RuffleButts on the radio...

I have been invited by Elaine of HerBigIdea.com to participate in on on-air interview tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21st at 2:00pm EST. I always feel a little funny when I do these types of things, thinking "why would anyone want to interview me...I'm just an average person", but then I remember how inspired I was a few years back watching an Oprah episode on entrepreneurs and their big ideas. To me, RuffleButts is no "big idea", but more my baby, my creation, that I work endless hours to nurture and grow. They are not some crazy invention that made me millions, but more a work of love that I hope to develop into a charitable, inspirational, profitable organization some day, spreading ruffles and sharing smiles around the globe! My story is not one of awe or headline news, but more of an everyday person, pursuing a dream. I share my story in hopes that maybe I can touch someone or spark their own "big idea" like those entrepreneurs did for me that day on Oprah.

Elaine is someone of similar goals, and she is using her talents to encourage other women. I love her concept and the inspiration behind it. You can read a little more about her story here, but the source of her idea came from watching the television show, The Big Idea, hosted by Donnie Deutsch. I am a personal fan of this show and hope to be a guest one day, but the fact that this is HER Big Idea, is even more exciting! Women inspiring other women...I love it!

So, if you would like to learn more about RuffleButts as a company, or my story as the Owner, Founder & Designer, please join us tomorrow at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/HerBigIdea/2008/05/21/Show-007-Interview-with-Amber-from-RuffleButts. You can even call into the show to ask your own questions live on-air at 646-200-4281! The show will also be available for download, so no worries if that doesn't fit into your day. Hope to hear from you!

Factory trip continued

I finally arrived home at about midnight last night and I must say, it is always good to be home! The trip overall was a good one and I am extremely excited about our outlook going forward.

So, a little more about the factory - it is an apparel factory located in the Dominican Republic with a little more than 100 workers. When we first started working with this company, I inquired about the age and quality of life of the workers, but it was very reassuring to see it with my own eyes. Of course, everyone employed is a full adult and they all seem to have a good quality working environment.

The manufacturer had always told me that although our products seem very simple, they are actually more technical than not with and exacting level of detail and quality required. (As we quickly figured out when they went through the difficulties on our first production last year). They have since made the decision to move the RuffleButt sewers to a separate area in the factory to allow them to focus on just this one product line. This gives them more individualized experience and training with our products and better overall quality control. This is also exciting and positive for us in multiple ways, the obvious one being a constant improvement in our products. No matter how great your products and/or designs, they can always improve and that is the direction I like to be headed. As I have mentioned many times before, people are of massive importance to me in this business. Not just our customers (of course they are always a top priority), but also our interns, our factory workers, our vendors and especially all of those other people that we are able to touch in a positive way through our business. I love the fact that these workers are working solely on our products so they have the opportunity to be a part of something bigger. I shared a picture with them and even hung it on the wall, of one of our customers, Kayden Pelstring (daughter of Jen Pelstring), in her adorable little RuffleButts. Jen was sweet enough to send me pictures of her daughter in her new bloomers and I received the email while I was down at the factory. I wanted these workers to see that their efforts on this apparel makes a bigger impact than they would think - they are sharing smiles with moms and little ones around the world.

So here are a few of the pictures that I took while we were there:

The factory

I am so happy to report that this has been a really positive trip to the factory. I am sitting here on my laptop, catching up on some last minute work before I head back to the factory for the afternoon. Life is rough, huh?! I wonder if I could just move my office to the beach ;) I feel like I have made a lot of head-way with the manufacturer, finally having the opportunity to speak to our team directly. I feel like everything comes down to communication and this trip has definitely accomplished that.

We have a new main contact, as of the past few months, with the factory and she has been such a breath of fresh air. I feel like we are on the same page and things are finally moving forward full-steam ahead. I have said all along that the manufacturing aspect of this business has been by-far the biggest challenge for us, but I finally feel like we are on the right path for growth and stability.

