Clothing company Oishi-m has continued its meteoric rise after winning the Geelong Business Excellence Award, moving to a new and improved Torquay headquarters.
“It’s been a really big year with the win,” says owner Miyo Fallshaw.
“We’ve put it all over social media and everything but it’s amazing how many people from everywhere have mentioned it.”
One last year’s judges actually suggested the move, which to Miyo shows what the awards are all about – helping businesses grow.
“They said we might need to consider a bigger premises to accommodate our growth,” the Bellbrae mum says. “At first we thought ‘no we’re fine.’”
But her store got so crowded with customers and prams after the big win Miyo realised the judge “might be onto something.”
Winning the Retail Business award in her debut entry in 2016 gave Miyo and the Oishi-m team an in-depth look at “every facet” of her business.
And Oishi-m made so many improvements after its first entry it had to totally rewrite the application for its triumphant second attempt, Miyo explains.
The company makes the majority of its clothes in Australia – its biggest retail market.
While online business is thriving, Oishi-m’s new Torquay store attracts customers from all over Australia and New Zealand.
“We even had a customer fly into Avalon from Tassie for a new release, and then she got back on the plane once she bought her goods,” Miyo says.
