Sasha Gupta of Cheeky Zebra, designs and sells fun and cheeky greeting cards for real life.

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Sasha Gupta of Cheeky Zebra. Sasha designs and sells fun and cheeky greeting cards for real life. It was such a fun conversation. Sasha shares why she quit law to start selling cards, how she creates them, despite having very little design experience, and her varied experiences of wholesaling her cards.  I absolutely love how open Sasha is. She also talks a lot about her family and the role that they play in her business.

Listen in to hear Sasha share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:07)
• Why she quit a job in law (01:38)
• How she taught herself to create cards despite having very little design experience (03:38)
• How she prints her cards (5:25)
• What the key things were which helped Cheeky Zebra to grow to be so successful (9:30)
• How Pinterest has worked for her (11:18)
• Her success on social media (14:30)
• How her family, and grandparents are involved in the business (15:08)
• How she comes up with ideas for her cards (18:13)
• Keeping track of a range of a thousand plus products (19:26)
• Her experiences with wholesale (21:51)
• The importance of tunnel vision and keeping going when you start out (36:17)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (38:45)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Cheeky Zebra Website

Cheeky Zebra Instagram

Cheeky Zebra Pinterest

Cheeky Zebra Facebook

Small Business Collaborative Website

Bring Your Product Ideas To Life Podcast Episode - Wholesale For Small Businesses

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Cara Sayer is the inventor and entrepreneur behind SnoozeShade, a bestselling range of baby sun and sleep shades, and shares her story from starting out in 2008, through starting to sell on Amazon in 2014 to where the business is now.

EPISODE NOTES

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Cara Sayer, an inventor, and entrepreneur, who launched her first SnoozeShade product in 2008. Cara now sells her product worldwide. Starting to sell her products on Amazon in 2014 was a turning point for her business. Cara is really candid and honest about her experiences, sharing everything from marketing at the Oscars to dealing with negativity on social media. It is a really inspiring conversation, and offers something to everyone, wherever you are in your product business journey.

Listen in to hear Cara share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:06)
• How she started out (01:25)
• Securing her first trade orders (06:11)
• Funding her initial product order for 10,000 pieces (11:29)
• How to have a successful trade show (14:04)
• The importance of having a product that meets a need and works (17:04)
• Why she decided to start selling on Amazon (22:11)
• The importance of also having your own website (30:34)
• Providing a first-class customer experience and managing any faulty items (32:39)
• Dealing with unsubstantiated social media claims  (37:30)
• What she would do differently if she was starting out now (45:54)
• The importance of safety testing for a baby product (49:33)
• The advantages of using Amazon over other retailers & distributors (46:27)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (56:42)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

SnoozeShade Website

SnoozeShade Instagram

SnoozeShade Facebook

SnoozeShade Twitter

Cara Sayer LinkedIn

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Louise Almond is the founder of Amelia Anne Ltd, a brand designing fashionable, discreet and comfortable breastfeeding wear so that you can feed with confidence in any situation.

Amelia Anne is currently in pre-launch, with Louise planning to release her first collection of 3 items in 2022. 

EPISODE NOTES

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Louise Almond, who is in the prelaunch stage of launching her brand Amelia Anne, fashionable, discreet, and comfortable breastfeeding wear so that you can feed with confidence in any situation.

Louise is a mother of two and a full-time teacher of Design and Technology who previously worked in the fashion industry. Louise developed her innovative products from a need she had herself, to be able to breastfeed in public and not bear more than she wanted, keep her tummy and back warm in winter, and not cover up her child while she fed.

I thought it would be really interesting to talk to someone at the beginning of their journey, to learn about the design process, the research that has gone into developing her clothes, and the challenges Louise has faced along the way. Louise is really honest about the fact it has taken a long time to get to the point of pre-launch, and I think you’re really going to enjoy this conversation.

Listen in to hear Louise share:

• An introduction to herself and her new business (01:52)
• Dealing with worries about what competitors are doing (10:44)
• Researching her product and getting feedback (13:50)
• Her launch timeline (14:43)
• The steps from having the idea to getting garments made and ready to sell (18:30)
• How the garments are made (25:29)
• Adapting to different body shapes and sizes (29:55)
• The remaining tasks on the to-do list before launch (33:06)
• Building up pre-awareness (34:23)
• Unexpected challenges of setting up your own products business  (37:11)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (42:03)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Amelia Anne Instagram

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Puvan Briah is the founder of Sabhalo, the Mental Maintenance Store. Puvan is on a mission to help other empaths, people pleasers, and perfectionists to stop burning out through her self care boxes and her podcast “The Burnout Brigade.” 

EPISODE NOTES

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Puvan Briah about how and why she pivoted her product business. Her story is fascinating. Puvan talks about how she launched her initial product business MDT London, the wins and challenges she faced, what changed for her, and why she decided to pivot and start something new - Sabhalo. We talk about burnout and the pressures of being a product-based business owner. There is so much here to inspire you, and help you on your journey with your own product-based business.

