So this lady is standing next to me going through my Couttsea rack while I adjust some of the pieces on hangers.
I want to believe that she thinks that I’m just a random shopper at the open pop-up shop going through the racks. She sounds like she is choking so I look to her rapidly. It’s just a scoff: “Who would seriously choose these buttons for this fabric? Like Who?” My brain wanted to look her dead in the eye and say, “Well, I would. Hi I’m Carly Coutts and this is my resort wear brand.” ....Except I only thought of that 15 mins later. Instead I chuckled awkwardly, giving her a half nod, and then slowwwlyyy scooted away.
:DUM DE DUM DE DUMMM….
Talk about AKWARD. HAHA Ps. Another client bought the piece later on, and without knowing what occurred earlier, actually complimented the buttons! To each their own... Yet in a weird, twisted way… I appreciated her feedback. The delivery could have been much better, but okay, mental note: Figure out what she didn’t like and see if her feedback is valuable or simply a subjective opinion. It’s no lie that in business customer feedback is KEY (shout-out to EXCO), and before starting a business, Market Research and testing is the whole enchilada. If you’ve been following along on this Adulting 101 journey, thus far we’ve established the following: 1. When you leave your 9-5 job, HAVE a plan
I want to say though, that the confidence in your service/product & knowing your worth will come from: 4. Sufficient market research/testing. We aren’t going to begin as professionals, but with a little time and humility, we will get there. For me, my brand has been in the ‘research’ phase since it’s inception. I’ve created numerous one-of-a-kind pieces with part of my intention being to find the perfect fit, fabric, styles and cuts, while figuring out what works and does not work (like apparently those buttons ??). Also, fun fact: People aren’t big fans of pink. Who knew? It can be a really awkward process, but market research is so valuable. It means so much to me when someone shares their feedback (both good and bad), as it is the only way that I can learn and improve. Thus far I’ve noted that certain fabrics are too hot in our climate, certain colors don’t mesh with my market, and certain styles take a little longer to catch on (though they do!). I’ve monitored what sells like hot cakes, and what sits a little longer. I’ve done my best to accommodate all shapes, sizes and heights, while coming to the harsh realization that I cannot please everyone (but I still try). I began this venture with the hopes to make beautiful pieces for my peers, but through my research I found that there was in fact a completely new demographic drawn to my product, style and message. Over the last two years I’ve broadened my clientele and in all that I’ve done, I’ve created to suit THEIR (your) needs over my initial vision. Someone can look at my journey of two years (& counting) and think, “WOW that’s a long time” - interpreting my progress however they wish. Yet in my world, i’m right on track! Anything worth doing is worth doing properly! Slowwww & steaddyyyyy my friends. My point here is the importance of MARKET RESEARCH and knowing your clientele. Don’t dive into the deep end with excitement before understanding who’s in the pool (Like seriously, what if the queen was in there and you just cannon balled her) Your job is to find a solution to the problems in your field...So what are the problems? Have you asked? It seems to me that our success is based on how well we serve our client, so to serve them, we should first know them… For me, I want women of all shapes and sizes to feel confident and fabulous near the ocean with high quality but affordably priced cover-ups. If each resort wear piece I make can serve this purpose, I would be on the right track. Success is born of failure, and failure is the child of trying. It’s an inevitable cycle that we cannot escape, but what we CAN DO is be as prepared as possible. So step one of the ACTUAL business journey? Survey says: MARKET RESEARCH. It may seem daunting, but it's okay to start from the bottom … In fact, you should! It not only teaches you more, earns you respect, gives you a clearer vision of your end goals and builds character … but then you can actually chant to that Drake song with passion and feel good about it. #LifeGoals On that note, I’m taking a little hiatus for the Christmas season! Wishing you all an amazing holiday, a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! See you all in 2020 fam! ahhh time is flyingggg!
RESEARCH CONFIRMED :
JUNGLE PANTS = GOOD FOR JUNGLE WELL... GLAM JUNGLE OR JUNGLE-LIKE PLACES IF YOU WILL
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If you’ve made it this far into adulthood, then I’m 95% sure that you’ve found yourself in an emotional predicament where someone has told you to “KNOW YOUR WORTH” – and they’re damn right you should.
