Seed for Success | Empowering Women Entreprenuers

I have worked very hard to build a website that is easy to maneuver, while allowing consumers plenty of options to create a customized product. Over time I have acquired wonderful artists, the equipment/vendors needed to print and frame high quality art, and the desire to start filling orders. Now that I have all of this in place, what’s next? Marketing seems like the logical answer. This requires me to completely change gears from the past 11 months of operations and business implementation to the more exciting area of marketing and sales.

I need to get the word out to consumers and build a distribution system. I have a three step approach: 1) get my products in retail; 2) educate interior designers on my product attributes; and 3) get my product displayed in baby publications, TV shows, and online.

I started on the first step this past weekend. One of my really good friends reps high-end baby apparel. She has a showroom at the Mart in Atlanta, which she allowed me to hang my art in during the largest show of the year. I had the opportunity to speak with a dozen high-end baby boutique owners. I was looking for feedback, and they all said I was right on track by offering something custom and easy to order. I encouraged each of them to go through the art on my site and test the canvas designer. I will follow up and hopefully get my products into a couple of their stores. More importantly I have the needed feedback and the confidence to approach other store owners about carrying Red Koala products.

The second step is to get in front of interior designers. I have no doubt that the flexibility and design elements offered on my site will be very appealing to this market. I plan to advertise through publications specific to the designer segment, and product placement through cable shows on networks such as HGTV. I am working on a press kit to send out to media outlets and an ad to place in various publications.

The third step in my plan is to reach my core consumer via publications and programming targeted at moms and gift givers. This seems like the most overwhelming part of my plan. There are so many magazines, TV shows, and websites targeted at Moms and young to middle-aged women. Not to mention the amount of clutter in the baby industry. This is an area that I am going to get advice on from my mentors and friends. As I learn tricks and processes for establishing an advertising strategy I will share them here through my blog. So keep checking back. The fun is just starting!

It has been a long and challenging summer, but well worth the effort… www.RedKoala.com is open for business! Now the fun begins: Branding, Marketing, Sales, Partnerships, etc…

This week I am preparing for a large tradeshow at the AmericasMart in Atlanta over the weekend. Many of the major boutique owners from the East Coast will be there shopping for items to sell in their stores. This is a great opportunity to get my products in front of them without having to travel from door to door. People are amazed by the outstanding quality of our art and I’m confident that many of these boutique owners will feel the same. I have worked frantically to have samples produced and brochures printed.

It took me a while to develop a plan for retail and I think I have come up with the best solution. I am offering retail outlets access to my online canvas designer to create custom designed pieces of art, at a wholesale price, to sell in their stores. The store owner, or a designer, will create art to match the store’s other offerings such as crib sets and drapery. The custom designed art will be showcased on the store walls. The store itself will be able to sell the art for a premium because it was custom designed to match a particular bed set or room decor. This system allows for some personalization by the customer and no inventory for the store to carry.

In addition to retail, I will market my services and products to interior designers who are always looking for fresh and innovative products for their clients. Not only is our art fabulous, but you can find something to match any room. We currently have 6 artists that all have unique styles and provide exclusive images for the Red Koala Canvas Co. We will work with designers or customers to commission our artists to paint an image not currently offered on our site. It’s a one stop shop for custom art.

In total, there are three major markets for our business: retail, interior designers, and customers/moms who like to design or want to give a special gift. This market will be challenging to reach through all of the clutter in magazines and online. However, there are plenty of moms out there that would love this service so I will work hard to make sure they know about the Red Koala.

Each segment in of itself is a large market. In the next month I will put together a detailed marketing plan on how to reach each of these segments. I am really excited to have some great conversations with my mentors and get their advice on marketing and partnerships. So please go visit www.RedKoala.com and give me your feedback or even better buy some art!