Why Personal Branding is So Crucial to Entrepreneurial Success

Personal Branding and Entrepreneurial Success image courtesy of Pixabay

If you are setting out in the world with the goal of becoming a successful entrepreneur, you have a lot on your plate. For starters, you need to have some sort of venture – maybe a white label digital marketing company - which you are working hard to make a viable business. Everyone knows that the odds are stacked against new businesses, so you’ll have to bring something interesting and valuable to the market if you are going to stand out from the crowded field.

At the same time, you are also trying to establish yourself as a known brand in your own right. This is called personal branding, and it is particularly important for entrepreneurs. Let’s take a closer look and what it is about personal branding that makes it so valuable.

Investors Are Critical

For most businesses, getting off the ground means finding investors. You can have the greatest idea in the world for your new venture, but it probably isn’t going to go anywhere if you don’t have the necessary money behind you to get started. When looking for investors as an entrepreneur, you are basically selling yourself. The business does not yet have enough value to be of interest to the investor, so they are investing in your ability to make it profitable.

If you have a strong personal brand, it should be much easier to convince those crucial investors that you are worthy of their trust. You can point to the reputation that you have built over the years in order to demonstrate your qualifications and experience. It’s never easy to draw investors into a new venture, but it will get a little bit easier when you have a personal brand to lean on.

Opening Up Options

You never know where the business world is going to take you when attempting to go down an entrepreneurial path. Sure, the first venture you launch may take off, but that is probably not going to be the case. More likely, there will be a series of stops and starts along the way, before you eventually find your footing.

With a powerful personal brand on your side, you should have more opportunities available to you as times goes by. When others know who you are, and what you can do, it’s amazing the doors that can open. Taking the time and effort initially to lay the groundwork for your personal brand may be the difference in finding exciting opportunities or being stuck working on something that just pays the bills.

Thank you for visiting Stitching it Right! If you would like more information on starting your crafting or sewing business to help you get started on your entrepreneurial journey, be sure to check back often, join the discussion on Facebook, or check out the Sewing Lessons from Stitching it Right YouTube channel.

Ideas for Healthy Snacks for Break Time in Your Sewing Business

If you're starting or running a business providing sewn products, break time might not be one of the first things you think of, but maybe it should be a bit higher on your list of concerns. Here's why: people perform better when they're comfortable and when they feel valued - and what has more of a direct impact on morale than break time?

Healthy Snacks image courtesy of Pixabay

Ways to Provide Healthy Break Time Snacks 

Whether you decide to put out a few healthy snacks for employees to enjoy free, as a perk of employment with your sewing business, or you make them available for purchase in a machine or cafeteria, making employee health a priority shows your workers you care about their well-being.

• Small sewing businesses may prefer to simply set out a box of healthy treats for employees to enjoy at break time. You can either take the time to pick these up yourself or simply order them for delivery from a service that provides boxes of healthy packaged snacks.
• Mid-size sewing businesses may find that having more employees makes setting up a snack machine filled with healthy offerings easier. This is a bit less personal and hands-on than the option of setting out a box of healthy snacks, which fits the aura of a rapidly-growing business.
• Large sewing businesses may have the ability to set up a cafeteria line, which is a great way to accommodate the needs of multiple workers and varied break times. This is a way to provide nutritious, light snacks and healthy meals for everyone.

Healthy Snack Ideas for Your Sewing Business

Fresh fruit and veggies: Fruit is a great option because it provides fiber and vitamins, and it tastes great. Also, many people don't get enough fruit and vegetables, so making these items readily available makes it easy for your workers to incorporate these nutrient-rich foods into their lives.

Nuts and granola: Nuts combine fiber, protein, and flavor for a slow-release energy boost that helps workers ride through the legendary afternoon slump without feeling drained. Granola adds a touch of natural sweetness from honey or stevia to the heart-healthy fiber of oats, and other ingredients like raisins and nuts.

Muffins and high-fiber cookies: It may sound counter-intuitive that baked goodies could be healthy snack options, but when carefully chosen, they can be exactly that. The addition of oat fiber or whole-grain flour ups the nutrition without wrecking the flavor of these treats.

