r we did pretty much nothing, it’s amazing,” founder Sarah Timmerman told Inside Retail PREMIUM. Timmerman says social media has revolutionised the fashion industry, and to stay ahead of the pack you need to have a strong presence. “You need to post relevantly and frequently, you need to post beautiful content, and back it up with your page,” she said. Beginning Boutique initially launched stocking products from local designers, but had to change its positioning when the GFC hit as customers could no longer afford to spend big money and were looking for fast fashion. “I think it was unfortunate, but at the same time if I hadn’t repositioned, Beginning Boutique would not be in business, we would definitely be bankrupt,” said Timmerman. Beginning Boutique sources most of its stock from merchants in West End, Brisbane, who source garments from overseas. Today, the business stocks a broad range, including designer labels, fast fashion, and its own production lines. “We launched our own production this time last year and it’s been fantastic. For the last two months our best sellers have been our own production,” she said. Launching the business as a solo project, Timmerman has grown her staff to 24. “It’s been really great to have the opportunity to work with the team, it really makes a difference because they’re all better than me at what they do,” she said. Beginning Boutique will soon relocate to a larger location in West End, which will include  a press room and physical store. The press room will allow media and bloggers to visit and check out new collections, and will double as a store for customers to be able to come in, pick up, and try on items.