Today I'm talking to Dalia Hawley from Dalia Botanique. Dalia sells her own botanical beauty products, so she formulates all of her and makes all of her products herself. Dalia’s products are aimed for people who like spending a lot of time outdoors who love gardening and want a minimal skin care routine that's still going to really look after their skin, but not at a really high price.

We had a really great conversation about botanicals and what they are. We talked a lot about the compliance side of creating beauty products, testing and everything that goes into making sure that your products are safe. Dalia also gave some really useful advice for consumers as well. So, if you are purchasing your own beauty products, particularly if they're handmade, what to look out for to know that they will be safe for you. 

Listen in to hear Dalia share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:27)
• What inspired her to create her own skincare range (01:53)
• What botanicals are (04:13)
• Why she can’t just use flowers grown in her garden (06:43)
• Learning how to formulate her products (09:01)
• Testing her products herself (11:28)
• Getting her products professionally assessed (13:29)
• What to look for as a consumer to check that the products have been professionally assessed (15:51)
• Working with Trading Standards (18:18)
• Not making false medical claims (19:31)
• Amazon requirements for selling cosmetics (20:30)
• Whether a product is actually organic (21:10)
• The costs involved in getting your products certified (21:42)
• How she gets her ingredients and sourcing from UK suppliers (25:42)
• Finding her suppliers (27:28)
• Industry support and the skincare community (29:03)
• Trademarking your brand and formulas (30:35)
• Starting to sell her products (34:27)
• The insurance that she needs (38:02)
• Her sales strategy for Christmas (39:00)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (42:57)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Dalia Botanique Website

Dalia Botanique Instagram

Formula Botanica

Humblebee and Me

Soap School Facebook Group

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Today I'm speaking with Claire Grant from OriOrso. OriOrso is a colorful unisex baby brand created to make parents lives easier for clever design without compromising on style.

The hero product is the jogger socks, so printed jogging bottoms with non-slip socks attached into the hem to keep socks on all day long. And any of you who have babies or have had babies will know how difficult that can be. So I had a really fascinating conversation with Claire about creating a fashion brand from scratch. I found it really interesting hearing about the steps involved in creating a fashion product, which is quite different from other products in that there were so many unknowns when you get started in terms of fabric, sizing, washing instructions etc.

And Claire talked us through all of that in lots of details. So if you are looking to start a fashion brand, I think this is a must listen episode. Claire also shares some great tips about how she has marketed her brand, and her experiences working with Not On The High Street

Listen in to hear Claire share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:38)
• What inspired her to create her own product (02:12)
• How she decided what to create as her first product (03:57)
• Researching the market and seeing what else was available (06:13)
• Testing her idea with friends, family and in Facebook groups (10:10)
• Learning how to create her product including tech packs and garment technologists (12:09)
• Designing her fabric prints (14:36)
• Making her designs print ready (16:01)
• Learning about the safety requirements for baby clothes (17:56)
• Looking for a manufacturer (19:43)
• Pivoting to work with a seamstress, and the advantages (24:14)
• Starting with a small production run (29:59)
• Scaling later on to use a manufacturer (32:48)
• Launching her product and selling on Shopify (36:17)
• Marketing, what has worked for her and what hasn’t (37:04)
• Considering PR (45:45)
• The next stage, getting stocked in stores and selling wholesale (48:15)
• Selling at pop ups (49:56)
• Her experience with Not On The High Street, and the support that is now available (52:27)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (59:22)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

OriOrso Website

OriOrso Facebook

OriOrso Instagram

OriOrso Pinterest

OriOrso TikTok

Fashion Feed Facebook Group

Not On The High Street

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Today I want to go back to the beginning and talk about how to come up with product ideas that will sell. This is one of the first episodes I recorded, and most listened to, and I thought now was a good time to rerecord and update it.

Here are my top 3 suggestions for how to come up with product ideas that will sell. 

Listen in to hear me share:

• An introduction to the topic (00:21)
• A problem that your product can solve (02:32)
• Improving on a product (06:50)
• Is there something you need that isn’t available (10:35)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Accompanying Blog Post

3 ways to create product ideas that will sell

The Original Episode

5 simple ways to come up with product ideas

Episode 112 

Creating a food business and getting stocked in major supermarkets - with Marieke Syed - Snackzilla

Episode 130

Getting ready to launch your first product- with Laura Gillett - Stomperz Shoes

Episode 57

How to develop an original product – with Joe Shortt - Tripclip

Episode 125

Selling sustainable partyware - with Ciara Westhead - Pico

Episode 87

Getting ready to launch your first product - with Louise Almond - Amelia Anne

Episode 65

Starting a business during maternity leave – with Liz Rawlinson - gus + beau

Episode 4

How Silke created her resilience cards (and a new revenue stream)

Episode 71

Creating sustainable products with Nancy Powell, HERD Bags

Episode 88

Why your product needs to be on Amazon - with Cara Sayer, Snooze Shade

Blog Post

How to carry out your own customer and market research

Free Resources, including How to successfully launch a product on Amazon or rescue one that’s not selling

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This episode is all about trade shows: which ones to exhibit at, how to put a stand together, what you need to take, what you should be prepping, and how to make the most of the opportunities there.

Who better to have on the podcast to talk us through all things trade shows than Therese Ørtenblad?

Therese is the founder of Small Business Collaborative, and works with product-based business founders who sell to retail stores. She shows them how to price their products for profit, teaches them how to sell in a way that doesn’t feel icky and shows them how to build a strategy with limited time so they can grow their sales and profits through wholesale without feeling alone and overwhelmed.

Therese had to learn how to sell as an introvert and has 14 years of experience heading up sales teams in the home and gift industry. She sits on the National Committee for The Giftware Association, and she’s the host of Let’s Talk Shop, a seasonal business podcast sharing stories and business advice. 

I asked you what you wanted to know about trade shows, and Therese had answered all your questions and then some. Whether you are just starting out or an experienced seller there will be something useful for you in this podcast.

Listen in to hear Therese share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:29)
• What a trade show actually is (03:12)
• The benefits of selling at a trade show (04:29)
• When is the right time in your business to exhibit at a trade show (05:46)
• Useful things to have on your stand, from knowing your prices to having a catalogue (07:51)
• How to make yourself memorable to buyers (10:46)
• How to choose which trade show to attend (12:16)
• How much to budget for attending a show and fitting out your stand (19:04)
• The logistics of setting up your stand (20:47)
• Top tips for displaying your product (24:57)
• The most important thing people forget to do - get confident with selling (28:20)
• Should you include your prices on the stand? (31:27)
• Is it good to take another person or a friend with you to a trade show? (33:06)
• Legal and insurance legislation to be aware of (34:49)
• His number one piece of advice for anyone considering exhibiting at a trade show (36:50)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Small Business Collaborative Website

Small Business Collaborative Instagram

Podcast Let's Talk Shop

Small Business Collaborative Twitter

Small Business Collaborative Facebook

Lets Talk Wholesale Facebook Group

Small Business Collaborative Tik Tok

Therese Ørtenblad Linked In

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My guest on the podcast this week is Demi Pendakis. Demi created his business Find Your Glow (FYG) in 2020 through the covid pandemic, an affordable luxury, sustainable home fragrance brand producing scented candles, diffusers, washes & lotions. In the 2 years they’ve been trading they have won the prestigious 2022 Home Fragrance Gift of the Year Award for their Memories Collection.

I met Demi at the Top Drawer trade show, and immediately wanted to have him as a guest on the podcast as he had so much to share. Demi has been through a complete career change, and it was fascinating talking to him about how winning a prize has helped his business, how he has built his brand and the importance of trade shows. Demi does a lot of sales directly to shows and has lots of great advice to share about being comfortable selling, having conversations and running stalls at Trade Shows.

Listen in to hear Demi share:

• An introduction to himself and his business (01:53)
• How he entered and won an award (02:15)
• What winning an award has changed for his business (03:03)
• His corporate background in the fashion industry (04:19)
• The inspiration for setting up Find Your Glow (05:52)
• Using Lockdown to teach himself new skills (10:39)
• Designing his range (13:36)
• Researching prices (16:06)
• Focusing on selling B2B (17:24)
• How Trade Shows have worked for FYG (18:55)
• His top tips for Trade Shows (26:22)
• Being comfortable selling your product (27:36)
• Tips to prepare for Christmas (33:53)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (36:55)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Find Your Glow Website

Find Your Glow Instagram

The Giftware Association

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Today on the podcast I'm speaking with Elizabeth Rees, the founder of Eliza Eliza. 

Eliza Eliza is a bag and accessories brand based in Cardiff, Wales, aiming to empower you to start conversations about the causes you care about. The hashtag Elizabeth uses for her business is Carry Your Cause. 

We spoke about the causes that Elizabeth supports through her business, how she does that, how she's formed partnerships, as well as all the details about how she designs and creates her products. We also talked about the merits of selling on Etsy Vs on your own website, and how Elizabeth is driving people to her website for sales.

There is lots to inspire you, and some great thoughtful advice to take away and use in your own business.

