Proof to Product

Hey friends! Has the thought of expanding into new product categories crossed your mind lately? You aren't alone! In fact, today I had on a Paper Camp alumni for a live coaching session where we chat ALL about her hopes to expand into new product categories. It can be pretty scary to try to logistically plan for expansion but I think today's episode will be really helpful for all of you who are looking to bring on more products to serve your people.

What are the first steps to this process? For today's guest, Tomi Hill of Little Happy Things, we broke down the steps she needs to take to make this happen and since it was a coaching episode, I gave her my advice and some homework so she could start taking action right away! I challenged her to start thinking and dreaming big about the new product category she'd want to layer in and to start setting some goals around that.

We broke through some of the barriers that have been holding her back and had a frank discussion about diving deeper into the people you really want to serve. At the end of the day, it's about recognizing WHO your customer is at the core - what kind of solutions are you providing for them? What problems do they have that your products solve? What stores do they shop at? We also touch on digging into the financials (because knowing your numbers is key to success) and looking through your numbers from both a retail and wholesale lense.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Why Tomi got into her business, Little Happy Things
• Transitioning away from wooden dolls into enamel pins, stickers and other gift items
• Making the leap from an Etsy shop to a wholesale model
• Making all of your products cohesive with one another
• Determining which products sell the best (and honing in on those)
• Looking at your products from a financial and passion perspective
• Layering in one new product category at a time to figure out the manufacturing process, fulfillment and the numbers (and of course, profits!)
• Getting to know your audience personally and finding out what they want and need
• Dialing it back to the basics, no matter how new or seasoned your business is

For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp148

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ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Have you ever considered how building a strong brand can make you stand out and ultimately help your business stand the test of time? Today's guest is Paper Camp alumni Rebecca Townsend. Rebecca is the owner and creative director of Seaside Designs. She literally built her whole business around her love for the beach and sea. Pretty fascinating, right?

The business didn't always come easy and she's had to overcome many ups and downs through her entrepreneurial journey. She rode the rocky tides of being a business owner and now she's riding the waves of success. In this episode, she shares her story of navigating a huge rough patch that made her shut down her business and the story of her resurrecting it and bringing it back to life.

We talk about her experience of overcoming burnout and figuring out a way to work smarter, not harder. She shares her research and development process for products and how she balances the financial risks of expansion (you might be surprised to hear how she does it). Rebecca gives her advice for other business owners who want to expand into new product categories and shares what's next for Seaside Designs including why she's decided to focus on sustainable packaging.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Why Rebecca has kept her brand identity the same throughout the years in her business
• How she's built her brand based on her vision
• The evolution of her product mix
• How she got into wholesale after being discovered by local retailers at craft shows
• Going through a rough patch, being burnt out and closing her business
• Making a plan to bring her business back in a more sustainable way
• How Paper Camp helped her to streamline processes for inventory and production
• Bringing more products back into the mix and designing her products to be a cohesive line
• Her process for research and development of products
• How she balances the financial risk of expansion
• The benefits she's seen with widening her product mix
• Tactics she uses to leverage social media as a marketing tool
• Using social media to connect with both retail and wholesale customers
• Rebecca's advice for business owners considering new product categories
• What Rebecca has coming up for her business, Seaside Designs

For full show notes and resources, head to http://bit.ly/PTPEp147

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

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Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Hi Friends — I know that things in the world feel heavy and uncertain right now, so I wanted to share some important reminders and tips: This won't last forever. Stay calm and remember that this won't last forever. I know the uncertainty is unnerving, and we all have different circumstances that we're dealing with — but this will end at some point. Understand your finances. Take a look at what you have in your business and personal reserves. Look at your monthly expenses and see what you can curb temporarily (tech, supplies, reduce or postpone your next new release, etc). We don't know how long this will last, so be conservative in your spending. Assess your income streams and anticipated revenue for the next 3-6 months. What orders or projects may be postponed? How can you incentivize your current customers? Do you have savings to lean on? Identify supplemental income options If product sales are down, think about picking up design work or other freelance gigs on Upwork, Fiver or through your local communities. Consider small business loans - SBA loans, Fundbox, Kabbage, even PayPal offers small business loans if you need some extra cash temporarily. As a last resort, you can also pull money out of a retirement account or 401k. There are large fees associated with early withdrawal and the market is down right now, so I don't recommend this unless absolutely necessary Have a back-up / continuity plan Who can you trust to run things if you or a family member gets sick and you're unable to work. My financial planner recommends identifying a few people who understand the business and who you trust to step in if you need to step out. This could be family, a friend, or even a colleague. Use this time to work on your business. Back-end systems & processes, update our website, play creatively, design new products, take photos, update your catalog, pre-plan social media content or write emails…. All of the things that you've been putting off, use this time to prep what you can for when things get back to normal. Change your messaging. Remember that many of your customers are also small business owners and they are feeling their own stress & anxiety. If you're sending out marketing emails, change your messaging — acknowledge what's going on in the world, how we're all in this together and ask how you can support them. Sales are going to be slower right now because people are concerned about their personal lives and their own businesses. But, reaching out to clients and letting them know you care will help to build the relationship — which they will appreciate when this is all over. Give yourself time to process your feelings. We all react to stressful situations in different ways. We all are dealing with different personal and business circumstances. Give yourself time to process how you're feeling, what your concerns are and how you want to proceed. Take care of yourself, your family and your team — that is the main priority right now. Leverage our community You have a whole group of people here who understand what it's like to run a small business. We're all feeling the crunch & uncertainty — but we have each other. Share what's working. Check in with each other. Let's help to keep each other calm and focused on getting through this together. We will get through this. We will be ok.

