Archive for June, 2007
Anybody remember me saying I was going to make 10 sales contacts a day? Oh my gosh -that is SO hard to do. I’m still keeping it as a lofty goal because it pushes me to make more and more contacts, but I’m no where near 10 contacts a day. More like 2 or 3, but I’m trying. I’m also starting to focus on how we’re going to bring sales people on board. How I can move beyond just myself for sales. I have a girl to get in touch with, I owe her an apology because I thought we were ready for a sales rep a few months ago, but we just weren’t anywhere near ready. Now, we’re getting a lot closer.
I have a good friend who loves our stuff and wants to start working on pr and getting us into boutiques. She’s in a completely different part of the country from me, so that’s an added “new territory” bonus. I’ll work on getting her a sales kit and then she’ll be the first one I train in sales. ha that’s funny, me training in sales. But I have learned a lot, so I can at least help with scripts and how to answer questions, how to make the cold calls, how to book appointments, and blah blah blah.
I need “closing the sale” training. Last night, we ended up with two life insurance salesmen at our door (long story). I could pick out each of the standard sales techniques as they used it - and no they didn’t work. What I did notice is that they sounded too practiced. This pointed out to me the importance of putting potential clients at ease. We’re all just people, just have a conversation. But it’s so hard to remember when my nerves are wracked up walking into a boutique and my brain is running through the upcoming presentation. Just chill out, I need to remember to just chill out.
June 20th, 2007
I work with a variety of contractors to get my products produced. I haven’t worked with an all-in-one job shop, where they do everything from pattern making to final production. My contractors are spread around town, and each runs their own business. My pattern maker is in the north part of our county, sample maker / sewing contractor in the middle part of our county and the cutter is in the south part of the county. The blankets are produced by yet another contractor.
I’m not sure which model is best, but this one works for me for now. I definitely have more control over each phase of the process, because I have checks between each phase. I also definitely have more logistics to deal with this way. I could ship my stuff around, but I generally pick stuff up myself. Especially patterns and samples.
I also like talking face-to-face with each contractor at the drop-off point. Whether it’s a quick clarification of my technical sketch or a question about a missing input for the sample (such as fringe that hasn’t come in yet), there are always things to talk about and to clarify.
But, this model also creates sourcing problems at times. Like right now, when one grader / cutter went out of business. I found a replacement grader a few months ago, but now I need to find a replacement cutter. Luckily, my sewing contractor had someone to recommend who he thinks takes small jobs. So that’s where I’ll start.
So, nothing is ever settled or completely “in place”, and this should be seen as a good thing. It means you’re growing and still going.
June 19th, 2007
I have to admit that keeping up with the business is difficult enough without trying to keep up with the new & upcoming trends. Whether it’s trends in styles, manufacturing systems, or consumer buying - it’s hard to keep up. Lucky for me, another mompreneur posted a link to a great trend watching site - which just happens to have a very timely article right now on “manufacturing locally”.
Oh, that’s us! We’re “Made in the USA”. The article is worth skimming over, if not reading in it’s entirety. The trend watching site looks like it’s a great trend resource, an easy click away, for us busy entrepreneur’s.
I have to say I felt a sense of pride when I read the part of the article where it says:
“(STILL) MADE HERE encompasses new and enduring manufacturers and purveyors of the local. In a world that is seemingly ruled by globalization, mass production and ‘cheapest of the cheapest’, a growing number of consumers are seeking out the local, and thereby the authentic, the storied, the eco-friendly and the obscure.”
We are not competing on price. We are competing on quality, materials, and style. And, I do believe that it’s taken a longer time to kick start a company that is based on high-end products, because we’ve have to build the brand up enough for people to believe that our products are worth the higher price point. But we’re getting to the point where we have to do less and less convincing and more and more people are buying.
The three big “drivers” for consumers seeking out the locally-made are:
- Social / Eco Responsibility
- Status
- Support
So, if you are manufacturing locally, considering how you are meeting the needs and desires of your target consumer in the above areas. I can say that one of the big drivers for me personally to manufacture locally was to provide jobs here. It’s not like we can take credit for any great number of jobs yet, but our personalized blankets provide work for hard working moms in our community, so it’s a start. I also have control issues, and the thought of having our stuff made in massive quantities far from my peering eyes gives me hives. Not really, really, really - but I’m not wanting or ready to go there.
So it’s refreshing to read an article that confirms the consumers are willing to believe it’s worth it to buy stuff that is made locally..and it also confirms my belief that quality and good service will make a difference in the long run.
June 16th, 2007
When you call or visit a textile supplier, one of the first questions you’ll get from them is “what do you do (make, manufacture, etc.)”? They ask you this because they want to help streamline your shopping experience. They also want to keep from wasting time if they are not going to be able to help you.
