Any tips on how to structure a first-time wholesale deal?

We sell both through the retail chain and direct on our website. The only way to encourage customers to buy from you rather than your stockists is to provide more value than your retailers. The advantage you have as a manufacturer is your intense knowledge for your products. Educate your customers on exactly why your products are the perfect fit and show them how the product would function in their lives. Make the process easy, delivery quick, customer service awesome, and build a unique connection with your customer by telling your story. The one thing you WILL NOT want to do is under cut your stockists on price. Stick to your MSRP and encourage your stockists to abide by that as well. Take price out of equation and rather than thinking of "how can I cut price to move more products," think "how can I add more value to this product to move more products." Hope this helps!

I have several years of experience in marketing and optimization in the eCommerce space for one of the largest online jewelry retailers in the U.S. I also have several year of experience working with online retailers that operate under a subscription models. In order to answer your question, you will need to consider the following: Will your subscription revenue generate enough income to maintain the operational strains of this business model and be profitable? If you do not know the answer to this, you need to work backwards to arrive at the monthly pricing for your subscription service. Some things to consider: 1. Cost associated with operational logistics like shipping and fulfillment (assuming customers have to receive and ship the jewelry back to you) 2. Carrying costs associated with holding on to inventory on consignment. (assuming you will not own the jewelry outright) This may come with other contingencies like having to carry insurance and the operational aspects that will help you handle recovery of lost / unreturned inventory, etc. 3. Costs associated with building a transactional platform that is built for the monthly activity you will have with a subscriptions service. If you take Macy's for example, most customers place online orders 4 times per year or so. In your case, the nature of your model requires a different platform as you will be taking recurring payments, arranging returns, maintaining credit card / payment information, etc. In short, its a different animal that your startup eCommerce type platform. If you'd like to get more details or insights I'd be happy to hop on a call and chat.

Budget is definitely important for a successful business, but it is not everything! As a young entrepreneur, I started a similar business earlier in my career selling eyeglasses on eBay. I created an eBay store, worked on advertising, and was fortunate with my results. I would love to speak with you about starting a website and marketing effectively to consumers with a very small budget. The biggest recommendation I can provide is to test different services at a low budget to see what works. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on a marketing agency, there are many services that can help your iPhone case business in marketing effectively. Feel free to reach out to me!

Having 4 dogs and being a former sugar addict, I love the idea of dog cupcakes, kudos! My wife and I are currently solving a very similar issue with her t-shirt business. We don't have a freshness issue to deal with like you do, however we do have a scalability and growth issue that we are tackling. Understand, there isn't really anything that remarkable about dog cupcakes, it's cool concept but it would be very easy for someone to deconstruct and create their own recipe and brand. So you'll need to focus on how you sell your cupcakes. What value you offer your customers? