When Jane Cay launched a bricks-and-mortar fashion retailer in the small country town where she grew up, she “could not have dreamed the journey” that lay ahead. 

 

More than 20 years later, birdsnest has grown into one of regional Australia's e-commerce success stories – a multi-million-dollar retail operation shipping fashion around the country from its headquarters in Cooma in the NSW Snowy Mountains. 

 
Speaking on the Fearless Females podcast, supported by Westpac, Cay reflected on the decisions that shaped the business, from backing online retail before it became mainstream to building a customer experience centred on personalised service. 

 

Cay’s story started back in 2004. After building a successful career in technology in Sydney, she returned to her hometown of Cooma with her sheep farmer husband. 

 

Her love of fashion drove her to launch a women’s clothing boutique in town. But a few years later, an instinct to extend the business online was met with doubt from those around her. 

 

“I remember saying we're going to go online, and people said, are you mad? Like, no one’s going to buy your jeans online, Jane. That's just not going to happen,” Cay said. 
 
“It felt like a gamble, because back then, no one [sold fashion online].” 
 

But Cay persisted with her vision, successfully launching birdsnest online in 2006 at a time when e-commerce fashion businesses were few and far between. 

 

The move paid dividends, enabling rapid growth in the business’ infancy.  

 

“I think we doubled in size for the first three years,” she said. 

 

But scaling an online business from regional NSW came with its own considerations.  

 

As online orders increased, Cooma’s close proximity to Canberra and the capital city’s regular postal services became an important advantage that helped the business scale quickly. 

 

“If you’re thinking about a business in a regional area, it has to be the right fit,” Cay said. 

 

Alongside the online store, birdsnest has fuelled its growth with a pre-loved fashion initiative called rehatched, a second retail store on the Gold Coast and by branching into short-stay accommodation in Cooma through Nest Stays.  

 

birdsnest has also become one of the largest employers in Cooma, with more than 100 of the town’s 6,500 locals working within the business and more than 85 per cent of total employees women. 

 

“We put about $6 million worth of wages into our little community every year. That's good for a small country town.” 

 

It’s also considered one of the best employers too, with the business twice featuring in the top ten places to work in Australia. 

 

More than 20 years after launching birdsnest, Cay is still focused on finding ways to serve her customers. 

 

Keeping pace with new technology, she says, has been a key part of that. 

 

"It's not the smartest that survives. It's not the strongest. It's the one most adaptable to change," she said. 

 

About the Fearless Females podcast: 
 
Hosted by Edible Blooms co-founder Kelly Jamieson and Palas Jewellery founder Anna Dimond, the Fearless Females podcasts interviews entrepreneurs and leaders about what it takes to build bold businesses and careers – from first steps to global scale.  
 
The podcast is proudly supported by Westpac, because even the best ideas need backing. Westpac has lent more than $1 billion to support female entrepreneurs with start-up and scale-up loans. To find out more, visit Business loan for startups | Westpac. 
 
Listen to Fearless Females wherever you listen to your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.