06.19.09
Posted in Business, Resources at 2:57 pm by Administrator
I recently joined Black Enterprises Lincoln Small Business University which is an online course through Black Enterprise and Lincoln Motors that provides free business courses for aspiring business owners looking to jump start their venture, or an established entrepreneur looking to energize their brand.
Andrew Morrison Small Business University expert and founder of the Small Business Camp, discusses strategies on growing ANY business idea within 3 months. Below is a synopsis of the material discussed in the class.
Step 1. Take Inventory - Re-examine your under performing assets - There is something that you already have that you can turn into a successful business, Andrew speaks about under performing assets and they exist in 3 areas
A. Networking - who do you know, and who do you know that may know someone else
B. Your Results - what are some of your past results whether they be good or bad reflect upon them and use them to your advantage
C. Your Resources- examine your resources tangible or not and see how you can turn it into cash
2. Listen Carefully for Opportunity - Connect your experiences and past results to a larger running story in the news or any form of media - There is opportunity that is presented to you on a daily basis but you don’t see them at times…Pick up the Newspaper everyday and look at the trends and look at the running stories and see how you can attach your business to that story
3. Develop a Business Model - What is your business model? How will you make money? The Key to a business model is to have more additions then subtractions. You need to figure out what your business model is and how you will make it successful.
4. Build a Team - It takes teamwork to make the dream work. Even if you don’t have money you can build a team by sending an email to all of your friends, colleagues, clients, perspective clients, etc. by telling them what you are trying to create also who needs to show up to fulfill the needs of the company.
5. Create something in 90 days - Focus on a Project give yourself a deadline to your projects so that you are focused on one thing and once you have completed the project you can move on to the next project.
I thought this class was very informative I cannot wait until next weeks session to see what the next topic will be.
To learn more about the Lincoln Small Business University free online business classes and to view the online courses that they offer please go to Lincoln Small Business University website and register today.
Permalink
06.15.09
Posted in Business at 11:16 pm by Administrator
Below are some great tips on how to start your first business and it looks as if I am on the right track and I hope that you are too.
1.Use the Internet
As part of doing your homework, don’t be afraid to use the Internet; particularly Google. Do a search on start-up businesses, home-based businesses and recession-proof businesses. At the very least, your research will get your creative juices flowing. But remember, it’s just a start to the research you should do. Don’t be quick to jump on something that you have not fully researched.
2.Go Slow, Be Small
Once you have found a business opportunity that you are convinced that you want to pursue, go for it. But, to the extent possible, take it slow and start small. Don’t put a lot of money at risk. This is good advice anytime for budding business start-ups and it is particularly true in a less than desirable economy.
3. Finance It Yourself
The fact is, that in the present economy bank business loans of any type are fairly non-existent. If at all possible, finance your start-up yourself. Use your own money, either from savings, retirement or family. Don’t fall to the temptation of using credit cards to finance your business. Believe me, using plastic will be very tempting. Don’t do it if you don’t have to. And if you do use them, plan to pay off the balance monthly. I cannot state this too strongly. This is a hole into which you do not want to fall. It could ruin your business before you gain the fruits of your own success.
4.Keep Your Costs To A Minimum
This dovetails with my suggestion that you start small. Depending on the type of business that you have decided on, there will be items of expense that you may want, and those that you need. When just starting out, it is critical that you incur costs only for things you absolutely need. This is particularly true when it comes to equipment. There will be many pieces of equipment that would be nice to have. They may even save you time. When it comes to these types of purchases, you seriously have to consider whether they are really needed at this time. Believe me, it is very easy to spend a lot of money on equipment before it is needed. This is another area where research and doing your homework will pay benefits.
5.Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Advice
You probably know friends or acquaintances who have their own businesses. Don’t be afraid to ask them for advice. You may choose to filter some of what they are prepared to offer but, for the most part, they will have great things to share from their own experience that can go a long way in saving you time and help to minimize the mistakes you will be certain to make as you start you own business.
6.Consider Networking
Networking is putting yourself among a group of other business owners and managers on a regular basis so that you can share what you have to offer and have them share what they have to offer. Networking comes in many forms, including formally organized networking organizations that meet weekly, and also less formally or specifically organized groups where networking takes place, such as a local chamber of commerce. The local business networking groups generally have 15-35 members depending on the size of the community or region being drawn from. There is almost always a membership fee to join. Chambers of commerce generally have hundreds of local members and provide multiple networking opportunities throughout a given month. As a member of a chamber of commerce, you also have access to the membership list with addresses and phone numbers and mailing labels that can be used for direct marketing. There is a annual fee to join a chamber of commerce.
7.Provide Great Customer Service
Customer service is a term that has been used and abused today. Most businesses talk-the-talk but few actually walk-the-walk when it comes to excellence in delivering customer service. Customer service is NOT about giving “service”. Frankly, the customer deserves and expects service. What we really mean by providing customer service is going beyond what the customer is expecting. Really good customer service is providing things that contribute to a “WOW!” factor. A WOW factor is something that causes the customer to say “WOW, I wasn’t expecting them to do THAT for me”. It’s that extra service that the customer didn’t pay for, but received anyway. Something that keeps them coming back.
Source
Permalink
06.08.09
Posted in social networking at 1:38 am by Administrator
(WSJ) Like most San Franciscans, Charles Pitts is wired. Mr. Pitts, who is 37 years old, has accounts on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. He runs an Internet forum on Yahoo, reads news online and keeps in touch with friends via email. The tough part is managing this digital lifestyle from his residence under a highway bridge.
“You don’t need a TV. You don’t need a radio. You don’t even need a newspaper,” says Mr. Pitts, an aspiring poet in a purple cap and yellow fleece jacket, who says he has been homeless for two years. “But you need the Internet.”
Mr. Pitts’s experience shows how deeply computers and the Internet have permeated society. A few years ago, some people were worrying that a “digital divide” would separate technology haves and have-nots. The poorest lack the means to buy computers and Web access. Still, in America today, even people without street addresses feel compelled to have Internet addresses.
New York City has put 42 computers in five of the nine shelters it operates and plans to wire the other four this year. Roughly half of another 190 shelters in the city offer computer access. Cheap computers and free Internet access fuel the phenomenon. So does an increasingly computer-savvy population. Many job and housing applications must be submitted online. Some homeless advocates say the economic downturn is pushing more of the wired middle class on to the streets.
(source)
Homeless people across America are now utilizing the Internet and social networking to stay connected to society. Many are using social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter to keep in contact with family, friends and even former co-workers.
Many are also using it for job searches, to network with individuals on possible leads for job opportunities and to to fill out applications to find housing. Many people believe that because they are now homeless their life is over especially socially, being homeless is very embarrassing to most but in this economy it is an everyday occurrence, Mr. Pitts says, “I thought: My existence and my life don’t stop because I don’t have a place to live.”
I couldn’t have said it any better, Mr. Pitts statement speaks volumes just because your homeless doesn’t mean that you cannot continue your everyday rituals and I social networking via online social networks gives individuals the opportunity who may be embarrassed by their situation the ability to continue to network with individuals they may not want to know they are homeless.
If this example doesn’t show businesses or anyone that they should be utilizing the internet for its unlimited resources I don’t know what will. Social Networking is the wave of the future and is evolving everyday into something bigger and better than ever.
Permalink
06.02.09
Posted in Business at 8:45 pm by Administrator
Please excuse the aggressive title, but if you are a professional there are many reasons why you at least need to have a presence on LinkedIn and should utilize the platform as your primary social networking tool.
First some background on myself. Like most of you, I received an invite from someone that I don’t even remember now, but I signed up on a day in 2004 and really didn’t do anything with the site except for accepting invites from people that I knew who invited me. That all changed when in 2008, after building my career in Asia and looking for a job for the first time in the US without an established network, I took the plunge and decided to use LinkedIn as my primary networking tool. I soon became a heavy user and increased my contacts from the then 100+ to the now 11,500+.
As mentioned above, the primary impetus for me to start utilizing LinkedIn on a daily basis was because of my first job search in several years. After looking for a job back in the US without the same type of local network that my American peers enjoyed made it a challenging time to attack the “hidden job market” (which we all know is where 70% of the jobs are “found” or “created”). I realized I needed to be a better networker, and thus my LinkedIn journey began.
As I started becoming a heavy user, connecting to people beyond my immediate group of friends and co-workers, as well as actively reaching out to recruiters, I started to become the “go to” person for LinkedIn in my close network of family and friends. Many acquaintances had not heard of or did not understand LinkedIn in the same depth that I did. I could look at the official LinkedIn Q&A sections and begin answering questions on using LinkedIn to others. Finally, as I built out my network to encompass thousands of direct connections, I would offer to help anyone if they had a question on LinkedIn. Many people seemed to find value in what I had to said, and thus, I created my own blog on the subjecthttp://linkedinquestions.wordpress.com and am even in the process of writing a book on the subject E-Mail me nealschaffer at gmail dot com if you would like to be notified when it is published or are interested in collaborating).
Hopefully this gives you enough background on myself and why I am uniquely qualified to tell you why you need to be on LinkedIn. But LinkedIn is not just about looking for a job, and I continued to extensively use it after finding my job. So why do you need a presence on the site?
1) Getting Back in Touch
Are you one of the many members of classmates.com? Do you use it to keep in touch with people from your past school days? Think of LinkedIn as an extension of that, with the ability of directly connecting you (without additional costs to send E-Mails or other restrictions that classmates.com has) to not only former classmates but also former colleagues. After you have graduated from college more and more people in your network are professionals, not classmates, so LinkedIn fills this gap nicely. This is the primary reason that I find most executives have a presence on LinkedIn, and this is a unique attribute to LinkedIn that no other social networking site at the present has.
2) Being Found
Once you have a presence on LinkedIn, just as you can find your former colleagues, they can also find you. Once you fill in your profile, you are added to the database of more than 30 million users worldwide, and LinkedIn has excellent search tools to allow people to be able to easily find you. Being found is also important if you are in transition or thinking of a new job, but more on that angle below.
3) Acquire Expertise
LinkedIn has many groups that are open for professionals to join, and by joining these groups you not only get potential access to directly contacting experts in your industry, you can also join in group discussions and read group news that are specific to your industry. I believe that most industries are covered, and the largest of these groups have anywhere from a few thousand to one hundred thousand members! I know of executives who have landed new jobs in new markets who use these groups to acquire new expertise. On the other hand, LinkedIn also provides a great Q&A functionality that you can use to ask the network of 30 million professionals any question you’d like. I have answered questions on “What is the best CRM?” as well as asked questions on “What Websites Do You Recommend to Self-Publish My Book?” The answers section is completely searchable, so you can really learn a lot and feel comfortable knowing that it is coming from real professionals, not just your standard Internet message board.
4) Career Growth
I don’t want to be blunt in titling this “Looking for a Job”, because even if you are not looking for a job, a network should be your insurance for your future career growth. Companies are organic entities whose needs change and do not and cannot promise you a guarantee that your job will be there 10 years from now, next year, or even next month. That is why you need to be on LinkedIn so that you can both find potential companies and recruiters as well as be found by them. Even if you are happy in your job, it can’t hurt to have a minimal profile on LinkedIn and receive contacts from recruiters in your industry or specialty who may be able to help you out in the future, can it? LinkedIn is free career insurance!
5) Sales & Marketing
One thing I would like to make clear is that LinkedIn is not a tool to sell your product on, and you will be removed from LinkedIn should you decide to spam people or message boards with adverts. That being said, I have used LinkedIn from a sales & marketing prospective to a) find potential customers, b) map out their organizations, c) request introductions inside the organizations, d) look for potential partners or distributors, and e) look for potential service providers. In fact, I hired a translation service because I found them on LinkedIn! Why start from scratch looking for a service provider when you can utilize a network of real professionals to help you find them? Which leads me to…
6) Your Trusted Network of Advisors
I have an older brother (well, I have four of them) who I trust in terms of asking for help in mapping out and executing on my professional goals. He once asked me, “Neal, do you have a trusted network of advisors?” In other words, for anything in life, do you have a trusted person you can ask for advice on? Do you have a financial advisor? A legal advisor? A career coach? A reliable web marketing adviseor? etc. These advisors (you don’t necessarily have to pay for their services if they are in your tight network) are essential in not only bouncing ideas off of them for your professional career, but can even help you out on personal affairs. I have met many in my trusted network through LinkedIn, followed up by actual one-to-one meetings with them at a Starbucks over a cup of latte (I’m a tall soy latte person for all of you marketers out there).