Listen in to hear Puvan share:

• An introduction to herself and her new business (00:51)
• An introduction to her previous business (01:40)
• The impact of Covid and Brexit on her business (02:30)
• The inspiration behind her original business (05:59)
• Dealing with burnout (07:49)
• Communicating her pivot to her online audience (11:12)
• How stepping back allowed her to understand what she wanted to do next (13:58)
• Starting up her new business (15:33)
• Managing a pivot on social media (18:48)
• Things she has learnt whilst pivoting her business (26:04)
• The learnings she has been able to carry forward into her new business (31:36)
• Things that she would do differently (34:34)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators thinking of making a change or pivot in their business (38:37)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Sabhalo Website

Sabhalo Instagram

MDT London Instagram

You can either listen to Puvan’s podcast The Burnout Brigade here on her website:

https://www.sabhalo.com/blogs/the-burnout-brigade-podcast

or you can listen to it here with all of the links for different podcast platforms to subscribe:

https://anchor.fm/puvan-briah

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Christmas is coming! Catherine Erdly is the founder of the Resilient Retail Club, and helps product businesses start, grow and scale profitable businesses that last. In this podcast, Catherine shares her top tips for how you can prepare to sell your products this Christmas.

EPISODE NOTES

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Catherine Erdly, founder of the Resilient Retail Club. Catherine worked in the retail sector for two decades, working with household names such as Coast, Laura Ashley, and Paperchase. She now helps product businesses start, grow and scale profitable businesses that last through her group membership and 1-2-1 consulting.

With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to find out the best things that you can do as a product-based business in the run-up to Christmas to help yourself and boost sales. 

Catherine gives a brilliant breakdown of how to start planning for the Christmas season, things you can do now to make the busy season run more smoothly, jobs that should be left until after Christmas, and how to successfully review and learn from your Christmas performance in January.

It is an episode packed full of specific, actionable steps, and is going to help so many of you have a less stressful Christmas season! 

Listen in to hear Catherine share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:20)
• When to start planning for Christmas  (01:56)
• Long-term Christmas planning (04:06)
• When to start talking about Christmas to your customers (09:20)
• Things you can do now to start prepping for Christmas (13:05)
• Jobs that you should leave now until after Christmas! (19:11)
• How to make the most of Christmas if your product isn’t a traditional gift (22:54)
• The particular opportunities you have this Christmas (27:28)
• Tasks you should be doing after Christmas (29:28)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators this Christmas (33:14)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

The Resilient Retail Club Website

Resilient Retail Club Twitter

Resilient Retail Club Facebook

Resilient Retail Club Instagram

Catherine Erdly LinkedIn

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Janet Murray is one of the UK's leading content marketing experts and creator of the Courageous Content Planner - an A4 desk planner packed with content ideas/prompts, planning templates, and checklists. Janet joins me on the podcast today to share the process of creating and selling a planner, and her tips for creating your own fantastic content.

EPISODE NOTES

**Please remember to rate and review the podcast - it really helps others to find it.**

Today on the podcast I'm talking to Janet Murray, one of the UK's leading content marketing experts.

Janet's the creator of the Courageous Content Planner - an A4 desk planner packed with content ideas/prompts, planning templates, and checklists, the founder of Courageous Content Live - a virtual content planning event for coaches, creatives, and entrepreneurs, taking place this November. Plus Janet is the host of the Courageous Content podcast and a regular keynote speaker. 

Janet also has ADHD (Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder) and is (in her own words) ‘one of the most disorganised people on the planet’. Making her one of the unlikeliest people in the world to launch a desk planner. 

In this episode, we discuss what inspired Janet to create a planner, the community that she has built around her product, and how this community has influenced the way her offerings have evolved. Janet talks through the process and practical details of putting together a planner from choosing your binding to finding a printer.

Plus I couldn’t pass over the opportunity to ask a renowned content marketing expert for her top tips on how to create fantastic content. Janet talks through her key pillars for building content, with a particular focus on product-based businesses.

Listen in to hear Janet share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:10)
• The inspiration behind creating her own planner  (02:15)
• The process of creating a planner (07:20)
• How to find your printer, and why asking Janet for her printer’s details isn’t a good idea (17:36)
• Building a community around your products (23:40)
• The evolution of the Courageous Content Planner, and introduction of live events (26:33)
• Planning your content marketing for a product-based business (33:10)
• The types of content you should be creating for your business (38:20)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators for creating really engaging content (44:00)
• An exclusive discount code on Janet’s products for all listeners (46:04)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Janet is giving a 10% discount on her products at www.JanetMurray.co.uk to Bring Your Product Ideas To Life podcast listeners. Just use the code Vicki at checkout.

Janet Murray Website

Janet Murray Instagram

Janet Murray Facebook

Janet Murray TikTok

Janet Murray Twitter

Janet Murray Linkedin

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Anna Heneback is an E-commerce Consultant working with SMEs to sell more online, with 15 years of industry experience from Net-a-Porter and H&M who shares her top tips and strategies for getting the best performance from your E-Commerce store.

EPISODE NOTES

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Anna Heneback, an e-commerce consultant about how to set up and boost your e-commerce store.

We cover everything from which platforms to use, what to consider, the functionalities you need to include, and how to improve your online sales performance. It includes a fantastic tip, about how to keep your site updated and relevant. It is so simple and something I would never have even considered doing!