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Hey friends, have you ever considered how you could leverage point of sale systems for trend tracking and buying decisions? Biff Ulm, founder of MN Nice Enough came on the podcast today to share how he uses technology to help grow his business and how he relies on the help of sales reps to ensure his store is stocked with products that are a fit for his customers.

Biff has a rich background in the product based business industry and has seen all sides of it including owning his own brick and mortar business, selling eCommerce, doing wholesale, as well as creating his own products. He's done it all and has a vast wealth of knowledge in this line of business.

In this episode, we talk about everything from the challenges he's faced from having multiple streams of revenue, what numbers he tracks, how he cultivates wholesale relationships and the importance of studying what bigger brands are doing in their businesses.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Biff's background in the product based business industry
• His experience in selling retail at a brick and mortar, online sales, wholesale and creating his own products
• Challenges he's faced from having different streams of revenue
• His three key principles and the motivator that keeps him going
• The technology he uses to help guide his business decisions and how he leverages data to pick up on trends in his store
• What numbers Biff tracks on a regular basis
• His preferred method for cultivating wholesale relationships and finding new products
• Biff's experience with using sales reps for his business
• Studying what bigger companies are doing in their business
• What's coming next for MN Nice Enough

For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp146

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To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

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Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

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Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Today's guest Rebecca Inkrote has a fantastic story that I can't wait to share with you guys. She gives her insight on the best ways to transition from a third party platform to your own website (plus how to build brand recognition and steps to make it go smooth).

Rebecca got her start in the creative entrepreneur space when she started making soaps as a hobby. It quickly turned into a business that brought her into Facebook groups with other handmade business owners and it was there where she recognized how much she could help entrepreneurs in this space.

As a graphic designer, she was well versed in the areas of technology and found this niche of hers to be an area she could stand out in. In this episode, Rebecca shares how she stumbled into this path, the growing pains one can face when transitioning from a third party platform to their own website and the benefits of having your own eCommerce website.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• The biggest mistakes that Rebecca sees product based business owners making on their website and eCommerce shop
• How Rebecca stumbled into teaching others and helping them build their own website
• Growing pains from transitioning from a third party platform to your own website
• Benefits of having your own eCommerce website
• Steps to take when transitioning to your own eCommerce platform
• How getting your domain to match your brand name helps with brand recognition
• What services and digital products Rebecca offers for clients
• Educating and empowering her clients to take charge of their own websites
• Rebecca's thoughts on Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, etc. and choosing what systems to use
• Where Rebecca sees her business moving going forward

For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp145

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

SHARE

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Hey friends! We're going to be switching things up a little for today's episode. I've decided that once a month we'll be airing a live coaching session with one of my coaching clients or a Paper Camp alumni on the podcast. It'll be a short, hot seat format coaching session where the guest will talk about what they're working on and what they need help with. I'll be giving them my candid off the cuff advice, recommendations and even some homework because we're all about taking action!

For our first live coaching episode, I was joined by Paper Camp alumni, Shirlee Fisher of Quiet Lines Design. She has a few hesitations and questions about the timing of her launch and the wholesale market. We work through the three things she needs to prepare and make ready before the launch so she can launch her products confidently.

In this episode, we chat about lining up your launch with the release cycles of the stationery industry, why having 40+ skews will help you get more customers and why sometimes you have to wait until things are ready.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How Shirlee got started in her business, Quiet Lines Design
• What she's currently working on in her business and what she needs help with
• Planning to launch to coordinate with certain events and cycles
• Why you need to feel confident in what you're creating
• Why the PTP team recommends having 48 skews during Paper Camp
• How sometimes it's necessary to wait until things are ready
• The biggest fears that Shirlee has about product launches
• Katie's homework for Shirlee and listeners
• Getting strategic with a tiered outreach approach to building relationships

For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp144

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Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone's hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome.

