Denise Dunn is taking the humble Aussie thong to the world.
She developed her innovative arch-support, mould-to-your-feet footwear because people wanted thongs that stayed on, didn’t ‘flap around’, had arch support, were comfortable and were good for your feet.
Slappa’s Thongs was born.
The Northern Territory (NT) entrepreneur started selling the footwear at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets in 2010.
She now has more than 150 stockists nationwide, including podiatrists, physiotherapists and chiropractors, and does a roaring trade online.
Denise, who was a finalist in the NT Telstra Women’s Business Awards, has just exported a consignment to New Zealand.
She is ambitious and isn’t stopping there - she is on the brink of clinching a deal to export to the United States.
“Other countries will follow,” she says.
The thongs are moulded, so the toe piece won’t pull out like other thongs.
And they come in a range of vivid colours.
“All sorts of people buy them - from six-year-old kids to people in their seventies and even eighties,” says Denise. “But they are particularly popular with women in their thirties.
“Grey nomads also love them. In fact, they are some of our best advertisers - they travel around Australia talking to lots of people and sing the praises of Slappa’s Thongs.
“Customers love our thongs because they offer pain relief for people who suffer with foot problems, such as plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.”
Denise was given help under the NT Government’s Business Growth Program.
She used the latest grant to get guidance on employment from Darwin-based business consultant Megan Lawton of Vivid Advice.
“That consultancy enabled me to take on a member of staff, which frees me to get on with other projects.
“The Business Growth Program played an important part in growing the company.
“Being able to approach the NT Government for assistance made me confident that I was seeking advice from a trustworthy person and company.”
Denise says the Business Growth Program is a good investment by the NT Government and would highly recommend it to other businesses.
If you’d like to discuss ways to improve the probability, sustainability and capability of your business contact the small business champions team on 1800 256 923.