For me, one of the best parts about maturity was understanding my worth and what I had to offer so deeply, that romantically, men no longer had the power to make me feel less than. I became bold, strong and confident in who I was and what I would put up with. RELATIONSHIP CARLY had strength, boundaries and valued her worth … BUSINESS CARLY…mmm….questionable. Business Carly (pre Financial Coaching Center) was definitely nervous, timid and unsure.
Okaaay fine, I still get the occasional 'buff' for being too giving of my services... but hey! Much improvement.
At one point it was so bad that I had a client say to me, “I’m willing to pay you between (for storytelling sake let’s say...) 50 - 100 dollars, and if I was you, based on the project, I’d charge the higher figure.”
I went home that evening and I thought about it… I weighed the important information like, how nice this person was to be honest about the work load, and how kind it was to give me such a reasonable ball park figure…hmmm... nice + kind “I know they didn’t mind paying $100, but I guess I could charge $75 since they were so good to me.” Cost per hour? – Not sure Hours the job may take to complete? – Hmm seems immeasurable WHAT ABOUT THE 100 OTHER FACTORS A BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD KNOW TO QUANTIFY THEIR SERVICES?…NOT CONSIDERED. This my friends, is NOT how business should be conducted, and I KNOW that I am not the first nor the last to awkwardly dance around the topic of money.
In my case, I often loved what I did so much that it seemed difficult to charge for services I would have done for free a couple years prior. You see, I believe that as a young adult there is MUCH for us to learn from our peers. Like those who have come before us, we must make our way up the ladder, earning the respect of our peers in our respective fields. Yet, while doing this (especially as young entrepreneurs) we must also KNOW OUR WORTH, and value our time and skill sets. There is fine line, but we must walk it carefully. So often and so easily, as a young entrepreneur, people can get into your psyche with their questions on your value. You must remember that questions are NATURAL. In fact, they are important! People must know what they are paying for and what the value is in your product/service. But I urge you to know the difference between questions about your product/service and questions asked with the intention to devalue your brand for unwarranted discounts.No matter your field of work, someone can more often than not say “well what am I paying for? I could do this myself” ...& OF COURSE THEY CAN!! You could handle your own social media platforms, plan your own events, exercise on your own, do your own taxes, paint your own nails, or even get your own clothes made…Who needs digital management, event coordinators, gym trainers, accountants, nail techs or designers, right?
... Uhhhh well, wrong! ? A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I think that we as a collective often fail to realize that the value of most products/ services lies in the efficiencies of exchanging money for time (and solutions). Time that could better be spent growing your bottom line, or solving a problem. Allowing someone else to provide you with a service is an investment in your favor. When you begin to truly value your time (work & play), I can assure you that your respect for other service providers will begin to grow and economies can start to flourish. Now I say this all with a warm heart, as I understand that everyone has different priorities and thus “to each their own” when it comes to where people choose to spend their dollar. But admittedly, as a business owner, it took me a little while to realize that part of being an adult is understanding that time is money, and ‘nice/ kind’ are not going to pay the bills (and is certainly paving the way to bankruptcy). In this already confusing world, first and foremost, you need to be nice and kind to YOURSELF, and that entails, before anything else, knowing your worth.MY ADVICE TO YOU?: ? DO THE RESEARCH ? FIND OUT IF THERE IS A NEED FOR YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE ? ENSURE THAT THE VALUE THAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE JUSTIFIES THE COST OF YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE. ? THEN STAND YOUR GROUND. There will always be people who are not willing to pay for your services, but once you have done your due diligence and can justify your cost, then those people are probably not your target audience anyway. Do not succumb to the ‘no’, devaluing yourself and your professional worth. ‘No’ is inevitable, but when you bring value to the table – the ‘yes’ will soon follow. Don’t be afraid to charge FAIRLY for your time and skill set. This is certainly one of the biggest obstacles that I have been learning to face head on, and one that we often don’t speak of publicly. Do you want to learn the simple "KNOW-YOUR-WORTH FORMULA" that I was taught by the Financial Coaching Center?? Fun fact, it shows you exactly how much your time is worth!! & it's actually far easier than you may think. I'm super excited to share this SIMPLE yet eye opening formula with you! IF YOU’RE NOT ALREADY ON THE MAILING LIST.... |
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