I don’t know why it took us a year’s worth of trade show and consumer events to realize that we need a custom-crafted display for our custom-crafted blankets. Oh wait, yes I do, because you can’t do it ALL!!
We finished a great even in Arizona over the weekend. As random things in life go, we heard about this seasonal gifting boutique through my sister-in-law and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be great for us; way more traffic there than the Hollywood shopping boutique we did a few weeks ago.
This last event finally made us see that no matter how we used the standard backdrops or garment racks or tables or shelves - our blankets are not displayed to their fullest potential. I spent time watching people as they would walk up to to our booth, so I could track where their eyes went. About 80% of the time their eyes went to the table, many times they never looked up behind us - where we had the blankets hung. We have too many other products to take up the whole top of a table with a blanket.
Now, we’ve sketched an idea for a simple, yet stunning display that will work for the blankets, will convey that they are personalizable, and will work with various booth height requirements. Booth height requirements matter at trade shows because sometimes you have the liberty of going up 8′ and sometimes only 4′.
So, the goal is to have the new display ready by the next event. Which should be easy, but I think I’m always telling myself that!
November 14th, 2007
Little snippets of time. Everything in my life, and business, now happens in increments of time - specifically the amount of time between “events”. We had a cash-n-carry shopping event three weeks ago, which left us two weeks until Halloween events with the kids, which left us with a week and a half until the next shopping event. It’s been this way for a few months, since the ABC Show. I think I had a whole month of nothing before the ABC Show, but since then - one thing or another is looming on the horizon.
My daughter started kindergarten (Spanish immersion no less), and so now there are two schools worth of events and stuff to manage. And somehow, having so much “scheduled” is increasing our productivity and, dare I say, our sanity?
The semester that I made the Dean’s list in college was the semester that I was also working two jobs. Both almost full-time. Because the busier you are, the more time-crunched you are, and that’s just the right amount of pressure to kick you in gear. Knowing that I only had an hour between jobs made that hour precious.
This is also exactly why I have to get better at setting incremental deadlines for the business. Instead of just end-of-the-line pipe dream goals. In corporate life, I had to do the project schedules, breaking months and months worth of a project into biweekly deadlines. We can do this for ourselves too. It will help us to hold ourselves accountable and it will help me know where to ask for help more!!!
The more we can break down our project schedules, our business cycles, our to-do lists, the more we’re going to build up our business. Which is good, because our new BIG BROAD focus is taking it to the next level…
November 4th, 2007
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether it’s worth it do the trade shows (KIDShow, MAGIC, ABC) and how much it really costs to do the trade shows. Which works out perfect, because I’ve been wanting to feature some of the great blogs out there, and Jamie at JPD design just happened to write a post answering all of those questions.
In my previous post, I mentioned that trade shows are not part of our marketing plan for year two. It’s hard to measure exposure, but if all you’re getting is exposure and a few new accounts, then it makes sense to invest in PR instead. It was a great experience to jump in and do the trade shows, and I think part of the pull is just “being there”. We’re trying to run a smarter and tighter business in year two, so for the first quarter at least, we’ve decided trade shows are out.
Jamie writes an open and honest blog, and she’s been in the business a few more years than I have, so she has a somewhat different perspective to bring to running a business in the children’s industry. Bookmark her blog, it’s a good read!
October 30th, 2007
Now that I’m sitting here with a bit of hindsight, I can see that what I thought was a decent marketing plan before launching wasn’t much of a plan at all. Our first year was very reactionary. As opportunities were thrown at us we’d decide if they sounded like a good idea or not - and we’d see where we could stretch the budget to jump on board.
So, now that we’re entering year two of being in business, we sat down and had a marketing plan meeting. We’re changing course in some ways and are going to try a couple of new things. In other ways, we just need to be more committed.
This doesn’t mean that we won’t evaluate new opportunities as they come our way, but we’re committed to not give into the sense of urgency that is put on every single opportunity.
We also made the concrete decisions for the first quarter - we’re skipping on some magazine advertisements in favor of a couple of more direct sales routes. We’re focusing on our in-store displays and marketing materials a little more and we’re picking up sales reps so we can focus on direct boutique sales more than trade shows. We’ll also do small ads on some online sites, which is much less cost than magazine advertisements. We’ll commit more a regular newsletter and direct mailing also.
Now all we have to do is actually implement the plan!!
October 29th, 2007
I’m back after an extremely crazy and stressful week here in San Diego. It is so crazy that SD is going through a Firestorm again, only four years after the last one. Last time, the flames burned within a quarter mile of our house, this time our area was relatively unaffected. However, pretty much any area that wasn’t effected last time, was effected this time. Words can not express what it is like to sit in shock and disbelief and on complete alert - for 48 hours - not knowing if you’ll have to run in a minutes notice. And we have been blessed enough to never have the horrific experience of having to literally run for your life from the flames, or having to jump in your pool and pray while flames pass over your head.