If you are considering or in the process of starting an apparel business, I would tell you to spend a lot of time on this part of the process. It truly is imperative to your success to have product, quality product, to provide to your customers. With all of the press and/or sales you can bring in, none of it really matters, if you don't have the products to deliver. It can be extremely intimidating getting into an old-school industry where you don't have much experience, but this is business and you need to ask those questions, whether you feel silly or not. Any good manufacturer that is willing to grow with you, will understand and better yet, even encourage and assist you through the process.

I really second guessed the decision to work with this factory after the challenging experience with delays and overpromises that we faced and overcame during our Spring 08 line, but at this point, I truly feel that I was led in the right direction. And although, I would never have chosen to go through that experience, I feel like God gives us speed bumps and detours to make us stronger. I can confidently say that I do feel much stronger and more capable, and it feels good!

This trip has really sparked my fire again and I am so excited about what is to come with the RuffleButts line. We have new fabrics and design ideas for Spring 09 and everything seems to be on track with our Spring 08 and Fall 08 deliveries. My customers are always my top priority and I am so glad to know that we will have products to deliver to them and great new designs to come! I have a ton of pictures and more to share on the factory trip, which I will try to post later tonight or first thing tomorrow. Have a great day, and thank you all for your support!!!

How to find interns...

I was recently asked by Lisa over at The Domestic Diva about how to go about finding a summer intern. Since this is a wonderful question that would have been very helpful to me a few months back, I thought I would go ahead and write a post on it...

I was very fortunate to be approached by our local Art Institute regarding internships. I was actually just looking for a student that may be interested in freelance Pattern Making work, but when I was on the phone with the career office, they actually recommended that we bring on an intern. They invited me to participate in their quarterly internship fair, which is where I met Kristen, our current intern. I would highly recommend this process to any Entrepreneur that is in need of help and willing to mentor young talent.

The honest struggle...for me, I find it a bit challenging to balance the work that needs to be done and the work that I know she would find more enjoyable. I truly attempt to give her more projects that will peak her interest and expose her to new things, but in all reality, since she is only here a few hours a week, I am usually in desperate need of her help on inventory and packing orders. I am fortunate that she is flexible and always willing to help, and as I bring on more help in the coming weeks, I am hoping to have more time to mentor her on the more interesting sides of the business.

I was equally lucky and blessed with our NYC summer intern joining us next week, as she contacted me. I always love to see ambition from young talent, so this effort on her part, really set her apart.

If you are open to the idea of bringing on intern, I would recommend posting on a free site such as www.craigslist.com. I would also recommend contacting your local colleges and putting the word out to their career services office. You will be amazed at how many students would love to have the opportunity to work behind the scenes in a smaller company, as opposed to getting lost behind a desk at a larger corporation. If your internships will be unpaid, the typical requirement is that 1) you're very upfront about this with the students, 2) you are giving your time to mentor the student while they are contributing to the business, and 3) they are able to receive credit for the internship through their school program.

I will tell you this, it has been a huge relief and blessing for me to have Kristen as part of the team and I am really looking forward to Veronica joining us as well! I truly hope that one day this experience is tremendously beneficial to them, and maybe they can put their experience to work here at RuffleButts once they graduate!

Sleepy

I really try not to complain, as I know how blessed I am to be running my own business, pursuing a dream...but, today, I am just tired. I have a ton to do, as always =) but all I really want to do is go home and lay on the couch. Throw a little afternoon Oprah into the mix and I would be set! Okay, I can stop dreaming now!!

Well, with that little bit of whining out of the way, I am nervous, but also excited to say, that I have finally come to the conclusion that I am in need of permanent help! I have opened my mind to the idea of bringing on a partner in crime, a COO if you will. Since we are still a very new company, I am not quite sure how I will afford this help, but there just has to be a way.

Any advice from you other Entrepreneurs out there? I am thinking that I have to find someone organized and ambitious, willing to do it all, right by my side. They will have to be someone of the entrepreneurial spirit, willing to work for a lesser wage in the beginning, with huge potential and possibilities for what's to come! Am I living in a dream world??

