CEO and Creative Director of Lauren Cecchi New York, a luxury handbag line made in New York City. Fashion lover and expert.
I have studied and worked in the Fashion Industry for the past 8 years. I have done everything from styling, to event planning, to wholesale buying until I started my own namesake luxury handbag collection Lauren Cecchi New York. I am an expert in styling, event planning, buying, merchandising, manufacturing, sourcing, design, marketing and editorial.
Hi there!
I just got back from an amazing entrepreneurship cruise called Summit At Sea where I connected with lots of influential entrepreneurs and tech start up gurus. Also, BNI is a great way to meet people who you can connect with and get advice and connections from. Feel free to set up a call with me to discuss more opportunities for you to network with like minded people!
Best, Lauren
I know what it is like to be a solo founder! It is very difficult to build a team when you do not have the capital to pay them. What I did when I started was finding friends who worked for companies and were looking to freelance (ex. Had a friend in PR who ran our PR division on the side of her day job.) This is great because they give you the "friend discount" and are willing to help you succeed because they believe in you more than the money.
Also, I have used people from Upwork.com, which has been great! Since you can find people who specialize in certain areas, such as Web Development, Writers, Sales, Photoshop and more you can use them project by project. Many will work with your small budget because the freelancers come from all over the world and really want to create business relationships.
My #1 advice as an entrepreneur is NEVER give up equity when you do not have to. Find people to work with you and your budget without giving away your company. If you ever want to set up a phone call to further discuss why I believe you shouldn't give up equity and need more advice on finding a freelancer feel free to reach out, I would love to chat :)
Congratulations on the launch of your Beta testing! That is half the battle. My advice would be to slowly do another round of Beta testing and inviting people who you know will give you good feedback and help you improve your app. Then in the mean time get PR to pump up your app again for launch in a month.
Not every app when it launches is perfect, we all have to update apps on our phone constantly so do not be afraid to go live. If you would like to set up a phone call I would love to chat more in depth because I have two friends who have get apps that I may be able to connect you with who have been in the same shoes as you!
Just because your startup didn’t or won’t succeed doesn’t mean it was a failure or you are. In the start up lifestyle you get to learn things that other individuals at larger corporations don’t. You understand what it is like to raise money, work with little to no money, and really pour your soul in to your company. If your startup comes to an end, many companies would love to hire someone with your passion and who is willing to do the small stuff to get to the top. Entrepreneurs think differently than others so it is great to have that point of view in any office setting. I don’t think you should have a problem finding another job in the start up world or continuing as a financial analyst but many companies would love to have you on their team to bring a different dynamic to their company. If you want to discuss anything further feel free to set up a call with me ☺
Hi there! My first advice was to build a business plan! This is a great platform for you to get all your ideas out there and have all your information in one localized place. From here I would make a pitch deck! This is what you would use to lure people into funding your company. Here are some ways to get money to start
1. Use your own 2. Boot strap from friends and family 3. Do a crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter or IndiGogo. 4. Find VCs/Angel Investors 5. Raise debt or equity for the company
If you would like me to dive in and further explain feel free to set up a call!
Hi there! I know it is tough to chase money especially with your own business because we feel like "money talk" is not okay. My best advice to you is to be firm! Send an invoice for the full amount. If you are feeling to push the limit a bit feel free to add a late fee. This sometimes will light a fire and give a call to action. I would also try communicating on the phone. Sometimes emails can get lost in the mix so it's best just to call them up and say "Hey we delivered your video, you owe us, now pay us." If they don't answer to either I would have your lawyer send over a letter. I would also include (if it gets to sending your lawyer a letter) that if you do not hear from them they are neglecting the project and you will be able to show the video on your site.
Moving into the future we always pay a 50% deposit on all videos we produce and the rest is given upon completion. Make sure all future projects this happens so you have money to use while you are working on the project! A contract is also always great too if you are negotiating prices and the rules of who can show/share/promote the video.
I hope this helps! If you want me to further explain some tactics I would be happy to jump on a call!
Of course you can! If you have an idea you can find people to help you with the an expertise in tech. Upwork is a great platform to find coders for mobile apps or network with people in the industry to find a business partner or co-founder. In this day and age you can find someone to help you do everything and if you have the business side taken care of all you will need is a CTO or even freelancer to make your dream a reality. If you want to further discuss Upwork or networking events in tech I would be happy to further discuss!
If you are trying to sell a product that doesn't exist yet it is always great to create a demo or sell the idea of the experience. Walk them through the process of your discovery tool, do a presentation to entice them and get them excited about the product. If you product is in beta testing I think you will be able to show them enough of your product for them to get interested. Always be enthusiastic and positive about your product, companies want to invest in the person more than the platform. I hope this was helpful and if you want to further discuss reach out for a phone call!
The best way to gain followers in the fitness and fashion world is through Instagram. These industries are based around content and people love to connect with new brands/blogs through images. If you have great photos start posting them to your Instagram and use hashtags like #fashion #style #ootd #fitness #blog etc. to get people who are looking for the things to find your post. I would also go and like photos or comment on other blogs to try and get their followers to follow you. If you would like to further discuss how to grow your following I would be happy to set up a call!
Hi there! Be sure to check out their website for job openings, reach out to people through LinkedIn who work for the company and invite them to coffee, maybe they know about job postings that aren't on the site or can connect you with HR. Also, I would write I highly enticing email about your experience and how you want to join their company in particular because you believe in the future of their company and send it to Mark Zuckerberg. It doesn't matter how old you are it is about the drive within you. They may be looking for someone who is older and more experienced in the world sense than the marketing side and get a fresh perspective from someone your age. Age is just a number! Let me know if you want to further brainstorm ideas of how you can achieve your dream!
Social media is the future of shopping! Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are huge drivers for businesses because people are no longer searching Google for the latest and greatest, they are looking to influencers to see what they are wearing, where the are going, and what they are doing. I would start with using Facebook Ads and Instagram Promotions, great tools to get new followers and clients! If you want to further discuss the next steps to working with these platforms feel free to set up a call!