I’m in a state of ‘numb’. I can tell you that our firefighters and all those support personnel who came from far away pulled off some incredible miracles. They held the line at some of the most crucial areas in our county. And the shifts that they had to work is unbelievable. So, while San Diego’s losses are horrific, I can’t tell you how much worse it could’ve been without all those brave men and women.
Sending many prayers to all those who’ve experienced great losses this week…and many thanks to all those who gave so much to protect us.
October 28th, 2007
Here’s the email (word-for-word), that I woke to Saturday morning:
Hello. I just thought that seeing as you’re aspiring for a successful online baby boutique that a potential customers comments might be of interest.I am currently looking for gifts for about three different mom’s to be….. At first glance my thoughts are as follows: The “baby fabulous” logo and colors are unappealing and not high end “boutique” enough IMO…a little gimmicky to be honest, the blankets are great but could be featured and showcased so much better - colors are not as great as they could be, sizing for the “tea” onsies is immedietely a turn off…. why not just go with typical sizing that everyone’s familiar with? You’re losing people with that despite the sizing chart…. people don’t like to have to click any more than they have to. That made me not want to buy. Your graphic onsies are unappealing as a whole…… the graphics themselves look cheap and “run of the mill”. Again, not near the “boutique” level that I gather you are trying to reach.
Sorry if this seems harsh, but judging from your blog…. you need honesty and frankness. The only other thing that I can say is that you seem to doubt yourself WAY too much. Set your sites, take critisism constructively and just DO whatever it is that you’ve set your sites on. There’s nothing holding you back. You’ve got so much of it together, but you still doubt yourself every other step…. it will take you twice as long to get there at this rate of insecurity and doubtfulness. The ultimate goal will never be acheived unless you truly believe it can be a reality and you just get it done!
Of course, receiving an email like this sets off a bunch of emotions, but I’ve opened myself to critisicm all my life (from talent shows and creative writing courses to editing for the college newspaper), so no big deal. The thing is that there is a difference between constructive criticism and unconstructive criticism.
Here’s the good critique I can twist out of this email:
- It would be great if you could have better product pictures.
- It would be great if you could offer more color and print choices for your blankets.
Otherwise, if you don’t like our style, walk on by. We’re not aiming to please everyone, and we have no grandiose delusions that our style would be the first ever that everyone loves.
As far as doubting myself too much, I strongly agree and disagree. No one who “holds themselves back” could’ve designed, developed, and launched their own products. Not to mention that within one year of business we have a strong customer base, celebrity clientele, and we can boast of numerous positive product reviews on television, in national print publications, and online. And that is all within our first year of business. It’s true I beat myself up for not doing more all the time, and I always believe I can go stronger and longer and do it better. This is why we’ll succeed. But I also believe it’s important to pay attention to my spirit and my family and spend time with them - in the end, it’s going to be the memories that matter, not how fast we sky-rocketed to success. So I forgive myself too for not getting more done all the time.
I share my doubts and struggles on this blog because those are the type of things that I feel are the most useful to share and what it helps me the most to vent about. It’s also a part of this blog that makes numerous people reach out to me and say “me too!!!” - (which, btw - I can not tell you how much that means to me- even if I can’t get around to answering all of you right away). Because I’m doing this alone too - learning as I go - and it’s so GOOD to know that others struggle too.
I’m REALLY not into putting on a false face for the world or showing only that side of me is strong and confident, - that me that walks into boutiques and sells my own products, that meets celebrities face-to-face with the full belief that they will LOVE our stuff, that me that knows I’m the best or I wouldn’t be attempting this at all. It’s more important to me to share the reality of being a first-time entrepreneur, and so this blog naturally centers around the hard parts of this venture and the mental struggles (and thus strength) it takes to keep going.
PS. I HAVE to add that those “unappealing” graphic onesies and tees she mentions have absolutely been selling like mad!
October 19th, 2007
“What planet are you on to think you could just up and start a clothing line?”
“Are you nuts??”
These aren’t quotes I hear from other people too often, these are the daily demons that I hear in my head. Sometimes, I can’t believe how utterly insane I must be to think that I could build a clothing company from the ground up, learning as I go, with no prior experience in the industy.
But I put up a daily fight against the demons, fighting them with actions and baby steps. Oh, it’s not that I don’t get plenty of disbelief from others on the outside too, but my own demons are harder to fight and are the ones I HAVE to fight to keep going.
“I could just quit” - that’s another voice that likes to creep in all the time. This one takes advantage of my exhaustion, gets me when I’m tired and weary. This one is easier to fight now than it was in the beginning, because now I have put so much work into this that there is no way in hell it’s for nothing.
On the flip side, I’m big on listening to my inner voice, seeking guidance from my heart and gut, so even though I’m fighting the demons, I try to listen too. The unrest, the unsettle, the dissatisfation comes from somewhere - how can I change that? What will make me more comfortable with the direction I’m going right now? The answer is usually simple (but not always my favorite):
more action.