7) Connect
I recently read a book about how to find a job which said that if you meet 100 people and meet 100 people that they introduce to you, you will most definitely be able to find a job. I have not tried out this exercise, but the whole idea is that you never know how someone, or someone that they know, may be able to help you out when you need it. I openly connect with anyone on LinkedIn because you never know how you can help them or vice-versa. Case in point: I recently accepted an invite from someone who was interested in relocating to Asia and looking for job advice. Six months later when I was looking for advice from him, he was able to guarantee an interview from the lead recruiter of a very large enterprise software company. This could not have happened if a) we never connected and b) I did not offer to help him out.
The real key to all of the above is to become an open networker, which in essence is having the attitude that whenever you help people out it will return to you as you increase your bank account of karma. If you do not believe this and start heavily contacting people without offering to help them out, you may not be as successful on your LinkedIn journey. But if you are helpful to others even when you don’t need to be, believe me, it will make it easier for people to respond to you and to ask them for advice when you really need it.
I hope that I have opened your eyes if you are not currently on LinkedIn, and if you are on LinkedIn I hope I have provided you advice as to how you can become a more effective user of the platform to meet your own objective. I am an open networker, so please feel free to go to my profile www.linkedin.com/in/nealschaffer and send me an invite. I also welcome your comments as I am always a humble learner in this game of life…
Happy networking!
Permalink
06.01.09
Posted in Business at 10:48 pm by Administrator
Bing TM—the evolution of Microsoft Live Search has finally launched. Yahoo and MSN have been working really hard to develop a search tool that could give Google a run for their money and Bing is here to do that.
Bing is a decision engine that offers consumers a way to make faster, more informed decisions. From shopping and travel to health, local and more, Bing delivers great results in a rich, well-organized experience to help consumers easily accomplish key tasks. It offers more information at the hands of users without being too cluttered and adds different iterations of keyword phrases to make searching easier. I like that a lot as the way we search is becoming relatively specific. Bing also allows you to preview some of the website content before you actually click-through.
So what exactly does Bing do you ask?
Plain and simple, it provides consumers with easy access to relevant information. With new features and more organized results, consumers can spend less time searching and more time finding what’s most relevant to them—like travel, health, cars, and shopping.
What can that mean to you as an advertiser?
Quality leads – Bing helps provide the relevant search results and ads your consumers are interested in. This means you can engage with consumers when they’re ready to research, influence or make a purchase decision.
Bings look and feel is very similar to Google’s the sponsored results resemble Google’s, they also offer definition and new results on the topic that you are searching with a similar look and feel as Google. I am skeptical about how decision based Bing searches are at this time, even Google takes note of your user behavior and provides search results tailored to the consumers interest.
I definitely think that this new and easy way to search will be very appealing to MSN’s current user base and they will be very pleased with the results that they are receiving. As for advertisers the one advantage that you have is that with the new technology Bing can determine whether the user is looking for informational purposes or intent to purchase and shows results based off of that thus resulting in less irrelevant clicks for retailers. In the same breath this may also take away from retailers who consumers research on their site and usually return out of familiarity.
I hope that Bing will be the answer that MSN has been looking for but Google seems to have the right formula just a simple search tool nothing more nothing less. There are going to be mixed reviews from users on Bing but I definitely think Bing is the right direction for MSN to begin to be a force in the marketplace.