Listen in to hear Anna share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:17)
• The best platforms to build your e-commerce store (01:40)
• Why Shopify is often underrated by Web Designers (03:08)
• The features you need on an e-commerce store as a pose to a website (07:01)
• Some great extras to consider including on your e-commerce store (11:04)
• The best ways to present your products (including THAT tip!) (17:50)
• How to improve your conversion rate (27:38)
• Common problems and how to avoid them (36:36)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators (40:19)
• Ways that you can work with Anna (44:26)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Anna’s Website

Anna Heneback on Instagram

Anna Heneback on LinkedIn

LET’S CONNECT

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Emma Peries of Digital Mother helps mums in business learn how to succeed on socials through training. Today she shares her knowledge to explain how you can sell your products by harnessing the power of social media.

EPISODE NOTES

**Please remember to rate and review the podcast - it really helps others to find it.**

Today I’m talking to Emma Peries of Digital Mother, an experienced Social Media Trainer.

Emma shares so much of her knowledge, this episode is packed full of practical information from how to decide which platform to be on, the etiquette of using your customers content, how to get smart with your planning and photo shoots, plus a step by step beginners guide to making Reels. I’ll be honest, I don’t love doing my social media, but Emma got me inspired again!

Listen in to hear Emma share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (1:11)
• The advantages of being on social media (1:54)
• How you can communicate directly with your customers (4:50)
• Which channels you should focus on (5:53)
• How often you should be posting (12:17)
• How to generate user-made content (16:33)
• Getting smart with your content creation (20:20)
• Making time for your social media planning (23:39)
• How much you should share about yourself in addition to showcasing your products (26:31)
• A beginner’s guide to Reels (29:35)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (38:31)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Digital Mother Website

Digital Mother on Instagram

Emma Peries on LinkedIn

LET’S CONNECT

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Listen in to hear Prithi Brinkley, of Prithi Brinkley Art, share the process of how lockdown encouraged her to develop her photography business and start selling her work as accessible, limited edition fine art prints.

EPISODE NOTES:

Prithi is a London-based photographer who creates accessible fine art limited edition digital prints in a variety of sizes and finishes.

Prithi started off in photography services. We talked about how the start of lockdown in March 2020, prompted her to rethink what she was offering. Prithi then shares the process of taking some of her favourite prints and turning them into art that's ready for others to buy and hang up on their walls.

It’s a fascinating episode, and as someone who didn’t know much about the world of art, I really enjoyed chatting with and learning from Prithi.

Listen in to hear:

• An introduction to Prithi and her business (1:48)
• How Prithi started out as a photographer (2:31)
• How lockdown influenced Prithi to start selling her work as fine art  (5:37)
• The importance of finding the right producer (9:45)
• How to provide the best possible service when selling artwork  (11:00)
• Different forums for selling art (14:48)
• How Prithi has marketed and promoted her artwork (17:12)
• Combining selling services with selling products (21:18)
• Prithi’s top tips for taking your own product photos (24:31)
• Prithi’s top advice for aspiring product creators (27:17)

USEFUL RESOURCES

Prithi Brinkley Art Website

Prithi Brinkley Art Facebook

Prithi Brinkley Art Instagram

Perdomo Gallery Website

LET’S CONNECT

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Cara is a branding specialist with 13 years of experience who has created over 60 brands for entrepreneurs and small businesses and helped hundreds more via branding workshops. Having worked with both national brands and early-stage start-ups, she says she firmly believes that every small business can use the same techniques as household names to establish themselves.

EPISODE NOTES

Today I’m talking to Cara Bendon, a branding specialist, who's passionate about empowering small businesses to leverage the same branding strategies as household names to establish themselves.

We discussed what branding is, why you need it and what the benefits of good branding are. We discuss the pros and cons of Canva, why using a graphic designer doesn’t have to be really expensive, and the intricacies of colour psychology and naming your business. Cara is incredibly knowledgeable, and this is a must-listen if you are at the start of your product-based business journey.

Listen in to hear Cara share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:27)
• An explanation of what branding is (02:17)
• Why your brand is important (06:25)
• How the right branding can elevate your product and it’s price (15:53)
• When to start thinking about branding when you are creating a product (23:26)
• Why branding doesn’t need to be expensive, and the benefits of investing (25:50)
• The bare minimum of things you need for your brand when you start out (30:04)
• Why you shouldn’t always just choose your favourite colour (36:50)
• The differences between branding for products and services (41:13)
• How to make your brand and product more visible on Amazon (48:01)
• How to get the best out of Canva (56:53)
• The resources that Cara has created to help you in the early stages of branding (1:02:22)
• Her number one piece of advice about branding for product creators (1:04:54)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Cara is giving a 20% discount on all services at www.brandingmadesimple.co.uk to Bring Your Product Ideas To Life podcast listeners. Just use the code VICKI2020 at checkout.

Cara Bendon Website 

Branding Made Simple Website - for templates and resources

Cara Bendon Instagram

Cara Bendon LinkedIn

Podcast Episode: Building A Website For Your Product Based Business

Canva

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