Special Dietary Needs to Consider: If you know one or more of your workers have specific dietary needs, choose healthy snack options for your break room with that in mind. Healthy gluten-free options, nut-free offerings, or dairy-free delicacies are all easy to find and will help keep all of your employees healthy and happy. 

Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear your suggestions on healthy meals and snacks to provide for workers. Stop back soon for frequent updates, or follow Stitching it Right on Facebook for frequent updates on all things sewing and crafting.

Tips for Starting an Eco-Friendly Tote Bag Business with Low Start Up Costs

If you are dreaming of turning your sewing hobby into a business but don't have  tons of cash to invest, you can still make your dreams a reality with a bit of extra ingenuity. You can reduce the start-up cost of an eco-friendly tote bag business by using unconventional material sources.

 

If the environment is an important issue for you and the weak economy is making it hard to find a job, consider starting your own green tote bag business. Starting your own earth-friendly business is a way to be kind to the planet while earning money. Taking advantage of unconventional fabric sources lets you get started without investing a large amount of money.

Low Material Costs With Unconventional Fabric Sources

Let's start by considering ways to save money on materials. One way is to buy fabric wholesale, in bulk quantities, but when getting started, you might not want to invest in buying rolls of wholesale material. Also, using unconventional fabric sources is more eco-friendly than buying new materials at wholesale prices.

With the current popularity of recycling and up-cycling, you can cut your material costs by scouring thrift shops, auctions, and garage sales. Look for garments and other textile items that are in good condition. If you opt for garments as your fabric source, look for large and plus-sized clothes, but don't rule out smaller sizes. Smaller garments can provide unique fabrics to use for trim pieces, such as straps and pockets.

How to Prepare the Fabric

Since you are making your eco-friendly shopping totes to sell, you will need to spend a little extra time making sure the fabric is in pristine condition. Stains and weak spots in the fabric will leave you with a bad reputation and unhappy customers. Check the garment's care tag and launder according to the directions provided.

Cut the fabric right along the seam lines. Also, snip the threads holding buttons and zippers in place, unless you want to leave them for decorations. You can save the buttons and zippers for other projects, or sell them in bulk to other seamstresses. While traditional shopping totes do not have buttons or zippers, you can add them as design features as desired.

Make Some Sample Bags

Now that you have some inexpensive fabric ready to make your totes, it's time to get creative. You can buy a pattern to use for making your tote bags, but copyright laws limit your use of purchased patterns. Your best option, if you want to get started without spending a lot of money, is to design your own tote bag or enlist the help of a skilled sewing friend.

When you make up your first few tote bags, take notes on how long it takes to make each bag. Also, note any problems you run into, regarding your pattern's design and how you solved the problem. The notes will help you perfect your design and steam-line your manufacturing process. It will also help with employee training when you get ready to hire a helper.

Marketing and Selling Your Shopping Totes

You have a lot of options when you get ready to sell your bags. One option is to visit local businesses, show them your samples, and ask if they are willing to carry your tote bags for their customers. Be prepared to answer questions about:

• How much you charge per bag
• Discounts for large orders
• The number of bags you are able to deliver in a given time period
• Your willingness to sell the bags on consignment

The Internet also offers a number of selling options. Auction sites, such as eBay, online selling sites such as Etsy and eCrater, and setting up your own blog or website to showcase your work are all viable web options.

Disclose Fabric Sources

No matter how you market and sell your totes, be very clear with potential customers about your fabric source. If you are not specific, customers will assume you are using new fabric unless you tell them otherwise, and they will feel deceived to find out the material is recycled or up-cycled after they have purchased from you.

Describe your fabric sourcing choices in a manner that stresses the eco-friendly value. You are keeping these textiles out of landfills. Water is not being wasted to grow cotton to make new material. Petroleum is not being wasted to manufacture synthetics or to ship the materials. Finally stress that recycling materials keeps your costs as a manufacturer down, and that the savings are passed along to the customer.

Using unconventional fabric sources to make green shopping totes is a win-win-win situation. You win because you can operate your business with low overhead costs. Your customers win because they get unique tote bags they can feel great about using. Finally, the earth wins because waste is practically eliminated when unconventional fabric sources are employed.

Copyright Laure Justice. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication. Originally Published on Suite101.