Permalink
05.26.09
Posted in Business at 9:50 pm by Administrator
TransWorldMetalsLtd.com is a company that specializes in the trading of physical Precious Metals Bullion Bars who have been in business and trading since 1986. All Bars are 99.99% Pure Gold, Silver, Platinum,Palladiium Bullion that are Credit Suisse, Johnson Matthey, Englehard or Comex. They also offer Self Directed Precious Metals Individual Retirement Accounts ( IRA’s) and one may rollover their existing retirement account that is currently in a Traditional IRA, SEP IRA, Roth IRA, Keough Account,401 K, Annuity, or other Retirement Account into a Precious Metals IRA Account.
With the recent economic crash and the hardships that the country has been facing Bill of Transworld Metals Limited has experienced great hardships himself. TransWorld Metals Limited is a company that is essential to what individuals need in this down economy, it is a great option to invest in your future and to secure that you will be taken care of after retirement.
TIC:Why did you start your business?
BillStarted to eliminate working for someone else.
TIC:How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?
BillI was trading Strategic Metals originally in London, and storing them in Holland across the world.
TIC:Why did you feel the need for your business in the market?
Bill:I am looking to expand and develop a new area of trading in Precious Metals.
TIC:Has the recession effected your business in any way? if so how have you combated it?
Bill:Yes it has affected it and I am trying sites like yours to combat it.
TIC:What differentiates your business from its competitors?
Bill:I am not selling anything that people need, I am selling what they want.
TIC:Are there any dreams that you haven’t achieved yet?
Bill:Yes, I would like total financial freedom and to develop enough business to get there.
Visit TransWorld Metals Limited today and learn how you can secure your future.
Permalink
05.06.09
Posted in Music at 11:49 pm by Administrator
OnlineRadioStations.com is an online radio station created by Shane Martin. Shane felt that there was something missing in the realm of online radio and fulfilled this need with OnlineRadioStations.com. Online Radio Stations offers over 5,000 radio stations of live streaming music, talk, news, sports & weather, as well as specialty stations like old time radio and Christmas music. This website offers more than just music you can create profiles, build playlist and connect with friends who have similar music interest as you.
I work in Corporate America and I couldn’t have a radio like at my previous job and was looking for resources online for radio and found few. I ended up purchasing an iPod that recently broke on me so I was forced to do my search for an online media solution again. I tried sites such as Pandora, Rhapsody, IMEEM and many others and was not satisfied with the selection that was available.
So I was glad to learn more about OnlineRadioStaions.com from Shane and how he started out.
TalkisCheep would like for you all to get to know Shane as well……Here is what he had to say about Online RadioStations.com
TIC: Why did you start www.onlineradiostations.com?
Shane: “See a need, fill a need”. I recognized that there was an extensive amount of searches being made online for the term “radio”, so from there I began exploring the topic on Google and quickly found that it was difficult to find actual radio stations, much less ones that I would personally enjoy listening to. So I began dreaming up the kind of online radio site that I would find useful and enjoyable.
TIC: How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?
Shane:The company was conceived with the desire to build a site that would allow people to easily access specific genre radio stations from around the world without having to spend hours searching the Internet looking for it. I wanted www.onlineradiostations.com to be the best of its kind, meaning simple navigation, wide variety, and more. Always staying one step ahead of the others. We want to set the pace for the online radio industry. The name was chosen to reflect the keywords that searchers are using when looking for online radio. The name also needed to communicate to people that they’ve found what they were looking for once they’ve found us; essentially that they need to look no further.
TIC: Why did you feel there was a need in the market for another online radio website?
Shane: Onlineradiostations.com is very different from the typical site that is streaming a database of songs as opposed to actual terrestrial (land base) stations and online stations. We provide our listeners/users with literally thousands of real radio stations from around the world in every genre imaginable; both from online sources and land base.
TIC: How do you fund a free radio station such as www.onlineradiostations.com?
Shane: Although development costs and monthly server fees are high, through the use of banner advertising and pre-roll videos we are able to keep the service free for the end user, which is a feature that defines us and that we feel strongly about maintaining.
TIC: Has the recession effected www.onlineradiostations.com in any way? if so how have you combated it?
