Lessons
Day 1
1Product, Market Analysis and Fundamentals
06:49 2Overview, Tools, & Credibility
13:52 3Concepts and Inspiration
17:34 4Your Time and Action Assumptions
11:52 5Who's Your Competition?
21:39 6Define Your New Product
04:22 7What's Your Unfair Advantage?
03:44Collection Planning
03:42 9Building a Collection Pyramid
09:17 10Understand Your Price Variables
17:59 11Build a Price Structure
10:10 12Create Your Collection Plan
20:59 13What is a Concept?
18:39 14Where to Find Inspiration?
12:42 15Color & Fabric
17:00 16Build a Concept Board
09:56 17What is a Time & Action Plan?
18:14 18Understanding Timelines
24:12 19Create a Time & Action Plan
23:34Day 2
20Manufacturing
21:42 21Raw Materials
21:37 22Communication and Information Flow
25:48 23Growing and Managing the Line
37:33 24Understand Key Terminology
20:36 25How to Find Suppliers
10:25 26How to Document the Process
39:17 27How to Build Relationships
18:11 28How to Maintain Respectful Communication
17:30 29How to Build a Cohesive Line
08:36 30How to Manage Your Timeline
17:15 31How to Test the Market
07:08 32Sustain the Plan
18:15Lesson Info
How to Test the Market
Okay that's move on and how to test the market contest the bath water with a toe first no one kind of dives in yeah I mean crazy people diving into a hot bath it's yahoo test their product first before they commit absolutely we're talking about this something earlier about proto types really no just kind of prototyping to make sure that you your idea can physically be made and it makes sense but also testing the physical market with for tina how do you how do you test you just you do do make kind of one or two pieces see how it sells and then from that you you build bulk into it um normally I start by um social media and getting a really good shot of it and showing it on you know with somebody wearing and seeing what the initial responses right um and then after that a lot of times I'll let friends where things for a couple of days or or like help style shoots and just see how people respond to it in a public setting yeah that usually gives me a really good idea great that's a great wa...
y of testing it and we go we're where possible made prototypes and actual materials on then list among your page show them on your website start to gauge interest social media is a great a great way of doing it it's especially if people are kind of doing custom as well to kind of put that put the ideas out there to start gauging engaging the interest alongside kind of the regular product that there that they've made volkov and that they're listening as well by making a few samples and listing them you're basically introducing it without full commitment and that sir I think that's that's essential some people want to kind of ah label it is made to order or custom you know, until they kind of get start getting that buzz about it introducing on social media tweeting about it hey new custom order it's um it's a nicer definitely a nice waiter to focus I my intention is to use prototypes and start testing to kind of gauge the customer gets customer reaction because right now the idea in my head is like it just seems obvious it seems I'm going to be like, well famous I'm gonna be on the front cover of forbes in a couple of months it's just going to be great in reality I know it's going to be very different I know they natural route to a successful businesses is not a straightforward is that so I also don't want to commit to a huge amount up front so so I'm definitely going to use that kind of approach a time work on the process start launching and getting the customer reaction and then gauge it in a very lean kind of agile way lina nigel my two favorite words right now because it's such an interesting it's an interesting business model is an interesting way of working if you could do it on da test for sharing on social media for new products for stationary the buyers want us to go to them first right? So our approach chastity more of like say a male chimp like hey look at the new stuff we're doing on dh send it directly to the stores you mean like an internal like a newsletter yeah right versus because I've been guilty of I just get excited and I'm printing something and it turns out really also take a straw and put it on instagram and I've gotten you know like his tisk you should have told us first before you told the world that's interesting yeah it's kind of a weird yeah because I'm kind of on that I'm in the same boat with you guys like I think it did I think it's great to share it and get feedback great see what people like and what they don't like yeah yeah it's a little bit different of ah a little bit of a conundrum for that particular market chris it would be good to understand if if the people in the chat room also kind of like test ideas on social media before they produce be greater toe get that sure um so some of you doing some of you don't ah that's the interesting point it's maybe it's interest industry specific in that case I don't do it yeah just get in trouble that doesn't surprise me