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I owned a handbag company in the fashion industry and the one constant in my life was the issue of press – did we have enough of it?
Once we started receiving press, we were forever focused on getting more. Almost as important as designs, sales and delivering the goods on time, is the issue of publicity. You … Read the rest of this entry »
If you own or work for a company, which sells a product-physical or intellectual-success, it is generally measured by sales. It is the easiest way to measure success, but of course it can be much more complex that that. I wanted to write an article on what success meant to me with a physical product-based company, because measuring success … Read the rest of this entry »
It may seem unnecessary to post an article about the necessity of having an e-commerce website on a blog devoted to making money online. However, just yesterday I saw a Facebook post by a well-known fashion blogger, one with thousands of followers, give a recommendation to a new handbag line. Of course, I clicked through to the link and … Read the rest of this entry »
As with any company, growth happens in stages, but especially a company with physical products. Research and development, sample making, marketing the product and perhaps even handling some of the preliminary sales are some of the stages of expansion.
However, with my handbag company charm and luck, to grow our business we realized we needed to find sales … Read the rest of this entry »
With a physical product, there are several ways to meet customers and market your business. In this week’s article, I write about doing trade shows and meeting potential customers face-to-face in a convention type of setting.
I have noticed over the past couple of years that the trade show world seemed to be dwindling in foot traffic. In the … Read the rest of this entry »
Sourcing is finding and evaluating the components and parts needed for goods and services. With a product based company such as my handbag company, sourcing materials would consume a lot of time, energy and funds. Raw materials would account for almost 50-70% of our costs. We spent a lot of time searching for our materials, especially leather. Because of … Read the rest of this entry »
I am just going to come out and say it: You need money to start your own product-based business. A lot of money.
I certainly do not want to squash anyone’s dreams or dissuade them from starting their own company, but if you want to start a product-based company, you need to have money to invest in your business.… Read the rest of this entry »
To me, the most exciting part of creating and producing your own product is seeing the finished merchandise. For years almost, I had dreamed of my product and then to see it transformed into a tangible item before my eyes was very, very exciting.
Up until this point, I had cultivated a list of potential manufacturers, culled a list … Read the rest of this entry »
The first collection that my handbag company charm and luck ever designed was gaming-themed. Inspired by my partner’s love of bridge, we created beaded bags with a variety of gaming themes – the Blackjack bag, the Four Slots bag, one shaped like a die, and so on.
Before we even did our first trade show or contacted salesrooms, I … Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most important decisions a new company with a product to sell will make is selecting a manufacturer. While some design companies may decide to keep production local, most will choose an international factory for mass production, typically in Asia or in South America, depending on your product.
For our company, split between two continents, there … Read the rest of this entry »
Christine Syquia, having been through a journey starting and then managing a multi-million dollar accessories business, is about to share with us the entire story of how it all came together.
In this article she talks about business plans, what you need to put in them, and what parts she deliberately left out of hers…
For your average … Read the rest of this entry »
In Christine Syquia’s latest article she explains how her company name, Charm and Luck, came into being and offers advice to help you choose a company name. As Christine’s products eventually hit mainstream stores across America, her brand was a critical piece of the puzzle.
If you’re thinking national or global representation for what you do, especially if … Read the rest of this entry »
Christine Syquia contacted me about starting a column on Entrepreneurs-Journey. I asked what business experience she brought to the table and she quickly impressed me with her story of starting a million dollar accessories business with her sister, with distribution in some of the largest fashion stores in the USA.
I know you’re going to enjoy what Christine has … Read the rest of this entry »