While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan to follow-up after the show.

We're breaking this into a two-part series. The first part features several of our veteran exhibitors from the Paper Camp family including Rebekah from Wild Ink Press, Christina from Public School Paper Co, Beth from Little Goat Paper Co, Jeni from E. Frances Paper and Juliana from Good Juju Ink.

In Part 2 on Thursday, we're sharing interviews with Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting in the emerging artists' section as well as first-time exhibitors! Today's show features Rachel from Hazel & Dolly, Chandler from Joy Paper Co, Lisa from Rhino Parade, Janine from Kwohtations, Tammie from Tiger Pocket Press and Juana from Loteria Press.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE :

• Rachel Barlock: Hazel + Dolly
• Chandler Cooksey: Joy Paper Co.
• Lisa Mohar: Rhino Parade
• Janine Kwoh: Kwothations
• Tammie Bennett: Tigerpocket Press
• Juana Meneses: Loteria Press

RESOURCES:

Paper Camp E-Course

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

SHARE

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone's hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome.

While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan to follow-up after the show.

We're breaking this into a two-part series. The first part features several of our veteran exhibitors from the Paper Camp family including Rebekah from Wild Ink Press, Christina from Public School Paper Co, Beth from Little Goat Paper Co, Jeni from E. Frances Paper and Juliana from Good Juju Ink.

In Part 2 on Thursday, we're sharing interviews with Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting in the emerging artists' section as well as first-time exhibitors! Today's show features Rachel from Hazel & Dolly, Chandler from Joy Paper Co, Lisa from Rhino Parade, Janine from Kwohtations, Tammie from Tiger Pocket Press and Juana from Loteria Press.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE :

• Rebekah Tennis: Wild Ink Press
• Christina Williams: Public School Paper Co.
• Beth Roszkowski: Little Goat Paper Co.
• Jeni Laundon: E. Frances Good Paper
• Juliana Kissick: Good Juju Ink

RESOURCES:

Paper Camp E-Course

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

SHARE

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

For Cecily Moore, her business, The Paper Curator, started as a blog and over time, transitioned into a product based business. She first began her journey while working at a job and trying to find the next step in her career. She thought, "why not start a blog?" From there she began to document the creative endeavors she pursued in her everyday life before launching her first products.

She gives us a breakdown of her first craft show experience, her Paper Camp journey and what she's learned from attending the show. We chat about how putting ample effort into her research and development has helped her build a sustainable business.

Today's episode dives deep into what it means to bootstrap your business and build everything from the ground up. She talks about how she decides whether to invest in equipment to help her create her products, how bootstrapping has integrated into her wholesale strategy and budget and what it's been like scaling her handmade products into wholesale.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How Cecily started a blog before transitioning to a product-based business
• Learning to hold herself accountable by structuring her posting schedule
• Making the shift from being a hobby to a full-fledged business
• Her first craft show experience and how she prepared to launch her products
• How Cecily ended up coming to Paper Camp and her goals for attending the show
• How taking her time on research and development paid off when getting inventory and fulfillment in place
• Why Cecily believes in bootstrapping success and how this looks in her day-to-day business operations
• How Cecily makes decisions on whether or not to invest in equipment for creating products
• What has made wholesale an easier process for her
• How her bootstrapping mentality has been integrated into the wholesale strategy and budget
• Making a long-lasting impression in her first trade show
• Cecily's advice for someone starting a creative business
• What's coming for The Paper Curator

For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp143

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

SHARE

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Hey friends, when you're building your wholesale business there's no doubt that you'll be headed to trade shows to get your product out there and in front of the right buyers. The reality is, trade shows are expensive and you don't want to waste a single minute while exhibiting.

In this episode, I reverse engineer what it really costs to exhibit at a trade show from an hourly rate perspective. This will help you to realize how much every hour counts while exhibiting and the importance of using your time to connect with others, write orders and doing market research. It's not the time to be admiring other people's products or talking to your booth neighbors (there's plenty of time to do that during break down or set up or even after hours). I talk about why you need to know your numbers, how Paper Camp helps attendees to know where to save money and where to splurge during shows and the importance of preparation.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Thinking about trade show expenses from an hourly rate perspective
• A breakdown of how much it costs per hour to exhibit
• Why you need to stay in your booth when exhibiting at tradeshows
• The importance of knowing your numbers
• How Paper Camp helps you become aware of where to save and where to splurge on shows
• Why you should be prepared before investing in trade shows

For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPep142

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

WRITE A REVIEW

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

SHARE

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz