been the biggest source of stress for me – cash flow; having enough, and if the business were to fail, the prospect of us losing everything. But putting everything on the line for your passion and belief is also incredibly satisfying.

What advice would you have , for our readers who’d also like to start small businesses or leave their more ‘boring’ 9-5 world at home?

The hardest part is getting started. Once you are taking steps, the next steps become apparent.

Do something you feel passionate about – you will need that passion when it gets hard.

Get clear on your goal, why you are doing this. Get clear on what you are going to sell, who you are selling it to, what is different or special about your product or service.

Talk to your prospective customers about the idea. Listen to what they say.

Be responsible in your planning, give yourself the best shot possible by consulting experts in the areas you don’t know.

And remember, it’s all a journey, the worst thing that can happen really is that you give it a red hot crack and it doesn’t work, but at least you tried.

(Oh, I really like these bits of advice! Keep checking back on these when things seem low. Better than those dumb fridge affirmations any day).

How important is the internet and social networking, etc, for your business?

Social networking in the old fashioned sense is central to Madame Flavour – many of our customers find out about us through their friends, mum, sister. We send a bi-monthly newsletter to our database of around 2,000 which is in Madame’s voice, and talks about her adventures to build the connection with our customers, and have received thousands of e-mails from new fans addressed to Madame Flavour stemming from her invitation letter in pack. Madame’s blog is soon to commence, to tie in with my upcoming trip to visit our tea growers in Fujian province, China.

Win a chic display tin with 100 infuser pods – like the one pictured – worth $50. Simply visit the Madame Flavour boutique, then tell me in the comments below which flavoured tea you’d like to be sent. I like the sound of Sultry Thai or Organic Mints tisane … but I could definitely be partial to Jasmine & Pear or Earl Grey Twist. Australian and NZ entrants only, and don’t forget to sign up to my email so I have your details. Madame Flavour will judge best entry on Wednesday 10th March at 5pm. Off to make myself a cuppa, all this talk of tea …

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