March, 2008
Corporate Identity:
Sometimes we think that all we need is a name for our business and the rest will come later....WRONG! Your corporate identity is one that takes a lot of "brainstorming" and many changes before you come to a final decision. Easier said than done....but, here are some thoughts you can work with to get you to a point of "corporate identity". I will use my store "Yaya Chique" and my designer label "debi lynn designs" as an example.
Think of all the companies you already know just by either their logo, colors, or tag lines....Coca-cola, Pepsi, IBM, etc...you get the picture. Of course, just because you think that you are not some large conglomerate that you don't need such an identity...then you are thinking down the wrong path. Don't ever think of your business as "small"...it really doesn't do all your hard work justice. You should never refer to company as "just a small, etc....". As a business owner since 1979, one thing I could never understand when I asked someone what they did for a living...they would always say, "I own a small ________". And I would always wonder why they thought of themselves as "a small_____"? Why not just say "I own a __________". And act proud of that fact! When you add the word "small", it sounds like you still don't have confidence in what you do, because you are just a "small" company. Get the picture??? Good. Now, onto the steps you need and why "corporate identity" is vital to success....
When I applied for my private label and trademark, my attorney kept telling me to make sure that whatever name I decided on and the "signature...or the font" was one that I had to live with for as long as I kept a trademark. Once the trademark was approved then I would not be able to defer from it. (When you see a "TM" behind a name, that means that the trademark is pending with the Federal Govt. It normally takes less than a year to actually receive your trademark certificate. And you then you get to put the "R" behind your company name. So, if a company has kept a "TM" behind its name for longer than a year...they have really not applied for their trademark. They are just using the "TM" as a ploy to keep others from using their name. If you have any questions regarding trademarks, logos, or patents....just let me know and I can probably answer most of your questions. Since, both my husband and I have gone through both very extensively with our attorneys over the years. I will not answer "legal" questions, but I can tell you what to expect, costs, and the main criteria and differences between a trademark and patent.)
Even if you decide not to get a trademark for your "corporate identity" here are the basics that you will need:
Name of company (NEVER change it...so spend A LOT of time making sure the name truly reflects your style) You can always get a dba, but when you start changing all the things I am going to list...you confuse your customers, not to mention the IRS.
Tag lines (you can have several for different areas or services that you provide)
Paper goodies: business cards, thank you notes, post cards, direct mail outs, store signage, labels, bags, envelopes, letterhead, gift certificates, etc...
Press kit (which will include your bio, photo head shots, product shots, etc...)
Website (I only use mine as an "electronic brochure...don't have time to run 2 stores)
Business Plan (which I have already talked about in a previous post)
These are the main items you will need before you ever open your doors....and they are vital. They all need to "flow" together with a common thread. So, take your time and have fun with it....Create several designs, live with it for awhile before you make a final decision. Because whatever you decide on, is how you are going to be known while in business. As they say...."the first impressions are always lasting ones"!
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Feet don't fail me now!
It has definitely been an interesting journey thus far! One thing I wasn't prepared for was how much time you spend on your feet!!!
I knew it would be a lot, but never dreamed how much time one spends on their feet, bending over, going up & down ladders, walking back & forth from the warehouse to the area that I am working on, breaking down the boxes (per the lease) to put in the garbage, not to mention the standing there looking over what you just put out....and then replacing and redoing gosh knows how many times...in order to get the "look" just right! On top of answering phones, letting customers come in to "take a peek", answering questions, and explaining who you are and what you are planning on doing. I LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF IT!
As a fashion accessory designer and artist for over 30 years, I was on my feet a lot....but, also got a chance to sit down. Not now....only, if I make it a point to do so. I swear I am drowning & having nightmares of boxes, paper, bubble wrap and the never ending "PEANUTS"! Gosh, I wish I could tell these vendors to go easy on the tape....it takes FOREVER to unpack the products, check it in, make sure it is all there, and I haven't even begun to "tag" yet....the one part I am not looking forward to.
