Posted on 22 April 2010. Tags: Bloggers, business, Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6
We’ve really been feeling the entrepreneurial spirit at Style Sample lately. Maybe it’s the spring weather and the promise of a new start, or maybe we’re ready to change direction, but we’re looking to past and current Blogging + Business features (and obsessively watching clips of “Kell on Earth”) for inspiration:
“The best part is being able to create this business from the ground up on my own. The worst part is being able to create this business from the ground up on my own… it’s hard work but also extremely rewarding.”
~Rodellee of Adore Vintage, Issue #1
“Engage in Twitter, write a blog, do free PR for your friend with the cute handbag line. If the opportunities aren’t there, look for ways to create them on your own terms.”
Crosby of PR Couture, Issue #2
“I’m in love with storytelling, which makes the pieces intimate and meaningful to the owner. The personal touch is best.”
~Wendy of Wendy Brandes Jewelry, Issue #3
“Whatever I put into it is what I get out… so at the end of the day, there is nothing as rewarding as this.”
~Mimi of Brook&Lyn, Issue #4
“Just write about something that you are passionate about and it will come easy. If you really love what you do and work hard at it, then you will be successful.”
~Krista of MyLookbook, Issue #5
“I guess the most crazy part of it is how quickly it’s grown from a small online store to a business which has over 100 stockists. Rach and I literally squeal when we see girls on the street wearing Stylestalker.”
~Sue-Ann and Rachel of Stylestalker, Issue #6
Are you interested in building your own fashion-based business? How do you get inspired?
Posted in Bloggers, Featured, General
Posted on 23 February 2010. Tags: Issue 5, PR, Promotion, selling, video
In the last issue of Style Sample, Alicia of Instant Vintage shows us how to set up an online shop step by step. Setup is relatively simple, but once you have your store up and running, you have to get out there and promote it! Here are some easy and (mostly) free ideas:
1. Put a link to your shop in your email signature, blog comments, and forum and message board signatures.
2. Create a Facebook fan page for your shop or line. Post pictures of customers wearing your products, links to articles about your shop, and info about how you create your merchandise.
3. Create a behind-the-scenes video like this one about The Brush Factory. Post it on YouTube, Metacafe, MySpace, blip.tv, Vimeo, and others using an all-in-one video posting service like tubemogul.com.
4. Use descriptive keywords in your item description so people searching can find it easily. Instead of “vintage dress”, try “red cotton vintage sundress size 6.”
5. Post classifieds on free sites like Craigslist and Kijiji.
6. Send email newsletters announcing a new line or collection. If you have a small list (under 500 subscribers), try a free service like MailChimp.
7. Promote offline, too! You can get inexpensive business cards from Moo.com or OvernightPrints and hand them out to friends, family, and potential customers.
8. Participate in area craft fairs or trunk shows. Hand out those cards!
9. If you’re interested in selling offline, create postcards to mail to businesses and publications who might be interested in selling or writing about your products. Be sure to do your research when preparing your pitch.
10. Write press releases when something big happens–a new collection comes out, you snag an investor, or you’re carried at a new store. Submit your release to writers who would be interested in your story and online newswire services like iNewswire and PRLog.
11. Join an ad network–as an advertiser.
Besides blogging, how do you promote your store?
Posted in Featured, Promotion, Tips & Advice
Posted on 28 January 2010. Tags: fashion design, Issue 5
Design collectives like The Brush Factory are great places to pull looks for photo shoots, source new and unusual styles, and support independent designers.
Allowing designers to pool their resources and get real-world experience selling their merchandise, these local boutiques are fertile ground for emerging talent:
MPLS Design Collective (Minneapolis, MN)
The Cloud Factory Design Collective (San Francisco, CA)
Cambridge Design Collective (Cambridge, UK)
Painfully Hip Design Collective (Online)
Fresh Collective (Toronto, Canada)
LA Fashion Collective (Los Angeles, CA)
Neon Collective (Brighton, England)
Conscious Designers Collective (UK)
Vitae Design Collective (Des Moines, IA)
Who did we miss?
Posted in Styling
Posted on 05 January 2010. Tags: Contributors, Issue 5
Posted in Contributors, Featured
Posted on 22 December 2009. Tags: Bloggers, events, Issue 5
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the opening of The Brush Factory, a fashion design collective & retail space located in–you guessed it–an old brush manufacturing facility here in Cincinnati, OH.
At The Brush Factory, new designers have the resources and ability to create their own ‘mini’ store and sell their collections at an affordable cost. Current designers carried at the Factory include Lynda Lucas, Chris Kittrell, Brittany Rose (Poncho Rose), Margot and Kit Anderson (CoolSisters), and Jennifer Sult and Lacey Voss.
Founder and fashion designer Brittany Rose Kovacs is profiled in the upcoming issue of Style Sample magazine, so be sure to check out the feature when the issue drops on January 5th. In the meantime, you can keep up with Rosie via her blog, A Dose of Design, and become a fan of The Brush Factory on Facebook.
~Tamia
Posted in Bloggers
Overheard