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NO more janky emails... FREE tip inside!

I remember being fascinated with the working world as I repeatedly watched the Working Girl in the '80s.  One of the lines that I remember vividly to this day is when Melanie Griffith's character says to her best friend, "If you want to be taken seriously, you have to have serious hair." 

I am not saying that everyone who starts a new business has to go out and get a fancy, new haircut.  Well actually, that will help too if you end up getting an in-person meeting :)  But first thing first.  Do not pitch to store owners and retail buyers using a janky email.  NO MORE sexymama1985@yahoo.com.  None of that!  If you want to be taken seriously, you have to take your business seriously.

Here is a quick and simple tip that you can apply to your business right away. 

Once you have your domain name (you can register one at godaddy.com for about ten bucks!), you can sign up for a Google apps account and setup up to 10 email accounts for free.  Did I mention that it's FREE?  So even if you're a ONE-man operation, you can setup email accounts such as: yourname@mycompany.com; info@mycompany.com; wholesale@mycompany.com; press@mycompany.com and have it all forwarded to you.  You get the picture?  This simple change can make your company look 100% more professional than sending out an email using your personal email account.

Are you guilty of using your personal email account for your business?  No worries, take action now!

Here's to making your product (and company) retail-ready!

xoxo

Grace Kang
Your Retail Product Mentor


p.s. A BIG, warm welcome to all of the new readers who joined our community!  You are going to love the resources you will find here to help you make your product retail-ready... Enjoy!

p.s.s. Be sure to drop by Oh My! Handmade blog tomorrow as I will be answering a juicy question on our monthly Ask Grace Q&A column.

Are you HOT for your business?

I don't know if it's the HOT weather that we've been having here in NYC or these two HOT chics, Marie Forleo and Laura Roeder, spicing things up at RHH B-School, but I am feeling HOT... for my business.

You know that lovin' feeling...
Your noodle is cookin' with some juicy ideas and you can't wait to implement them!

So take action NOW!  If you have been contemplating about selling your product to more retail stores, put down your laptop and get out there and be seen.  JUICY secret - retail buyers are looking for you as much as you are looking for them.

1. Start local.  Get your product in the hands of your "ideal" customers at local fairs or flea markets and get feedback!  Even the ladies from Foley & Corinna and Carol's daughter started out this way.  Besides, you never know who's going to be walking the market.

2. Walk around your neighborhood and find local boutiques who can be a good fit for your business.  Small businesses love to support and promote local designers and artists... it keeps the money in the community!  Be personable in your approach.  Share with them how your product can "complement" their current assortment, NOT duplicate their current mix.

3. Creat a buzz with your fan-base using social media.  Let's face it.  Everyone is on-line these days.  If you have a big following on your Twitter or Facebook page, retail buyers are MORE likely to pick up your line than if you have 0 followers.  They want to know that if they buy your line that hopefully some of your fans will also become their customers as well.  So use it to your advantage and put it on all your marketing materials.   Whenever you introduce a new retail partner to your stockists list, share with your fans and get them pumped up. I am sure that they will appreciate being able to go into a physical location to buy your products in-person anytime!

If you found these tips helpful (or do-able), leave a comment here and tell us your action plan.  We will be cheering you on!

xoxo
Grace


p.s. A BIG, warm welcome to all of the new readers who joined our community!  You are going to love the resources you will find here to help you make your product retail-ready... Enjoy!



photo image by etsy shop handz

Ask Grace.... Your Retail Questions Answered!

If you are a handmade designer wanting to break into the retail world, come visit me here at Oh My! Handmade Blog as I answer some of the burning questions!

I would love to hear how you are implementing some of these bite-size tips!

xoxo


Grace Kang
Founder, Retail Recipes



Twitter: @retailrecipes / Facebook

retail "branding" nibbles.... only 5 days to grab your deal :)

happy friday!
hope you are all enjoying this beautiful earth day and wishing you a wonderful easter weekend!

i wanted to personally reach out to you and share with you my thoughts on branding your product from a retailer's point of view. i have come across so many indie designers who have expressed their disappointment when retailers don't call them back or pass on their line. there could be many reasons why they didn't respond and sometimes it may not have anything to do with you. they might be over-bought. they might already have that product category covered. it might just be the wrong timing. whatever the reason, don't take it personally. however, what you CAN do is your 50% in making your product retail-ready.