I still think I’m crazy - don’t get me wrong. But I’m so incredibly thankful to be crazy enough to take these types of risk in my life. And SO incredibly thankful to have found a husband and best friend who is just as crazy as I am about doing life our way and being here to raise our own children.
October 12th, 2007
I’m starting to work through some of the email questions. Since I’ve received a few questions about how to source fabrics and find textile suppliers, I’ll try to give as many tips as I can (and please, everyone jump in with what I miss!).
How to locate suppliers that carry the types of fabrics you are interested in:
- Attend a textile show - you can touch and feel all the fabrics, learn about upcoming trends, and meet the reps in person. You also leave with a trade show directory, a virtual gold-mine for suppliers. This is pretty much how I’ve found all of my suppliers.
- Go to a fabric district - I’ve had some luck this way, but not much.
- Purchase directories of suppliers.
- Search for suppliers online.
Next, call potential suppliers and ask them to send you HEADERS, or swatch cards, and ask if they have a price list and / or website:
- If they don’t have a price list, you can call them back after you have the headers in-hand and talk to them about prices for each.
- They should send you cards with fabric swatches attached to a tag that contains the style numbers, care instructions, and fiber content.
- The headers are important - so that you can see and feel the different options they have before making a
- purchase. They can often inspire your collection.
Purchase sample cuts before placing a production order:
- After you select a few fabrics you’d like to try, you will call them back and ask for “sample cuts for testing”. - get enough to make at least two samples.
- Be very open with them about what you are making (and what price point you were hoping for) - they might have recommendations and options you don’t even know exist.
- Find out the availability of the fabric, some are a standard part of the suppliers line, some are seasonal. This will affect your design decisions, especially as a startup.
- Ask about their minimums, policies, payment terms, and method of shipping.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions!!!!
Before you actually go to market with production samples, make sure that you have verified the availability of the fabric. Just because a lot was available when you ordered the sample cut, doesn’t mean a lot will be available when it’s time to produce the actual garments (Oh, yes, I’ve learned this one the painful way).
October 7th, 2007
Finally! A picture of our booth at the ABC Show. Takes me forever to get pictures off our camera and uploaded and even
this picture cut off the top of the booth. But that was our booth at the show.
I see so many things that I would change already. We’re not at the point of having a hardwall booth yet, which I would love. I don’t know how much of a difference that would make. It is definitely different to do a show that has low (3′) sidewalls, vs. a show that has full 8 ft sidewalls.
Someday I’m going to come up with the perfect way to display our blankets. They need to be spread out so the name is eye-catching, but I also want to show that there is a variety of options.
Like I said in a previous post, all we can do is get better each time. Can you tell that I don’t like this booth anymore? Almost sounds like I’m trying to make excuses, but it is HONESTLY leaps and bounds above our first trade show display booth.
But you know, it’s a reminder that you have to just start somewhere and go for it. No matter what, you’re always going to want to make it better; there is always a part of you that will feel like if you just change this or that, THEN you’ll be ready to launch; THEN you’ll be ready to show off. But really, you have to just leap, you have to give yourself permission to have room for improvement. Make sure you believe in the quality of your products before leaping, of course. Quality matters a lot.
Basically, if we expect it to be perfect before we go for it, we’ll never start, we’ll never meet our own expectations (=misery), and we’ll miss the whole journey. Someday I’ll have a great trade show booth - for now we’re doing the best we can and trying different things each time.
October 4th, 2007
I feel so “seasoned” with a few trade shows under our belt. I remember talking to booth neighbors at my first trade show and they said “you’re so brave to come here and do this when you’re so new”. I said, “brave or naive”, with a smile.
Everyone had to start small, everyone had to start somewhere. The first trade show actually goes along with thoughts I’ve been mulling around in my head about perfection. I thought we were perfectly ready for our first show. We’ve come a long ways, but we have a long ways to go for me to be happy with our presentation.
It’s a learning experience and you do the best you can. I think that signs and visuals and a good display are important. It doesn’t matter how fancy the display is, but it does matter how well it displays your products. This is somthing we’re still working on, especially for our blankets.
Some startups have the budget to invest in a professional booth design company, or even friends with construction experience; we’re learning as we go. We believe in our creativity and I find that confidence alone can carry you a long ways.
I’ve also noticed that good lighting helps a trade show display immensely. You usually have to pay extra costs for the electricity, which is why we skipped it for our first two. But we probably would have done better to have just splurged for it. Do whatever you can to setup a mock booth before you leave for the show - you won’t believe how different it really looks in person, you’ll find things that you want to change.
In the end, having a good, high-quality set of samples and an agreement form is the most important for your sales at the tradeshow. Make sure you outline your expected shipping dates, get the required customer information, and get their signature on the order form.
I hated not having flooring at the first trade show. The default was a wild carpet which really threw the look of our booth off. There are a lot of little pieces to pull together, but with each one under your belt, it gets easier.
October 3rd, 2007
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