Shane: The recession has an effect on all businesses to some extent, and not excluding ours. In recession you see a little less traffic and you’re more likely to find advertisers are watching their pennies. Social networking, such as Twitter and Facebook have been helpful in bringing more recognition to our growing business.
TIC: What differentiates www.onlineradiostations.com from other sites that offer free radio streams or free music such as Pandora, Rhapsody and other competitors?
Shane: Well, specifically in comparison, Rhapsody isn’t free, they sell membership packages, whereas we provide the stations free of charge. They also offer a database of songs and playlists to download as opposed to the actual streaming radio that we offer. Pandora is strictly a USA only website (we are available worldwide), because they only offer playlists of songs versus true radio stations.
TIC: Are there any dreams that you haven’t achieved yet?
Shane: The big dreams for the future is to reach the masses and to expose great radio stations which would otherwise be buried in the search engines. We currently have over 6,000 stations listed with us and are rapidly growing with 15-20 stations being added each week. We average over 50,000 page views a day, and we have experienced over 1200% growth in the past year.
Listen to OnlineRadioStations.com Today!
Follow OnlineRadioStation on Twitter @freeonlineradio
Permalink
05.05.09
Posted in Graphic Design at 12:59 am by Administrator
Artiatesia Deal is a freelance graphic and web designer with over 8 years of experience. She got her start back in 1999 with developing personal web pages at places like Gurlpages.com. One of her close friends had his own website and Artiatesia wanted her sites to look as professional as his so she taught herself HTML and in three years her passion for coding html pages had grown way beyond the idea of just being a hobby. Artiatesia says that Creating visually appealing designs is an unquestionable passion of hers and it shows in her work.
I had the opportunity to speak with Artiatesia about her passion and this is what she had to say…..
TIC: Why did you start your business?
ArtiatesiaI am a freelancer graphic and web designer. I started creating personal web pages back in 1999. Three years later, my passion for coding html pages had grown way beyond the idea of just being a hobby. As a result I decided to enroll in school and pursue a career path in the graphic design field.
TIC: How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?
ArtiatesiaAt this present time I am not a company, just an individual who freelances in the graphic design industry. However, becoming a real business is currently in the works for the future.
TIC: Why did you feel the need to offer services specializing in Graphic and Web Design?
Artiatesia It’s what I love to do. Being creative and bringing to life my client’s vision is gratifying work. Allowing my client to scratch one more thing off their to-do-list is continuous goal.
TIC: During this recession have you had to create or offer any innovative products that reflects the times such as pro bono web design or inexpensive design packages?
ArtiatesiaI strive to provide my clients with affordable solutions for all their graphic/web needs. The recession has everyone cutting back. I am always researching the most cost affect ways to get the job done on time and to the client’s liking.
TIC: What differentiates you from your Competitors?
ArtiatesiaWhat differentiates me from my competitors is that I understand both sides of the fence, the client and the designer. I understand that everyone wants great work at an affordable price. This is why I am constantly researching and testing out the latest and best ways to get my client what they need every time.
TIC: What advice would you give other individuals who are trying to break into the industry?
ArtiatesiaMy first piece advice is to get an internship. Internship allows you to learn a lot that can’t learn from sitting in a classroom. Secondly, is to network. Networking allows you to meet people. Maybe you find someone who can be your mentor.
TIC: Are there any dreams that you haven’t achieved yet?
ArtiatesiaYes, I have a lot more I would like to accomplish. One thing is to start my own business.
You can contact Artiatesia by email at artdeal [at] artiatesiadeal.com or at her website www.artiatesiadeal.com
Follow her on Twitter at @artdeal
or Network with her on TalkisCheep.com
Permalink
05.03.09
Posted in Fashion at 3:49 pm by Administrator
Vintage Shopping Guide is an online resource for vintage lovers created by Malie Raef. The Guide is a comprehensive list of places where you can find vintage clothing across the nation, so that no matter where you are you can get your vintage fix. Malie has come up with a great concept that not only offers a guide on where to find vintage apparel, but offers information on vintage shop owners, walking tours, tips on how to make money cleaning out your closet, history of fashion, fashion exhibits and much more….