Our "full-time" NYC summer intern starts next Monday, so that will be a great trial. I am so thrilled to have her and hope that it will be a fabulous experience for us both! She will be with us for the next three months or so, which will be wonderful timing to start looking for more permanent help. I am hoping to find that perfect fit sometime between now and September, for a smooth transition. See, I am using my newly established pre-planning skills!!

Crazy week - factory trip!

So this is another exciting and hectic week here at RuffleButts! I am so happy to say that our sales are still going strong as a result of our recent praise in the May issue of babytalk Magazine. This is such a huge blessing, and I am infinitely grateful, but with all exciting times in business, it naturally brings along many lessons to be learned.

One of my biggest lessons is to always be months ahead of the game in product planning and time management. As many of you know, the manufacturing side of this business has been one hugely ginormous learning experience after another. I have tried desperately to work through the kinks to get a good system in place, and I am happy to say that we are on our way there. Unfortunately, it was through this time of "working through the issues" that put us so far behind. I had found another factory to run replacement products as we were getting low, but this flood of orders has put us a little behind yet again. We are out-of-stock on a few of our most popular items, which is so very frustrating to me personally, because I really want our customers to have a fabulous shopping experience with us. I know that there is always a bit of disappointment when they have to wait a few weeks for products to arrive, and I would like to avoid disappointment as much as possible.

I also have to say here, that our customers are absolutely fantastic and have been more than understanding with these product back-orders. I truly feel like if I could meet our RuffleButt customers in person, that I would find many lifelong friends - I really couldn't be more blessed! The other good news is that we have another huge production run in place at the main factory now. All of the fabric and trims have arrived via boat and they should be churning out product over the next few weeks.

My husband and I are taking a little trip to the Dominican Republic this Saturday to visit the factory and make sure that everything is running smoothly. I am really crossing my fingers that they are going to be on track and the visit will be a positive one. When asked about running a business, I always find myself saying that if only I could do everything, things would be so much easier. I have found it disappointing that not everyone keeps their word, but I am hoping that things go much better than the first time around and that I will have positive news to report upon my return!

To those of you starting a business, my biggest piece of advice with regard to production is to try to stay as far ahead of the game as possible...plan, plan, and pre-plan. Make your deadlines very well known to your vendors and hold them accountable as much as possible. Easier said than done, I know, but I am learning the value of planning as far ahead in advance as possible.

Economy fears

Terry, over at the Frugal Mommy Blog, recently asked me about my opinion on starting a business with today's economic concerns. First, let me say that I love her blog concept. As my husband and friends have always teased me about my "frugalness" - they say I'm cheap, I call it frugal - this blog is right up my alley! I was raised by a single mom for the most part, on a very tight budget, so this is ingrained in my way-of-life. My husband is in the mortgage business, so needless to say, we are in the same position as many families with a little less stability at this time, but that has really given us all that more determination to make this RuffleButts dream a reality.

I guess I am fortunate that I started the business when things were beginning to slow, so my expectations were set from that point on. I am extremely grateful that our business has grown consistently, despite these economic challenges and hope that we continue on this path. The biggest effect that I have seen on the business is the slow-down with many retailers. Although our retailers have been wonderful for the most part, I am finding that overall, retailers are placing smaller orders and are slower to pay. With that said, I believe that if you have a good idea and a strong business plan, you can find success in any economy. Just be realistic in your expectations, do your research, and make frugal business decisions.

Because of my frugal nature, it is always so hard for me to grasp the concept of spending money to make money, but I do completely understand the truth to this statement. I know so many of us start these businesses from home, trying not to spend too much of our family's hard earned money, and in the beginning every bit is a little painful (this was me!). For others, you are so ambitious and ready to do what it takes to make your business a success, you end up spending yourself into a deep hole. In my opinion, good business practices require a middle ground - you must spend, but spend intelligently, and I believe this applies in any economy.