i'll admit that as a specialty store owner (and previous department store buyer), i have passed on lines because of all those reasons mentioned above.  however, what people don't realize is that i do save linesheets and correspondence from vendors with potential. when i get follow-up emails and/or reminded of their line thru press,  i reach out to them to see what we can conjure up together.  so be patient and persistence will pay off.  with that said, i have also experienced many vendors where they had the chance to get me on the phone or in-person but were NOT retail-ready.  first impression is key and there is no excuse to not do your homework before approaching a retail store. when designers pitch without having done their 50% and also send out mass emails from the get-go, it shows me that they do not really know their ideal customer.  stores/buyers want a personalized experience as well and want to connect with the designer.  they are constantly looking for emerging designers and artists. BUT, they also want to see that you are doing your part in getting out there and can help them fill a void as well.

are you doing your homework? have you created a website for your business? do you have testimonials or a following fan base? the first place that i will go to check out a new line is my friend - google.com. i want to check out your website and see what people have been saying about you! is your brand name memorable? how's your packaging? every little detail counts.... but most importantly, your "story" needs to capture my attention in the first 10 seconds.

.... there are so many more tips that i will share with you in my Retail Recipes Bootcamp teleseminar on may 3rd, including which days are the best to call/email buyers to get the best response, pricing strategies and how you can get stores to start calling YOU.

are you ready to make your brand retail-ready? click here.

..... don't miss out on this opportunity to get your questions answered. if you reserve your spot by tuesday, april 26th (you have 5 days :) you will also get a 15minute follow-up one-on-one call with me after the telecourse to address your current challenges and questions.   don't forget - you will also get my "Retail Recipes Checklist - TOP 10 Things You MUST Do Before Approaching a Retail Store" for attending the seminar.

hope to "see" you there!!

xoxo


Grace Kang
Founder, Retail Recipes

Twitter: @retailrecipes / Facebook

wisdom of CEOs...

happy monday!
i came across this NYTs article on "Distilling the Wisdom of C.E.O.'s" this weekend and thought it was very interesting.

i love the comment about successful ceo's being "passionately curious" people.  i also think it's important to have the appetite for change and ask yourselves: are you comfortable being uncomfortable?  it's the fearlessness that will make you stand out.

do you all have CEOs who you look up to or have mentors to guide you along the way?

when i was in high school applying for college,  i was asked to write an essay about a person who inspired you. i actually wrote a children's book about mickey drexler, who was the CEO of gap at the time and now CEO of J.Crew.  i really admired mickey drexler's tenacity and vision for change and made me want to work there for many years as a sales associate for the gap.

after i graduated, i looked up to mr. gould, ceo of bloomingdale's, for 7 years - i learned everything (well, almost ;) i know about retail.  he created a culture where he rewarded merchants for taking risks.  it was there where i learned how to maximize opportunity and drive business.    i would not be such a risk-taker now had it not been for the opportunity that i was given back then.

as an entrepreneur, it's so important to surround yourself with three levels of people - people who are behind you (those you can mentor), people at the same level as you (i.e. your peers) and those ahead of you who can mentor you.

xoxo


Grace Kang
Founder, Retail Recipes

Publish Post

Twitter: @retailrecipes / Facebook

you asked for it... you got it!

Hope your week is off to a great start and enjoying
this beautiful weather!  Sun makes me so happy
and I love seeing so many happy shoppers from
at my shop Pink Olive in NYC. I guess nice weather
makes people out and about and want to go shopping
and feel inspired - I know i do :)

Is your product missing out on all the retail action? 
Whether you are looking to get out there and sell
your product at a local flea market or you want to sell
to more retail stores, we need to get your product
RETAIL-ready!

Last month I taught my first RetailRecipes workshop
in NYC and the reaction was very positive! However,
many people from around the country also emailed
asking if I will be doing a virtual teleseminar.

On my-first-ever in-person workshop, I covered:

•       Top 10 things you MUST do before approaching retail stores
•       How to price for profit
•       How to make your brand desirable so that retail buyers are coming after YOU
•       The exact pitching process to get into the right retail stores
•       And so much more...


For those of you who missed it or from out-of-town,
I have some good news to share with you.  On Tuesday,
May 3rd 12-2pm EST, you will also get a chance to get
all the inside tips on how to make your product more
retail-ready and create a desirable brand!

http://retailrecipes.com/retail-recipes-workshop

That's right, you'll be able to reserve your seat
at my first virtual RetailRecipes teleseminar in the
comfort of your own home.

Here's my special bonus gift to you!  The first 10 people
to register will get a FREE 15 minute follow up one-on-one
call with me. All registrants will also get my Retail Recipes
Checklist - TOP 10 Things You MUST Do Before Approaching a
Retail Store.

http://retailrecipes.com/retail-recipes-workshop

Don't miss out on this great opportunity! Here's to thinking
BIG this year.  I can't wait! :)

xoxo