We’ve been very busy over the last few months updating our www.schoolxchange.com.au website. As with all aspects of running and operating this unique service, it’s been a real learning curve, but we think we’ve improved and developed a great new site for you to use with some new features that will enhance it’s functionality whilst maintaining the user friendly interface.

It’s still easy to list items and find what you’re looking for, but we’ve added some additional features such as “Can’t find your school” and links to our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Listings for items such as uniforms and textbooks at www.schoolxchange.com.au continue to grow. We’re receiving enquiries every day from schools all over Australia and now upload these live onto our Twitter and Facebook pages. This means you can keep track of what customers are looking for and what they have for sale, instantly.

Why not let your friends know about www.schoolxchange.com.au by clicking on the “Send this site to a friend” link on the homepage. With more buyers than sellers, it makes sense to advertise your items now as there is a clear demand for pre-owned uniforms. The more listings we have, the better the site works for everyone!

Our home front is as always, busy, busy, busy at the moment. Tax returns to complete, school assignments to supervise, HSC exam jitters to soothe…the list goes on and on doesn’t it? Thank goodness winter is almost over. I’m already looking forward to the next school holidays, summer sports, longer days and watching my boys play outside in the warmer weather. Soon it will be time to check that summer uniforms still fit and are all in one piece. Life is just one long holiday for parents isn’t it?

We hope you check out our new website soon and remember, we welcome your comments and suggestions, good or bad!

By for now,

Claire.

Time to wrap yourself in the cocoon of winter, stay warm and make your home a haven. Slow cooked meals and keeping the family warm and healthy are the top priorities at this time of year.

The pace of life seems slower as we hide away at home but as all parents know, this is only an illusion. The end of Term 2 and the beginning of Term 3 are actually the busiest time of the school year.

Assignments need to be done, music exams need to be attempted and for many of us who have kids involved in club sporting teams the games continue throughout the chilly June/July holiday period.

Have you checked the kids’ wardrobes to make sure they have all the items they need to stay warm and cosy? Not only do they need jumpers and blazers for school but they also need tracksuits, fleecies and warm shirts for sport. If you need any items then check our site, www.schoolxchange.com.au.

Kids really do have a tough time trying to stay warm and dry during winter don’t they? For sport they are out in all types of weather, especially the boys and girls who play rugby, netball, hockey or soccer. Travelling to and from school on public transport means kids often arrive home cold and wet. It can be particularly tough for senior students who are struggling to meet the demands of rigorous study and exam schedules. Getting the uniforms washed and dry for the next round can be a challenge for parents- especially if you are trying to juggle work as well.

Have you thought about having a spare set of uniforms for the emergency days when you just can’t get everything dry in time for school or the game? Second hand uniforms can be very handy in this situation. Having a spare set that hasn’t cost the earth can make life a whole lot easier. Just check out our site www.schoolxchange.com.au to see if there are any items you can pick up for a bargain.

With the school holidays just around the corner it’s a good time to think about selling the items your kids have outgrown or no longer need. It’s also a fantastic way to recoup some of the money you have spent on these expensive items. The money can then be used for the new or second hand items you need to buy to keep the kids outfitted.

Are you going to the ski fields this winter? You can be certain that your children will have grown since last season and chances are, you’ve probably only had a few weeks wear out of them. So why not list any gear you don’t need, ski pants, jackets, boots, gloves… the list goes on and on!

How do you list the items you would like to sell? Just register at www.schoolxchange.com.au. You’ll need a credit card or Paypal account as you need to pay a small listing fee of 10%. (Less for more expensive items) Follow the prompts on our website and you are all set to go. It is really easy and your details are always kept confidential.

The great feature of our site is that your ad remains online until you sell the item you’ve listed, there are no time limits or repeat fees. And don’t forget that you can also sell and buy textbooks, musical instruments, hiking gear and sporting goods as well. We plan to keep expanding our site to meet your requirements.

If you have any thoughts you would like to share with me then you can contact me through our website or you can become a guest blogger… so let me know what you think…

Keep warm!

Bye for now,

Claire.

People often ask me questions like’ “how did you come up with the idea for www. schoolxchange.com.au?” and “do you have kids yourself?” So I thought I’d tell you a little bit about myself.