I had the opportunity to interview Malie and this is what she had to say….
TIC:Why did you start vintageshoppingguide.com?
Vintage Shopping Guide:I created the VintageShoppingGuide.com so that every vintage lover out there could get there fix! I believe women love vintage as much as they love shoes. When I tell people about the guide they all have a story about some fabulous find they have! The store guide just helps them find new vintage stores to check out and add to their experience. The website also has feature interviews with designers, stylists, curators, shop owners, and many others talking about how they use vintage as inspiration in their work.
TIC:How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?
Vintage Shopping Guide:I am a fashion designer by trade. Part of my job is to shop the market for inspiration and that includes everything from high end boutiques to down and dirty vintage stores. I have always gotten a lot of inspiration from vintage clothing myself. Having lived in several different major cities like Houston, Miami, Atlanta, and New York I managed to compile quite a list of vintage stores. Over the years many of my colleagues and friends would ask me where they should go shopping if they were going on a trip. So, I would email them this Excel file. Anyway, one day a light bulb just went off in my head and I thought why not put it on the web? After a few months of researching other cities to get the most comprehensive list possible the VintageShoppingGuide.com was born!
TIC:Do you think the recession has affected the Vintage Clothing market in any way? if so how have you combated the recession?
Vintage Shopping Guide:Yes and no. I keep in contact with lots of shop owners. I think everyone really felt it this past winter. Sales were down for Christmas of course. But things started picking back up in March. Shopping vintage is now considered recession chic and stores are seeing lots of new faces who may have never shopped at a vintage store before.
There were several stores that closed, but then there have been several new store openings. And many of those who did close there brick and mortar shop simply transferred to being an online store or are now selling at the various trade shows. In my opinion I don’t think most of the stores closed because of the recession. There has been a trend toward going online for a while now.
TIC:What differentiates vintageshoppingguide.com from its Competitors?
Vintage Shopping Guide:The main difference is the depth of our guide. I really try to maintain the most up to date store listing guide. I am constantly adding and removing stores. And in the next two weeks we are even taking the guide global! If you go to a City Search or Yelp or something like that often their information is way out of date. Stores may have been closed for years and are still being listed on there. Other sites only list stores that pay to be on their list.
TIC:What advice would you give other individuals who are trying to break into the industry?
Vintage Shopping Guide:Do what you love! If you have ever dreamed of owning a vintage store now is the perfect time. There are so many people off loading their unused items. Finding inventory for your store is easy right now and inexpensive. The only advice I can give is to have a recession proof business plan laid out, so when times are rough you still are ok, and when times are great you make even more.
TIC:Are there any dreams that you haven’t achieved yet?
Vintage Shopping Guide:I have a million and one ideas that I would love to add to the site, but for me I have to do them in baby steps. One goal that will be coming true within the next couple of months is I will be adding a lot of content surrounding the care and storage of vintage clothing, accessories, and textiles. With that will come wonderful expert tips and recommended products. I am starting to work on some affiliate programs with some companies that manufacture storage products such as the acid free tissue, archive boxes, hangers, and even various cleaning products. It is a long process because I don’t want to recommend anything that I wouldn’t use myself. I want VintageShoppingGuide.com to be a brand people can trust with their heirlooms and memories.
If you are looking for the best Vintage Spots in your city, Visit VintageShoppingGuide.com Today!
Join the VSG e-list to receive trend reports, articles, interviews and more!
Follow Malie on Twitter for the latest updates from the Vintage Shopping Guide.
or Network with Malie on TalkisCheep.com
Permalink
05.01.09
Posted in Fashion at 10:41 pm by Administrator
LaureLuxe is a Creative and Ingenious company that specializes in Handmade Metal Jewelry started by Laurel Mae Dewitt. Laurel is a Brooklynite who attended Pratt Institute majoring in Apparel Design. The collections LaureLuxe offers are unique and bold and resemble nothing that I have ever seen before. She has created unique designs that can be best described as wearable art. In her professional career Laurel has designed for CR by Cynthia Rowley, Rocawear, GUESS?, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Nine West, Anne Klein, Fila and Oscar De La Renta Intimate Apparel just to name a few. Her cutting edge pieces have been worn by stars such as Free former host of 106 and Park , Miss New York USA 2008, Danielle Roundtree, Foxy Brown, BET.com host Tiffany and many more.
