How do you build strong relationships with clothing manufacturers, and find the right ones for your business? Take a look at HANAI Clothing, a Hawaiian-inspired active-lifestyle brand. Founder Erick Espiritu named his clothing line after the Hawaiian word 'hanai,' (ha na ee) which means to adopt or to nourish. Espiritu says his clothing brand incorporates this concept by encouraging others to adopt an active lifestyle. Getting a manufacturer to help convey that message into HANAI's clothing line did not start out smoothly. Through these lessons learned, Espiritu shares his thoughts on how to find, evaluate and work with clothing manufacturers.
Are you ready for a prime online selling season?
It's time to get your website – and product line – ready for the busiest time of year for online sales. But what should you sell to maximize profit potential?
From car rides and train commutes to pool-side lounging and outdoor exercising, listening to podcasts can be the ultimate time-filler for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to stay ahead of their game.
No matter what individual feelings we have about social media, one thing is true: there’s no escaping its influence.
As a solopreneur, networking is incredibly important. You likely aren't in a traditional office environment and instead, work from home. Maybe sometimes it's from the coffeeshop around the corner.
Every maker dreads the prospect of facing a bad review on social media. And yet there's no avoiding it — bad reviews come with the business of making products. The key is responding properly so as to not alienate other customers and prospective buyers. How do you do that? Follow these five steps as you engage:
You put so much work into getting customers over the finish line to make a purchase that you may be missing the power that shipping has to keep them coming back. From the price and speed of your shipping to how you package and present the shipped product, this entire process has enormous potential to increase loyalty and retention. It's the only part of the entire interaction in which the customer "meets" a physical representation of your business, so ideally you're putting your best foot forward.
Selling physical products online requires more than a good store or a compelling price. You need strong marketing, and that means showing off your products. Learning to take a good photograph is key to this process.
Good branding is essential for any successful company, and particularly important for small businesses just starting out. It's easy for solopreneurs to forget this piece of the puzzle as they spend every waking hour working on the other aspects of starting a new business. However, allocating time for brand development from the very beginning will help get your business off to the right start.
Small business owners who are playing to win can learn from the mistakes of others and make their own organizations even stronger. A CB Insights study lists 20 reasons cited by small business owners whose companies failed. The good news is that most are avoidable, and they can be divided into five main categories. Let's take a closer look at these common small business challenges and their fixes.
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The Inspiration Center features experts sharing what they've learned about starting and growing these types of big ideas.