Listen in to hear Elizabeth share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:15)
• How she started making bags (01:43)
• Why she decided to turn making bags into a business (03:39)
• Why she uses hemp to make her bags, and its sustainable properties (07:44)
• How she started selling on Etsy (16:36)
• Her first collaboration with a charity (17:09)
• The V Collection and working with more charities (19:46)
• How she found fabric designers (23:00)
• How Gillian Anderson & Emily Clarkson came to share the bags (27:23)
• Moving from Etsy to her own website (28:49)
• How she attracts people to her website (31:35)
• What has worked and hasn’t worked on social media (34:46)
• Using an accountability partner (38:00)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (40:30)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Eliza Eliza Website

Eliza Eliza Twitter

Eliza Eliza Instagram

Eliza Eliza Facebook 

Spoonflower

Podcast: Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Female Entrepreneur Association

Charities Mentioned

Unseen

The Eve Appeal

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Have you ever wondered what a trade show is like? This week I am sharing my experiences at the Top Drawer Trade Show, one of the premier retail trade shows in the UK, a 3 day event at Olympia in London.

I share what the experience was like as a visitor, which booths stood out to me and why, and why you might consider attending a trade show yourself. 

Listen in to hear me share:

• An introduction to Top Drawer Trade Show, and what it is (00:39)
• Spotting trends (02:45)
• The talks that were on (03:34)
• What it is like attending as a visitor (04:23)
• Seasonal differences between trade shows (05:02)
• Choosing your spot (06:53)
• The range of booths available (10:16)
• Which booths stood out to me and why (11:41)
• The challenge of finding a price for products (12:32)
• Why you might benefit from attending a trade show (14:10)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Top Drawer

House of Two Trees

The Positive Planner

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Today on the podcast I'm speaking to Laura Gillett. Laura is the founder of Stomperz, a children's shoe brand specialising in wide fitting shoes in fun, affordable styles, which have just launched. 

Laura and I talked about what it takes to come up with an idea, and then implement an idea for a product. The focus is on the early stages of starting up a business, and how Laura managed this alongside her full-time job and young family.

Listen in to hear Laura share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:07)
• What inspired her to create her own product (01:30)
• Researching how to to create her own shoes (02:46)
• Finding a shoe designer (05:59)
• Finding a manufacturer (07:24)
• The time frame involved (08:30)
• The launch range (09:47)
• Testing the prototypes (13:19)
• Working with the manufacturer in China (16:50)
• Building her website (21:56)
• Getting insurance (24:21)
• Her launch plans (25:48)
• Being realistic about her time when also working full time (29:28)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (30:12)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Stomperz Shoes Website

Stomperz Shoes Instagram

Stomperz Shoes Facebook

Stomperz Shoes Linked In

Stomperz Shoes Twitter

Fiver

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Today’s podcast is one I have today's episode is one I've been wanting to record for a while, because today we are talking about TikTok and specifically how to sell your products on TikTok. So I've been looking around for a while for an expert that could talk to us about this.

Enter Anna Frapwell.  Anna is the founder of Neon Digital Clicks a digital agency supporting e-commerce baby, kids and family brands to increase sales through a range of online marketing tactics. She has over 20 years experience in marketing and PR working for some pretty big agencies and retail brands... we're talking Revlon, Bravissimo, Baylis & Harding, Britax and global ads agency McCann Eriskson. The Neon team is passionate about helping clients to create a thriving ecosystem through paid social, Google and email marketing where their brands can grow and flourish! 

We talk about why you might want to sell your products on TikTok, and how to go about it. It is a really eye-opening conversation, and a great way to explore a potential new marketing and sales avenue for your products business.

Listen in to hear Anna share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:40)
• An introduction to TikTok (02:36)
• The different lengths of video you can use (04:55)
• How to shop on TikTok (06:50)
• The sort of content to produce (07:56)
• The TikTok demographic (11:04)
• Whether people come on TikTok to buy (they do!)(12:57)
• Reasons to give TikTok a try (15:07)
• Getting started on TikTok (18:34)
• Content ideas for Product Based Business TikTok videos (22:41)
• How engagement works on TikTok (25:08)
• TikTok ads (27:19)
• Her number one piece of advice for people getting started on TikTok (34:27)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Neon Digital Clicks Website

Neon Digital Clicks TikTok

Neon Digital Clicks Facebook

Neon Digital Clicks Instagram

Neon Digital Clicks Twitter

Anna Frapwell LinkedIn

UK Influencer Opportunities Facebook Group

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In this bonus episode I share a bit about my group product creation programme, which opens for registration today. 

Listen in to me share:

• What my group product creation programme is (00:35)
• Who it is for (03:09)
• Talking through some of your concerns and queries (06:05)
• How you can contact me to find out more (10:54)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Find out more about the course

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