I got a chance to interview Laurel and learn more about how she came up with the concept of Laureluxe.com and how her dream came to fruition and her is what she had to say.
TIC:Why did you start laureluxe.com?
LaureLuxe:I am a person who loves to be set apart from the mundane looks of everyday. I went to Pratt Institute for Apparel Design - (Bachelors) and took an elective class called wearable art. Once I realized that people really loved the concept I came up with in this class, I built from there. I created Laureluxe.com to house information on the brand and for an online store. Also, it makes it easier to have my designs easily accessible to magazines and press that reach out to us.
TIC:How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?
LaureLuxe:As I mentioned before, I went to Pratt and took an elective called wearable art. We were given a challenge to make something out of found/ free objects. I was able to attain a ton of aluminum metal scraps from a lighting company that my father works with. I decided to take this recycled material and make it wearable by designing my first metal bra. Everyone raved about it and it progressed from there. I fused my love for jewelry and accessories to make line of metal clothes and wearable art. After some trial and error I refined my line for my fashion show thesis which was a requirement before graduation.
The line was a hit; I won the Renée Hunter Eveningwear award for that show and was written up in Women’s Wear Daily. I did a few other shows, always receiving an awesome response from whoever saw it…. and Laureluxe was born!
I named the company LaureLuxe as a play on my name. Just how I fused accessories and apparel I fused my name with the idea of what this line stands for. I being Laurel, and the handmade beautiful pieces are something that makes a woman feel luxurious; nothing but Luxe.
TIC:Why did you feel the need to offer products specializing in Metal Jewelry and Couture?
LaureLuxe:I feel like with all of fashion, everything has been done already in some shape or form. I am not the first person to do metal clothes but I think I am doing it in a very unique and awesome way. Aluminum its super lightweight and therefore easy to wear. It makes people look at this material in a new light. It makes people look at this material in a diverse way. I wanted to offer the consumer something different and also recycled and environmentally conscious.
TIC:During this recession have you had to create any innovative products that reflect the times such as inexpensive Jewelry and Apparel or free tips on how to accessorize?
LaureLuxe:Laureluxe always offered the consumer affordable earrings for everyday wear and the fact that they are recycled is the added eco friendly bonus! This recession is making everyone aware that we have to start caring about how we use everything and minimize spending right? My tip is not how to accessorize but TO ACCESSORIZE. Accessories can turn your basic outfit into something awesome and versatile. Big statement earrings are a must for me (an everyday essential actually) as they add style instantly to whatever you are wearing; no matter what that is. It’s just about making the consumer realize that you can stand out with a very simple outfit out of your closet if you complete it with those one or two pieces that will make it pop – and you don’t have to spend that much money on it.
TIC:What differentiates laureluxe.com from its Competitors?
LaureLuxe:As far as I know (and I have done my research) no one is doing what I am doing! I am offering aluminum light weight recycled jewelry and metal clothes… and no one else is really doing that in mainstream fashion. Everyone always wants different and unique… with Laureluxe that’s exactly what you get.
TIC:What advice would you give other individuals who are trying to break into the industry?
LaureLuxe:As artists we often get caught up in just wanting to do our art and thinking “Oh someday I will get a break”… That could happen but more than often you have to make it happen. Always remember to remain grounded and work on the business side too (no matter how much that sucks) get business cards made, a website up, and network to look professional always! You have to focus on both sides… the art inspires but the business gets it out.
TIC:Are there any dreams that you haven’t achieved yet?
LaureLuxe:I’m living the dream one step at a time. The big dream? To become and international recognized brand.
Here are some of the beautiful Designs from LaureLuxe
Visit LaureLuxe.com Today!
Follow LaureLuxe on Twitter
Permalink
« Previous entries
