Courtesy: Mariam Noronha
Business Blog: www.theoneofakindpreneur.com
Interview link: http://theoneofakindpreneur.com/2013/07/01/liz-jacob-designs-designer-handpainted-apparel-for-kids.html
Business Blog: www.theoneofakindpreneur.com
Interview link: http://theoneofakindpreneur.com/2013/07/01/liz-jacob-designs-designer-handpainted-apparel-for-kids.html
Liz Jacob Designs-Designer Handpainted Apparel for Kids
July 1st, 2013 | 
Author:
The Entrepreneur Spotlight for July 2013 is on Liz Jacob Designs, a unique venture that brings the magic of storytelling to exquisite hand painted garments for kids. Ms. Elizabeth Jacob, 35 is the creative dynamo and the artist behind Liz Jacob Designs. Elizabeth or Priya as she is known has a Masters Degree in Mass Communication and a professional experience of 11 years. Here is a look at her entrepreneurial journey…
Liz Jacob Designs was launched in September 2012 is based out of Bangalore and currently retails online through Facebook.
IDENTIFICATION OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY How did you get the idea to begin this venture (detailed description of idea generation & implementation of idea)? By nature, I am drawn to anything and everything creative, aesthetic and eclectic. I can spend hours in a home deco store or on a design website and I find myself happiest while doing so. I used to draw and paint a lot as a child and my Mom believed I would excel in fine arts. However, in those days fine arts was not perceived as a serious career and I ended up making a career in advertising and marketing for good 11 years of my life. In advertising, I regularly mingled with creative people and that helped me stay connected with my creative side.
Liz Jacob Designs is a dream-come-true for me in many ways. It marries my passion for design with my love for young children. I have a young son and every time I shopped for him, I felt there was so much opportunity for a clothing line to come in and present designs that are neat, classy, elegant and comfortable. Most of the infant and baby wear currently in the market was homogenous and mass produced. Designs seemed restricted to ones that could be sold in volumes.
I wanted to bring the same adventure and colour found in children’s storybooks into their clothes and also provide a personal yet unique appeal to the clothes that would set them apart. I was able to achieve that through my hand painted designs. Liz Jacob will have a mix of hand painted, applique and embellished clothes and nursery décor for kids up to 6 years.
Farm Theme Crib Sheet and Pillow Set
What were the supporting/motivating factors in setting up this business?
Taking a break when my son was born worked out as a blessing in disguise. I was forced to quit my marketing communications job in an MNC in order to make time for my child. This free time also gave me the opportunity to conceptualize Liz Jacob Designs and launch the brand. I wasn’t sure if my designs would cut through the clutter and so I did a pilot test on Facebook. I was pleasantly surprised by the encouraging feedback that I received from friends and family. More importantly, I was encouraged by feedback I received from strangers on Facebook to my designs. Many of them said the designs were unique and elegant.
What is your USP (unique selling proposition)?
Some of the feedback I’ve heard from my customers is that my designs are uniquely different because they are simple, cute and elegant which is hard to find in regular retail stores. The designs reflect the playfulness and sweet innocence of young children that I find extremely appealing. Children love color, adventure and story telling and most of my clothes look like a page out of a storybook. It integrates well with childhood and is made out of comfortable cottons that are easily wearable at any time of the day.
A Romper That Tells Its own story
What is your vision for the venture?
It’s a small business at the moment and I would like to retain the essence of personalization even as we grow the business. So I don’t think I will look at a mass-produced Liz Jacob clothing line. However, it’s a design-based business and that’s the strength of the brand today. In the future I’d like to retain this aspect and build a clothing line that revolves around artists and designers so that I retain that USP. And, I like to scale the business by growing the design team and catering to a larger hand designed market both in India and abroad.
What sort of growth strategy did you follow? (mention landmark events alongwith year or exact date if possible)
I have just started selling on Facebook in September 2012 and mostly through word of mouth. Facebook helped build initial awareness for the brand and I did some targeted Facebook ads and postings on Facebook forums to reach out to my target audience and increase my customer base.
I also plan to be an active participant at the popular flea market exhibitions that are happening regularly in Bangalore. I’m also looking for custom tailors and small-scale manufacturing units who can help produce a very limited quantity of merchandise. This will help me cater to larger volumes without sacrificing the personal touch and effort in the execution of the design and paintings.
Pretty Summer Dress
Any steps that you are taking to help society in general & people in particular?
