Office staff
There is a time when office staff makes sense but at the launch phase it is a waste of money. I know wearing all the hats can be exhausting and keep you from the part you really love but hang in there – you will get there! Learning to do all aspects of your business is a must in my opinion. You don’t have to continue to do them, but knowledge is key. Hard to give direction when you don’t know how to do it yourself, or at least have some understanding of the job.
An office
Will anyone take my calls if they know I am in my Pj’s and haven’t showered yet? Let’s be straight here – unless you are talking to them on skype, they don’t know if you are naked or calling from a penthouse office. Sometimes we try to convince ourselves that WE will feel more important and that we have a REAL job if we have an office. If you really believe in yourself it doesn’t matter if your office is your dining room table.
Fancy catalogs and stationery
I never made a sale because I had a glossy tri-fold catalog or line-sheet. Please don’t spend money on these. Instead, use your money to pay a graphic designer to develop a killer logo. Make an effort to learn photoshop so you can set up your own line-sheets or at least edit them going forward if you pay someone to do it for you. That’s what is going to get you the sale – not the paper it’s printed on or the fancy stationery and preprinted envelope. Trust me on this one!
Advertising
While you are growing, I suggest using all the FREE, or very inexpensive, marketing tools out there.
• A Facebook Fan Page for one can be a great marketing tool if used correctly. You need to work it and come up with a marketing plan that has legs and can build your fan base and hopefully your pockets too. Post contests, poll your fans, make them post photos of themselves doing something with your product……get them to interact on your page.
• To save time – connect FB to twitter. Then your posts will tweet out automatically so you only have to post once!
• And lastly, I know everyone is sick of hearing these, but blogging and writing articles to post on line is a great way to become an expert and gain some momentum. We are all experts at what we do. If you design shoes then write about the latest shoe trends and why they are so great (or not)….see where I am going with this? All this is FREE…… or a tiny investment in your future.
A DYI attitude
You all know I am a BIG advocate of knowing how to do it all yourself, but that is not what I am talking about here. What I mean is that everyone needs a mentor or a coach to help them SAVE MONEY and TIME on the learning curve. I sure wish I’d had it. Admitting what you don’t know is a sign of greatness. No one ever got there all by them selves. Ask for advice to save yourself a bigger loss of time and money down the road.
By Sarah Shaw, Founder of Entreprenette
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Sarah Shaw is the founder of Entreprenette.com, a consulting company that works with entrepreneurs in bringing their product to market. Sarah grew her own million dollar company with her famous "Pinked" handbag and has applied her expertise and knowledge to her consulting practice. Sarah has been featured in the LA Times, WWD, Oprah Magazine, as well as on Access Hollywood and regularly speaks to inventors and entrepreneurs nationally. |