I get up every morning around 6:30am, straighten up the house, work out, eat a quick bite (if I don't forget) and then try to do some paperwork (that is endless) until around 8:00 or 8:30am. Then it is time to get ready, run errands if need be, and then to the shop around 10:00am. Then I work on setting up the shop, greeting the ladies that are wanting to look (even though I am not open yet...but, has been a GREAT marketing tool!!!), getting in shipments and getting that unpacked and checked in, and working on displays. I look up and it is now around 2:30pm and I forgot to eat lunch...so, I try to grab a quick bite. Then between meetings with reps, other business meetings...I am usually ready to leave the shop around 7:00pm. Get home, get dinner ready, eat and then back to paperwork....ordering product, dealing with issues of shipments they may have occurred, inventory, marketing, branding, etc....then finally drop into bed around 11:00pm to midnight. And the day starts all over again! So, ladies...for those think that owning a shop is "glamorous"...please think again. There is no "glamour" in this....but only a passion for what we do. Just remember that what you see when you walk into a boutique.... is the "fun" part and shows nothing of what truly goes on "behind the scene"! Don't get me wrong...I LOVE every moment of it...but, I also know that it will be a long time before I have a weekend off again (after 30 years of having my weekends)....or holidays. Heck...you even have to work in your "bathroom" breaks, and they have to be pretty fast ones, because you never know when the beautiful sound of the door opening to the shop will come again!
Thankfully...my Texan hubby every night rubs my feet....so, for now my feet haven't failed me!
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Staffing:
My family and friends have been after me since the beginning telling me..."Debi, you have got to have some help! You cannot do all of this by yourself...yada yada yada...." Heck, I ain't dumb. I know I need help...but, easier said then done! Before hiring someone though, you truly need to know what type of person you are looking for (be careful here due to workforce laws) and exactly what are their responsibilities going to be? Not so easy when you truly get down to the nuts & bolts.
I figured since I already had 35 employees in our other company, that this would really be an easy part for me. How wrong I was!
Yaya Chique is my new baby, and even though I have interviewed a lot of qualified people from both males, females, all ages, and races....I just knew that one word kept coming up over and over again...."TRUST"! But not just any old type of "trust" (such as working the hours, not stealing, etc...) but, someone that would have my back and knew me and was able to treat the company as if it was their own. So, obviously my new staff had to be someone I knew well and knew me well. I looked at hiring as if I would be hiring someone to take care of my children....and we all know that when we are looking for the right "nanny, babysitter, etc...." that it had to be someone that we felt we could trust the growth of our children in their hands. Right??? Well, why would the company be any different?
Of course some feel that hiring friends and/or family can hurt that relationship will tell you not to hire friends or family. But, after 30 years of being a business owner....I find this not to have been true. Here is why: When I hire family or friends, I look at the business relationship and say..."This person works WITH me...not FOR me." See the difference? My employees (35 of them now) yes, know that they are hired by me and know that I can fire them...but, I don't treat them as if they are just an employee. They are a part of our family and my husband and I treat them as such. We have employees that have worked with us for over 40 years and I don't have an employee now that has not worked for me for less than 3 years. They stay and they want to work with us.....because we treat them and train them as if our company is also their company. They know that if they take care of the company...it will take care of them. If they mistreat the company, by not doing their jobs, or spending too much money on tools, materials, etc....then they are really taking money out of their own pockets, because the more they spend the less they have for raises, bonuses, etc....So, they are very well aware that "our checkbook" is actually "their checkbook". They also know that the customer is the real boss! We are just here to guide the company and make sure all the spokes in the wheel are turning in unison. If one spoke (employee) gets out of kink (by not doing their job)...then the wheel breaks and it harms the whole process.
Since this philosophy has worked for us throughout all these years, I decided to use the same technique with my new baby company! And I now have one of my dearest and oldest friends (20 plus years) working WITH me! Lizette! She is a God sent and we have so much fun....she loves to do a lot of the things I hate to do (but, she still yells at me to get it done..hehehe...probably one of the only women in the world that could yell at me). But, most of all and the most important to me: she loves and cares about me, as I do her. We have each other's backs...I refer to her as my "partner", because in truth she really is. Even though I am "legally the owner", she has a large stake in this company also. Because she is happy for me and wants the "baby" to grow and succeed! After all, isn't that what it is all about???
debi
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