Saturday, May 31, 2008

Random Stuff

I've been asked in the last few weeks if I found any online resources that I could share, that I've found helpful.
I did - and one I remember is entrepreneur magazing online - tons of links
If you are in a major city, find the local fashion incubator (it's a group of artisans and fashion designers) some of the info will good and free local info, and some of it is to buy. I've used the Toronto Fashion Incubator, and was able to use their lists for sourcing many things, from labels to packaging.
Then there's mompreneur online - and they have fabulous downloads like standard non-disclosure agreement as you go from supplier to supplier.
Incoporation can be done a number of ways, but it must be done to get the business account to get the finances divorced from household expenses.
If there's other documents you need , you can find stadard press releases and standard business plan's - you just need to know the numbers before you do it.
I'll try to remember a few more.
If you're looking for a specific supplier or finisher around Toronto, I have names for you too.

Children's Trunk Show -can't say enough about it, was a really good entry for me. And I liked it for the reason I knew I would: Mom only crowd, good numbers through the door, high quality goods for sale, a returing clientele, and people ready to shop. These established show are hard to get into, and it takes waitlisting sometimes, but I got in a cancellation this time, hopefully will get in on my merits next time. And for the first time, I, Ran, Out, Of, Product. Some of my styles were completely sold out. Bad to have empty pegs I think, but overall no one was deterred.
I think I've got setup and takedown down to an art because of my favourite new toy:

THE IKEA DOLLY. It's cheap, it's a dolly and it works. And it costs about 10 bucks. At most shows, you wait around for the dollies, you can spend hours sitting on the floor with everything packed around you. Not so this time, record take down and out to the car, show ended at 5 - we were out the door at 5:20 (only started setdown right at 5:00) I LOVE IKEA.
Get one if you are doing shows. You will likely be far from the car and your booth, so you'll need one.

I also bought a fantastic new foldown table at IKEA, huge bright orange colour, and it can be a 2 foot table or a four foot table - which means after taking a 4x4 space, I am convinced I no longer need 10x10 booths. The booth got plenty of traffic

In buying your tradeshow setups, I suggest that in most cases, smaller will be easier. I use tubberware tubs, the table, chairs, judy's for display, 2 wirestands, and my banner. I do own carpet tiles, can be as big as 5x5 or as big as 10x10. Genius because you can handle anysize booth..

Monday, May 26, 2008

Gearing Up (again)

Alas, another trade show is upon the world of Smicko. And while I had freshman like excitement and nerves for the first big one, the lessons have been learned (not that I'm not looking forward to it, because I am).
Trade Show Lessons Learned (and to be followed and heeded by me at all cost)
1. Set up is the day before, meaning, there is nothing to bring the next day. The days are long. So showing up an hour early just 'because' is totally unnecessary. Totally. In fact, the booth next to me remained unmanned for one hour on the morning of the third day, because clearly she knew something that I didn't.

2. Bring your own food. When I tell you that we ate garbage for three days, I kid you not. Not even a decent cup of coffee to be found. And when I say garbage, I mean it in the sense that a full on Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal from McD's would have been better, less greasy, and less regrettable than what was available. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD, AND A THERMOS OF COFFEE. Also, water bottles cost a couple of arms and legs at these things, so bring your own eco-friendly Nalgene.

3. Set up a booth with chairs. For the love of sciatica, bring chairs.

4. Don't wear white. Don't have a white tablecloth.

5. Bring Purell. Smicko family has only recently gotten over the superbugs contained at last trade show.

6. Turn off the brain when you get home. Sleep is precious. Don't think about the show. Turn off the show till you have to be there at 8:59 am the next day.

7. Bring hand lotion.

8. Leave booth with wonderful Smicko friend Dana, and go look outside where there is sunshine and weather and air. Take a deep cleansing breath. Then go back in.

Smicko'z new warehousing system and office are near completion - and the re-investment doesn't end there. I've taken steps to get a bookeeper to help keep me in line - I'm getting a brand spanking for the first time ever press release professionally done - and web guru is hooking up the smicko'z website with some new features, and bringing the new fabrics on, out with the old.

I received the new Smicko'z fabric order today, and I am in deep deep love with this batch. I can't wait for you all to see the new ones coming out! (was in love with the last batch too, I know I know, but honestly, I'm a fabric hound)
You can check the changes over the next few weeks at www.smickoz.com

Wish me luck at the show!
Smicko Lady

Friday, May 23, 2008

Something I Should Do

Being in the 'mompreuniverse', I have occasion to meet other budding mompreneurs with fabulous products and companies. They too are wading this road to success, and some are doing a bang up job of it!
Take Kim over at Chatterbox games. She's created a box of Social Skills games and ideas for families to do together. Now a lot of the 'kid' market is a whole lot of fluff. Useless stuff. Her product (and I say this from a decade or so of teaching) is bang on the money. Outside of the 'want' it pile, and way deep into the 'need' it pile. Want to check out something amazing? Google Chatterbox games and get blown away.

Another great entrepreneur? Snapdragon designs. Really and truly stunning clothing and bags made by one fabulously stylish lady. Google Snapdragon and you'll find her amazing stuff.

For the story on entrepreneurial spirit, one need look no further than Karen over at Tail Wags Helmet Covers. A former costume designer and teacher, her handmade helmet covers are beyond adorable, and her hard work and dedication towards her product deserve a real congratulatory nod. I believe the link to Tail-Wags is on the blog part of my blog, so check it out.

A company I had occasion to meet over at the Today's Parent Show that I fell in love with (and S is still wearing their shirt night and day" is called Booda Belly. Really beautiful organic and bamboo clothing. The stuff washes and wears like a dream. Also in the startup phase, watch them for great things to come.

If you haven't heard of Name Your Tune yet, you will and soon. These are cd's personalized to your child's name with the old favorites we all grew up with. My kids each have one, and they adore hearing their names on the songs and feeling special. Google Name Your Tune. Amazing as gifts, get your hands on one for your little tot.

I think it's important we all support each other in this game. Sincerely. Without each other, there are no contacts, no advice, and no pushing each other on to bigger and better. I'm not saying to hype your direct competition, but if someone is doing something fabulous in the same market segment as you, connect with them and see how you can better work together. Even if it's sharing a booth at a trade show, or linking each other to your websites, there are many ways to do business together. Lecture over.

Smicko Lady
www.smickoz.com

Monday, May 19, 2008

Onwards Soldiers

Those of you wondering, will I jump into another trade show with both feet after the great plague that ripped through my house after the first one, here's your answer - doing it. May 30, an excellent opportunity for me called The Children's Trunk Show. All very cool vendors, all juvenile oriented, mostly the mompreneur group, and no "attraction" which is something I am getting very wary of.
What's the "ATTRACTION"?
Here it is: A show goes out and hires a couple of actors to wear massive suits of Diego and Dora, and every 60 minutes, a show starts, which you know because you can hear it over a massive loudspeaker, and all 15000 entrants to the trade show RUN past your booth to get there. And rightfully so. They PAID 15-20 bucks a head to get in the door. They expect to be entertained. And justifiably, I'd be offended to be asked to pay 20 bucks to go shopping.
But the Children's Trunk Show has one attraction - Shopping! They ask for a donation at the door that goes to Sick Kids Charities. And that's peachy with me given how much I feel indebted to both Sick Kids and Mt. Sinai Hospitals.
I am getting a little wary of the synagogue and school 'boutique' nights given their low turnouts and the amount of schlepp it takes me to get there, hire a sitter, set up, and sit there all night, whilst doling out the obligatory door prize from my inventory without a tax receipt to show for it, all the while paying Moneris for the rental of my wireless mc/visa/debit machine.
So for the forseeable future, I will shell out and get into established shows.
I am looking at a few right now - Trunk Show Spring and Fall, Babytime Show Fall, Seasons Christmas November.
If anyone knows any established crafty one day shows between now and next year please let me know. You can email me at info@smickoz.com or feel free to leave the comment here.
OH
One more note - if there's a Smicko pattern that you LURVE and have been thinking of getting, do it sooner than later, I am committed to changing it up by season, and will have a constantly evolving line of product. I look forward to the next batch, and am seriously THRILLED with the new fabrics coming in. They too are limited runs - very limited as summer is a small season. Fall will be much bigger.
You can check out the last line at www.smickoz.com and choose an online retailer if you can't get here.
Cheers,
Smicko Lady

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Change is a Necessary Evil

Dear Readers
Today we discuss one of my least favorite subjects. Namely, change.
But you say, change can be a good thing, metamorphosis. True. But change in manufacturing generally means a few things. Most of them bad.
Some don't apply. Some do.
1. A supplier has discontinued something. You searched high and low for months on end. You haggled, you begged, you finally found IT!!!! And you'd have bet a lifetime of Cheetos that it would be available to you at the ready for the rest of your natural life. It suddently isn't. And the replacement offered is Gawd-Awful.
2. Ok, really, this is the only change I want to discuss today. And here's why - learn at my mistakes!!!!! HAVE A BACKUP!!! Even if it's one you are entirely less passionate about, in a pinch it will do, and you'll have time to research again.

As it stands, no one but me will feel this for a very long time, which is a very good thing. And by the time someone else feels it, I'll have found the solution. Also a good thing. But I will know and go to sleep knowing that I comitted the classic rookie error. The manufacturing equivalent of not backing up your work on to hard copy. Hand slapped, suitably contrite for one night.

Monday, May 5, 2008

More Humming and Tapping.

Every forget something important? REALLY important? yeah, met too.
Something like huge meeting with massive distributor between the fog of your pneuomonia and the hand surgery of your 3 year old, you just, kind of put in on the back burner for now. But you'll get there, terribly worried that you've lost the business because of a lack of diligence.
Sigh. Today for one day, I get to play the pity me game, as I let some huge things come and go while left was running at me at break neck speed.
So now I must plan the attack back. And I'll get there, will just take more time and focus than the first meetings that I was able to arrange without all the much pain.

Moreover, the summer months are looking strange for trade shows, have the fall ones lined up for now. But the summer may be a lot more phone ringing/door knocking type work, which I don't mind - it's the adrenaline rush of the initial overture - almost like fixing your daughter up on a blind date, here take this product you'll love it!

And coming soon - more lessons learned in the great land of retail. They let me out and they know I will be spilling more secrets really really soon.

Anyone mind a brand new mantra?
Buy local, buy handcraft, buy artisan, buy Canada.
Smicko Lay

Sunday, May 4, 2008

The Linden Fund

Please take a moment to click on the Linden Fund on the right part of the screen. Lauren over at the Linden Fund works tirelessly to provide care for Ontario families facing the struggles of extreme prematurity. The Linden Fund has their own walk and bike ride, called pedals for preemies, and if you can, please take a moment to sponsor the team.
I am honoured to be associated with Lauren and with Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where my 27 weeker received the best of care, and her parents emotions were care for by the amazing teams in place. No family should have to struggle isolated through this time.
Thanks for reading - will get back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

I also urge you to look into the Sasha Bella fund over at Sick Kids Hospital, a fund that is challening Sick Kids to devote themselves more to "family centered care' as well all know that when severe illness befalls a child, the whole family is affected.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Are You Listening?

Are you really listening to what your customers are telling you?
Now that you've established a base of retailers (if you've come that far), you will know already what I'm about to tell you. Your customers have requests, some of them special requests, some of them possible criticisms or enhancements of your product. On the spot, and in the moment, you tell that customer, you are happy to receive the input, and thank you. But inside... the internal debate wells up.
Because I always seem to be so honest in this blog, I will reveal here the special requests/criticisms/product enhancements/product extensions that are suggested to me.

1. Matching oven mitts to go with the Smicko. The first time I got this request, I thought it would be a rather unique one. Turns out it's not. I will take a pass on this one, because honestly, I think it opens up a massive liability issue - do I really want to produce oven mitts for toddlers? I grant that the general population will not be putting their toddlers hands inside an oven, but heaven help me if just one person ever does. This gets filed under cute, but not doable.

2. Larger sizes for siblings. Under consideration, and likely to happen, though in much smaller runs.

3. Plasticized. Oh I debated this one up and down. Plastic or not? And if not, then why? Well, here's the secret - tots don't want to wear plastic 3x a day after a certain age. It's hot, it's uncomfortable, and if you've ever cared for one of these plastic numbers, it becomes quite grubby looking after many scrubs. Smicko'z go in the wash and dryer - and I think I like it this way.

4. Full sleeved. Again, difficult to convince a toddler to do. I am however prototyping a cap sleeved version, one that will still not nick at the neck. But again, prototype phase, and market possibly limited.

5. More butch male prints. I tried, I honestly scoured fabric designers for fabulous boy prints. And let's be honest with each other - in the tot market, boys just get the shaft. I found the best prints that I could, and I adore them, but those who have commented are certainly correct, there are but 3 obvious male prints compared to 10 girl prints, and 2 gender neutral. And it's a pity, believe me. I am still focussed on bringing more delightful male prints to market. And this will happen, promise.

Then - are you listening to your retailers? When they tell you one of the group doesn't do as well as the others, are you attentive? Because when they share with you that one is not doing well compared to the other 6 selling like gangbusters, they are asking you to DO something. It's up to you what to do. Likely they will slash the price and sell them off, but will not buy that particular one from you again. But will you grant them consideration on their next order? And if so, what can you actually afford to do? Like most manufacturers, your margin is likely slim. But I suggest to you that you find some way to keep the retailer happy - by any means, even if it means eating into some margin on one order. And as always, remember to SERVICE your retailers (those you deal with directly, your distributor/sales rep must handle the accounts that they service).

Finally, a note to Smicko'z World Readers - you are out there, I know, and reading this - which honestly boggles my mind sometimes. I am humbled that you come back, you email, follow along, encourage and support. The power of a blog, or this blog in particular is the ability to reach out and 'talk' as it were, with people you wouldn't ordinarily have the opportunity to meet. To those of you who have gone so far as to link this blog to yours, thanks many times over.

Smicko Lady.