The more details you can give a fabric supplier, the easier you’re going to make your life. These people are never going to steal designs, they aren’t looking to see your tech sketches or design specifications. When I speak with a supplier, I’m very detailed about what I’m making, what qualities I’m looking for, and what I need. Right now, I’m scouting for jersey-type fabrics. I tell the supplier’s rep that I’m making babywear, I’m looking to make baby tees and body-suits. This doesn’t tell them anything too specific about my design, but it does give them a good picture of what type of fabric I need.
The other bonus to giving specific details is that the supplier likely knows about some fabric choices that you don’t know about. Keep in mind, they want the sales and they want the repeat business. They want you to grow and they want you to stick with them while you do. When suppliers ask you qualifying questions, or tell you they have high minimums, don’t be offended; but do ask them if they have anybody else they would recommend.
It’s a good idea to make a list of everything you’re looking for in a fabric before you call:
- type of fabric
- special care requirements
- price point
- minimums you’ll be able to meet
- specific color or detail requests
June 13th, 2007
Starting the season off with a bang!!! Well, that was the plan anyways. Now, here I am, already falling behind schedule. I will give credit to the amount of designing I’ve done. Though you wouldn’t know it, because I have nothing to show for it. But I’ve given it a lot of thought and research and planning in my head. This is a lot of the design work, but definitely not all of it.
I need to get on the tech sketches and specs for my pattern maker. Today, I’m calling to order the sample cuts of fabrics that I need to test my theory and create my salesman’s samples. Those phone calls really need to happen today. A lot of phone calls need to happen today. Just 2 1/2 months until market, (is that right?) - a couple of weeks to work with patterns, a couple of weeks for prototypes, a couple of weeks for photography and finalizing the styles.
It’s do-able. Plus, I still have to define the number of styles.
Wouldn’t it be so great if that was all I had to do? Instead I have some crazy running around to do today for a special order and other mid-day things that will push off my productive hours. On the plus side, it’s 6:45 in the morning, the kids are waking, and I’ve already checked a number of items off today’s to-do list. We finally got ourselves an alarm clock with a snooze button - and we actually got up like we needed to this morning. And it feels SO good to have the stuff done already. So I can enjoy a few moments with my kids as the sun comes up.
June 12th, 2007
We’ve been talking about performing some usability testing on our website for awhile, and today we finally accomplished that goal. It was amazing. All these “little” things that I’ve let myself think nothing of were actually big glitches for the user.
I can not believe how much I learned by sitting silently behind someone and watching them browse our site. Luckily for me, I’ve worked with our site tester for years, so I knew she would be perfect. She was perfect because, as she says, “I have no patience for anything, if I don’t like, I’m gone”. Plus, she’s really good at thinking out loud, so I could take notes on what was tripping her up.
The good news for us was that she had no problem navigating the site and felt confident shopping on our site because of our privacy and security notices.
The bad news was the number of glitches during the checkout process that must’ve been driving people batty. However, this is good news too. Believe me, it’s comforting to find reasons people are abandoning their shopping carts - makes the site traffic conversion rate make a lot more sense.
We’ve already used her feedback to streamline the checkout process, and I’m starting to make some of her recommended content edits and changes.
If you are running an online boutique, I recommend you get user testing on your site. Highly recommend it. Sit behind someone and observe your site in action. Give the user some generic directions - mine were “you’re shopping for a cool baby shower gift”.
The first thing our user did was google our business name, rather than typing the name into the URL. She was then impressed that the whole first page of google results had to do with our business and that product reviews showed up.
The website designing and traffic building is a constant process of improvement. I feel SO much better about our site after seeing someone else use it.
June 10th, 2007
As I was sitting in my office / sewing room this morning, I remembered receiving a comment recently from a reader who mentioned she wished for her own sewing room. I never got around to replying (my apologies), but I had wanted to share with her that I haven’t always had a sewing room / working office either.
Everything, absolutely everything, is a building process when you’re starting a business. Including the office space. My first office was our dining room table. I remember having the sewing machine on one end of the table, and my sleeping baby (safely strapped in her bouncy seat) on the other end of the table. Stealing precious moments while she slept to dive head first into some crazy dream I had about becoming a fashion designer and selling my designs to stores. 
I’ve always been really aware of the passage of time, somewhat nostalgic too - and I’ve developed habits of marking times in my life. I know that I specifically took a picture of our dining room, overrun with sewing supplies and fabrics, so that, in the future, I could see how far we’ve REALLY come.
When you hear that people started their businesses out of their garages, I would bet that’s only half the truth. I’m sure they started on their dining room tables, or in the den, and grew to their garages. We outgrew each of our offices fast (dining room, then spare bedroom, then that + half of our living room), plus had another baby, so we had literally had to change houses. Our “offices” now take up a California room (enclosed patio) and a living room. So, soon, we’ll be bursting out of our garage.