but what does that surprise that's great it's more of a kind of a snarky responses how dare you tell me not to both yes that's a very reason why I'm going to do it catherine do you how do you know me test a product do you test a product graham ing like in process shots like I'll have a prototype of a bunch of these you know like I did a prototype run that was in different sizes to see which actually looked better as a physical size and which ones the features came out well and yeah oh that so I'd like take a snapshot of input on instagram you know just in its unfinished form yeah stuff like that and what kind of reaction to get to get a pretty good reaction yeah yeah I think everyone everyone likes seeing product in production the different stages it's fascinating I never get I never get bored of looking at it I find it amazing how something can start off just being real material end up looking like a beautiful product I think it's great actually if you do you test your product right now you could have testing it was kind of friends and yeah, life started out with testing, testing them on my friends um once I had come up with the prototype, that is essentially that what I'm selling now um and I found social media to be really great for getting feedback from the public and because I'm so small I don't I didn't get you know I don't have my bags mass produced so even as I'm selling if I'm getting feedback aiken make changes right? You know, it would be different if I had, you know, a thousand units made and right and then I was like, well, I can't really change it now, so I feel like I'm kind of and I'm constantly yeah testing still yeah chris what do we have a chat room? Leave anything on testing? Yeah paintings by kate gilmore says I test in person and on social media through pinterest, instagram, facebook in my shop or sometimes I offer designs as print on demand to get a sense of how many people would be interested. Instagram seems like it's something everybody in the chat room is using to post things and see what with the responses yeah, nice I have I have t t t f the script's set up so my post my instagram at cross supposed to my facebook page and my twitter oh great and a lot of my friends follow me on facebook perfect so you see you do it once it kind of links all the way through yeah great now that stuff like the way to do it. Otherwise you can't. You're constantly, you know, making you social media wing.
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Ratings and Reviews
Melissa
Thank you for an excellent class on a key pivot point no matter what industry you are in. One stellar quality of this course is how collaborative, friend focused peer culture and (rather than hostile competition or dysfunction competition environment and psychological atmosphere). The structure suggestions enable creativity and acknowledges different mindsets required in different phases. Susie honors the joy that comes from making and creating. She celebrates the interdependence between all stakeholders and the fun and flow as well as learnings and choices from being a 'business'. She is pragmatic but high on the inclusiveness of fun and satisfaction. She is interested and interesting: safe, enjoys being a customer as much as teacher and expressions of creative generation for herself. You can be caught up in the delight of her view of the world if you have become jaded or burnout. This brings perspective and empowerment to your desire and goals.
user-023d31
Susie has this most amazing experience in business - she is fashion royalty - but has an amazing ability to put all her knowledge across in a way that you can learn so easily. I was so pleased that she could show you how to learn from her experience and it would make sense for your business. Pretty much whatever you are doing. I came away from these sessions with so many ideas. But of course ideas are cheap. She has made me understand how once you have an idea, how to make it real. So many great learnings about avoiding pitfalls, practical check lists and honest to goodness 'know how'. I am already putting her advice into practice and can see I am going to transform my business just because of these classes. I am going to come back to those videos again and again. Thank you so much for making this great resource available.
flywheelpress
I LOVED THIS COURSE. After being a small business owner for 10 years it is easy to focus on what's right on your desk at that very moment instead of evaluating the bigger picture, to forget how to look at what is working as well as what isn't and how to improve upon your process. Courses like this make me want to jump up out of my seat and get back to work. Susie kept me engaged and focused. It can be a long day but time seemed to fly by. I am really glad I got the opportunity to take the course, not only would I take it again but would highly recommend future Creative Live courses and Susie's latest book. Thank you again for the opportunity and now I gotta get back to work!
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