ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Now that times have got tough again for a lot of people, many across our bustling inland port city have been looking down other avenues in which to draw an income.
One of them is Dougal Thomas.
The 28-year-old was working flat out in Betoota’s commercial leasing industry until COVID struck and since then, things have been quite.
He sat opposite our reporter in the Pisse Dans Ma Poche Cafe in the French Quarter this afternoon. His legs crossed, sitting back in his chair with a wry smile on his face.
“I was thinking what on Earth I was going to do?” he said.
“Going on JobKeeper wasn’t an option and I wasn’t about to quit and get on the dole. So I spent my last paycheque on 400 pairs of nautical-themed socks,”
“As I was already a sole trader, I didn’t need to jump through those annoying business hoops. I started a website and Nauty Sock was born.”
As of this week, he’s sold ‘nearly a baker’s dozen’ and is looking to expand into New Zealand as they come out of lockdown.
“It’s been a crazy few weeks,” he said.
“But as you pointed out, I’ve been doing a lot of the logistics myself. Like just look at my wallet. These are tracking numbers for all the parcels I’ve sent out. We’re only a small, kitsch sock company so I’m actually writing the parcels out by hand, which is a nice touch,”
“Things are on the up, thanks for asking.”
More to come.