We always have visions of our goals, and we’re envisioning grand offices at a this great new river business park nearby. I wonder how long it will take us to get there.
June 8th, 2007
Whenever I’m having “downtime” and surfing the internet, I read some articles on Entrepreneur.com. I just read this article on success secrets for starting a business. I found it interesting, and I think anyone who is considering starting a business, or who has started a business, would find it interesting; so I’m sharing.
I know that the article isn’t specific to starting a clothing line, but it provides some food for thought. Here are the seven “essential principles” to practice in order to be a successful entrepreneur:
- Clarity
- Competence
- Constraints
- Creativity
- Concentration
- Courage
- Continuous Action
As I read the article, I evaluated myself in each principle area. I’m stronger in some than others, but it made me consider focusing on building my strength in those areas where I’m weak.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions and I’m going to do my best to answer them over the next couple of weeks in these blog posts. I promise. So, if I haven’t responded immediately, I will soon!!!
June 7th, 2007
Sometimes after you’ve gone through something and left it far behind, you forget what it was like to go through that experience for the first time. Enter our first contractor experience.
It was going to be our first season - I had all the pieces in place, the sample fabrics I needed and the patterns I needed. One tiny little issue was that I was running late in the season - but, not a big deal, starting small, only need a couple of salesman’s samples to make it to market.
Well, the Big Deal was that being late in the season ensured all the *good* sewing contractors were good ‘n busy. Including the ones who were recommended by my pattern maker. I thought, ok - I’ll find someone by calling around, just like I found the pattern maker. So I started calling and finally got the number of a lady who had some experience with children’s apparel.
Called her and she was available. YES!
So, I went and met with her, showed her my patterns and she said she could do it. I was so clueless at this point that I took her the whole rolls of fabric. Expecting her to do the cutting. She didn’t say anything except “OK”. Here’s the mistakes I made, which, by the way, are mistakes that any respectable contractor wouldn’t even have let me make:
- Dropping off the rolls, instead of the cut pieces - why in the world she was ok with this, I have no idea. My current sewing contractor wouldn’t even consider the idea of doing the cutting. He does the sample making and handles the production.
- Not providing prototypes. I expected her to make the samples from the pattern and fabric swatches alone. Everything that you hand over, to any contractor along the stage, has to be VERY CLEAR and VERY ORGANIZED. I had patterns, with fabric swatches attached to the spec sheet, in the order they were supposed to go in (from left to right, staple the fabrics that are used in the item - self, contrast, trim - to the top right corner of your spec sheet). By the time I’m ready for salesman’s samples, I should have a few prototypes to hand over to my sample maker. Basically, give your contractors as many tools as possible to make the job as easy as possible.
- Did I mention I was late in the fashion season cycle? It should have been a red flag to me that she was even available. (I say this because she was a small shop - I’m sure there are large job shops that can handle rush orders). So, with her doing the cutting on top of the sample making, on top of whatever the heck else she had going on, ended up being a disaster.
Now that I’ve owned up to my part, I get to say that she was the worse contractor I’ve worked with yet. Not only did my stuff come back 6 weeks late (yes you read that right), but about 50% of them came back basically re-designed. Different trim on items, even self and contrast backwords. I can attribute some of this to not providing the sample, but why in the world wouldn’t you call and say “you need to come down and show me what you want”?
Needless to say by now, that season didn’t happen - at all. I still have some of those damn samples like a big gray cloud over my head and the kicker is, now that I’m doing a few cash ‘n carry shows, I’m actually selling them off (the few that were made correctly). So, in the end, those things have given me confidence in my designing ability again. That something I designed a few years ago is selling well today. The colors are even still “hot”…which is pretty amazing to me.
I remember being so nervous making those first calls to pattern makers and sewing contractors. I think I was nervous enough that I let it hold me back from asking a million questions. At that point, I was still worried about being new, so I’d work it up in my head to more than it was. Remember this through the entire process - asking questions is a sign of strength, the more you know about something, the more you’ll ask about it.
My current contractor is brilliant, was recommended by my pattern maker, and is patient enough with all my newbie mistakes to help me learn as I go along. I’d love to hear some other experiences, as I’m sure we could all learn from each other’s contracting dramas.
I forgot to mention my poor husband had to go down to the contractor’s when the samples were finally “complete”, so he didn’t even know what was right or wrong (I didn’t provide him with prototypes either). He counted the number of items, handed over the money, scooped up our daughter and the extra fabric, and away he went. And her parting words were “don’t forget about the little people”.
It’s definitely an experience I’m happy to have behind me. But I learned a zillion things about manufacturing, working with people, project management, and setting expectations. And not being late in the season!!!
June 1st, 2007