It’s very early days for my business, but I do want to eventually provide job opportunities to the under privileged in whatever capacity I can. I do believe there is real talent in those communities where they work so effortlessly with their fingers. Look at any part of India and the best crafts come from these rural communities who have mastered art over generations. They will be a great addition to my business and hopefully my business can provide some of them a steady livelihood in the future.
What are the problems that you are facing?
I have worked in large multinational advertising and IT companies and I am familiar with the marketing principles of how to promote a brand. However, when you are on your own the challenges are very different – you have to generate your own promotional budgets, you have to hire your own manpower, you have to generate constant business, you need to do quality control, manage customer relationships, meet deadlines, pay bills, source material and so on.
At the moment I’m trying to scale up my supply chain by creating a pool of tailors and small-scale manufacturers who are willing to custom make children’s apparel in smaller quantities. This is a challenge since most manufacturers cater to large volumes in the thousands and smaller tailors are not used to the level of consistency and detailing an automated manufacturing line provides.
where do you see yourself?
a) FIVE YEARS FROM NOW
Five years from now, I’d like to be a well-known label of designer children’s clothing and accessories and selling my merchandise both in India and abroad.
b) TEN YEARS FROM NOW
Ten years from now, I’d like to grow the label to a point where I can start to look at a few wholly owned Liz Jacob boutique stores in India.
c) TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW
Too far to say….let’s complete the first ten years and I’ll be very happy!!
Born to Dazzle Baby Clothes
Any plans of expanding the business? If yes, how?
Initially I prefer the online model and I believe that is the way forward for most lifestyle brands in the country. I will invest in a customer-friendly website with an e-commerce engine to take the business to the next level. Over time, I’d definitely like to have a few exclusive Liz Jacob boutique stores.
How much use of technology is used to promote business?
I have been active on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Blogspot to promote my business. As a matter of discipline, I make sure all these channels are regularly updated with the latest postings of my collections.
Any advice for future entrepreneurs?
People think entrepreneurship is very exciting. But, you have to be very clear why you want to become an entrepreneur. You may escape the daily rat race but there are tons of hurdles you need to cross to make a profitable business. The cash needs to flow in. Customers need to be kept happy. The business needs to be sustainable. It will take you time to make the money you were making in the corporate world. Some advice I believe is critical:
- Choose a business you are passionate about.
- Choose a business that complements your own skills.
- Stand out. Study your competition and give customers a compelling reason to choose you over a competitor.
- Take customer feedback regularly. They are the wind for your sails.
What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
STRENGTHS: Design uniqueness, my hand painting skills and marketing background
WEAKNESSES: No background in business, therefore a bit risk-averse while investing.
OPPORTUNITIES: Market is extremely conducive for hand crafted, unique products even if they cost more
THREATS: Anyone can replicate my business model, but I am hoping the first mover advantage and the uniqueness and style of my designs will help overcome this threat.
Going Bananas New Born Clothes
What innovative ways of doing business are you using?
The key is to constantly engage with your customers. Parenting communities are extremely active on the Internet and Moms are constantly networking, exchanging parenting ideas and searching for cute things for their children. I keep track of the pulse of this community and stay abreast of their preferences. I post my designs regularly in popular parenting forums mostly to get feedback on the collection. I get to know what designs, fabrics and patterns they prefer and why, and what they would really like included in my collection.
Birthday parties are also a good way of reaching out to moms and kids. I am currently exploring ways of becoming a part of this fun filled affair by introducing a collection of hand painted and personalized birthday return gifts.
What are your views on customer relationship management? How do you approach it?
I started my career in client servicing and the fundamentals of keeping a client happy is deeply ingrained in me. I believe happy customers do wonders for your business and they are your brand ambassadors. I have built my business thus far on happy customers and I will continue to do so. I undertake orders on 100% advance and commit a date of delivery to my customers. I go to great lengths to ensure that commitment is met.
I also encourage feedback from them. I want to know how practical my clothes are in terms of comfort, durability, maintenance etc. and these are valuable insights only a customer can provide. I painstakingly pre-wash all my fabrics before stitching them to ensure there is no color bleeding, so that the final piece retains its look even after several washes at the customer’s end.
What makes you different from your competitors?
I think it is purely the design and overall aesthetics that is setting me apart.
I also want to create products that you don’t really find in the marketplace. For instance, crib sheets, diaper stackers, crib organizers, wall art, curtains for the nursery décor and so on. These are perfect when you want to gift a newborn something unique and lovely.
You can connect with Liz Jacob Designs on Facebook:www.facebook.com/LizJacobDesigns
Blogspot: http://lizjacobdesigns.blogspot.in and
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lizjacobdesigns/boards/
