Are you a dreamer? What do you dream about? For me there is no greater satisfaction than to watch a dream come true, whether it’s mine or someone I know. Yesterday my friend Sheryl launched her dream business, a boutique vintage shopping and styling experience called Indigo Style.
Sheryl and I were roommates when I first moved to New York to model nearly 20 years ago. She’s actually THE reason I made the leap and she is still a model today. She’s actually one of few African American models to have a career spanning more than 20 years successfully. Chances are you’ve seen her face on your television, in a catalog or at your favorite department store at least a few times a year.
Despite Sheryl’s fame and connections she still needed a plan to launch her dream. The core tenants of launching are universal no matter the type of business you have. Below are some tips that you can use along the way:
1) Define your brand clearly. Once Sheryl set the date for her launch she sprung into action to brand her business for success. Straight out the gate she focused on her brand identity by getting her logo done, securing the name for the website and across social media channels and building buzz. As the public got wind of Indigo Style they had a place to go to find out more.
2) Use online and offline tools. One of the big secrets of big business is old school marketing. Yes, we all have devices and tablets and wireless access to information at a moments notice but nothing beats the impact that a poster, or postcard or paper invitation can make. Sheryl covered her bases on this one and had beautiful card stock flyers printed and distributed across her region.
3) Do a press release. Getting press is much easier than it used to be. Ten or more years ago to get press you had to hire a public relations firm and fork over a lot of dollars to get mentioned in a publication. Today it’s much easier. You can do the research for local journalists yourself online and distribute the press release via email, but you MUST do one. It’s a great return on investment for such little time. Sheryl started with local bloggers and neighborhood outlets like Patch.com
4) Say true to your vision. Sheryl’s vision is for Indigo Style to one day be a brick-and-mortar boutique but her initial plan is to do pop-up shops and use her Brooklyn Brownstone. Walking through the doors of her brownstone we were presented with a very Soho experience and atmosphere. The decor and environment made us feel as if we’ve stepped into an exclusive Soho boutique. There was wine, finger foods and racks and racks of clothes beautifully tagged and organized. She delivered a Soho experience without having to be there (yet).
Branding your business for a successful launch is a step that many people skip, and as a result they don’t get to have the business of their dreams. That doesn’t have to be the case! Start with the tips above to make sure you launch and expand your business the right way, and if you need help, invest in the 30-Day Launch Formula. It will save you time and money so that you can focus on making that dream come true!
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