I migrated to Australia from England on my own in 1979. When I look back now, I think, did I really do that? I probably wouldn’t be brave enough to make such a huge move now. It’s a big decision to relocate to another country or even another state, especially if you have the extra responsibility of children.

Like most people I’ve had experience in several industries. My career has included roles in the public service, banking, advertising, and as a freelance graphic designer. Being a ‘stay at home’ mum I chose to be actively involved in my local school community and volunteered for various positions and committees such as the school tuckshop and uniform shop. And as I often tell my own boys, nothing you learn is wasted!

Chatting to other parents I soon realised a common subject amongst them was that they all had uniforms and other items they wanted to sell, but didn’t know how to. They also wanted to find economical ways to keep up with the constant demands of seasonal uniform changes and extracurricular activities such as sport and music.

So, the idea for schoolxchange.com.au slowly evolved until one day I realised that the answer was to develop an internet based business that made it easy for parents to find exactly what they needed online with a simple listing process for people to advertise items for sale that was targeted to their own school community.

Although my boys are now teenagers, I have a third “baby” - my business. I have guided and nurtured my kids and now I’m finding that I need to nurture and develop schoolxchange.com.au. My experience as a graphic designer has been a good starting point, but I quickly discovered there was an awful lot to learn!

Launched just 18 months ago the business has been growing steadily. At first the website was just a place for families to sell their pre-owned school uniforms to other families. Now schoolxchange.com.au has grown to include all Australian schools in all states and offers a range of items for sale including uniforms, textbooks, sporting gear, musical instruments, scout and cadet uniforms and even calculators.

With new updates and redesigns planned for the coming months, I hope to be able to continue to bring families a reliable, up to date, secure service, helping busy mums all across Australia and make life just that little bit easier!

Like to share your thoughts? You can contact me through our website or become a guest blogger.

Bye for now,

Claire

Term 1 is already over and we can all breathe a sigh of relief now our kids have settled back into school routines.

Are you new to our site? Then I would like to say a huge welcome!

Term 1 was an incredibly busy time both for www.schoolxchange.com.au and for me personally. Parents were busy buying and selling on the site as they were getting organised for the new school year and I was flat out coordinating the marketing and promotion of the site as well as answering enquiries, making sure all our customers were happy.

What a hectic January and February I had! I was of course, very excited about appearing on Channel 9’s Today Show and about being interviewed on several radio stations. Our site was temporarily overwhelmed by the huge demand and we suffered some brief delays due to the huge amount of traffic. This was unavoidable and as you are probably aware, the same fate that affected the launch of the controversial MySchool website recently.Things quickly returned to normal once the jam subsided and the small hiccup was well worth it giving us national exposure, thousands of new listings and hundreds of new, registered users. www.schoolxchange now has listings for schools and communities all over Australia.

But just when we thought we could relax a little, it’s time to get organised again. With the days getting cooler and shorter, it’s time to shake out the winter woollies and sort through winter uniforms and sports gear. Chances are, your winter uniforms from last year are too small, so why not list them as there are plenty of eager buyers looking for a bargain.

Don’t forget to check the sport uniforms and equipment as well. The kids have probably either outgrown these or even changed sports and you don’t want to be left with lots of unwanted items. We also have parents who are looking for cadet uniforms, camping gear and hiking boots, so if your child no longer needs these, they can be listed as well.

How do you advertise your items? Easy! Log onto www.schoolxchange.com.au register and list the items you want to sell. We’re cheaper than other online selling sites and the only site dedicated to serving Australia’s school community.

Sellers have a huge advantage when they advertise with us because buyers have the option of viewing all the items that you are selling. Buyers simply click on “view details” for an item and then “view all items for sale by this seller.” This means buyers save time and the seller can sell more items in a single transaction. So if you’ve visited or bought items using our site but haven’t advertised before, why not give it a go! You have nothing to lose but plenty to gain.

Don’t forget you can contact me through our website and  you can even share your ideas as a guest blogger.

Keep warm and cosy this autumn!

Claire.

There was definitely a chill in the air last Easter weekend! I used the long weekend to sort out the kids’ school uniforms. I feel so much better - now that I am organised for Term 2. Believe me, it takes a brave woman to try to create order out of my son’s chaos!

Summer uniforms that are too small will be listed on www.schoolxchange.com.au . My advertisement will stay on the site until the item is sold or I remove the ad. Of course, I also discovered that my kids need some extra winter uniform items and bigger sizes for their sport uniforms. My plan is to visit www.schoolxchange.com.au to list my unwanted items and to check out what is available for winter before I shop anywhere else. All I need to do is register, list my items and pay a listing fee of 10% of the item price through Paypal or using my credit card.

Uniforms sell quickly on www.schoolxchange.com.au as it is a really popular, secure website that parents check regularly. It’s a great site for finding all sorts of things that kids need. Not only are there school uniforms and sport uniforms available, but also textbooks, musical instruments, school bags, even hiking shoes. Really, anything your child needs for school can be found on this site. It feels really great to get rid of the clutter in the cupboards and I can use the money from the uniforms I sell to put towards the items my kids really need.

It’s just too easy and now I’m rewarding myself with a well-earned coffee and Easter bun!

Cheers!

Joy, Sydney

Guest Blogger

Are your kids changing school, leaving school or growing out of their summer uniforms? With the end of the school year upon us, now is a great time to take stock of all the items they won’t be needing next year.

And what about all the other stuff they’ve accumulated during the year that they won’t be needing again? School bags, textbooks, sports gear, musical instruments… The answer is to list them for sale on www.schoolxchange.com.au

At this time of year we have many parents searching online for school essentials and schoolxchange is fast becoming one of the most popular sites for the trading of secondhand textbooks. They are all searchable by subject or study year, making it easy for buyers to source what they need in their local area. With most books retailing for $40-$50 dollars new, we offer parents huge savings by being able to buy items at approximately 50% of the retail price.

Why use schoolxchange? With most school-operated uniform shops closed for the holiday season, we offer an easy, quick, convenient and secure online facility specifically aimed at the school community. With the ability to search by school (no scrolling through pages and pages of listings from other schools) and a simple, straightforward listing process. No complicated contracts, bidding procedures or long pages of information to read. Just register, list your items and pay a listing fee of 10% of the item price through Paypal using your credit card.

Another great advantage to using www.schoolxchange.com.au is the option for buyers to see at a glance all the items you have for sale giving them the opportunity to see what else you have. Buyers simply click on “View Details” on an item and then “View all items for sale by this seller”. This is designed to save buyers time and enables the seller to sell more items in a single transaction.

We would like to extend our thanks to our many, new customers who have sent messages of encouragement since our launch last November and a big welcome to all our new members.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Cheers!

Claire

Spring is definitely in the air with the warm weather and sunny skies. Some days it seems strange to still be in a winter uniform. Australian school kids will definitely be looking forward to the Spring School Holidays and getting into lighter uniforms from the start of term four.

Now is the perfect time to drag out those summer school uniforms and check they actually still fit the kids. It has probably been a long time since you last looked at them and who knows how much your kids have grown over the last six months.

Read the rest of this entry »

How fast the year goes when it’s defined by the holidays that have either just passed or the next one that’s never far away. Although we are already halfway through the winter, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it is actually spring with the mild weather we’ve been having. But I know it won’t last!

Perhaps you were fortunate enough to go skiing in the term break and now have ski jackets, pants and other items that you know won’t fit your children next year. Why not list them now on www.schoolxchange.com.au? Some lucky families go skiing in Europe at the end of the year and may well be looking to purchase good quality clothing at discounted prices.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been feeling guilty about taking so long to post this (my 2nd blog) as I have learnt that regular blogging is a must for any website. I know, procrastination is the thief of time, but can I blame the excessive amount of homework I’ve had to do this term? I’m now an expert on the effects of the economic downturn and Hamlet. Can’t be all bad!

The good news is that we’ve finally passed the half way mark with winter and we’re now  counting down to warmer weather. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be needing those warm jumpers and fleecy tops for a while. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security though. Just when you think it’s warming up, along comes another cold snap making us grab them out of the wardrobe again - it happens every year!

Read the rest of this entry »

As of today, our “Free Listing” period has expired and we now require advertisers to pay a small fee of 10% of the advertised price of an item (up to a maximum of $35.00 for expensive items such as musical instruments) Your listing will stay online until you remove it. Of course, it’s still completely free to browse and buy!

Read the rest of this entry »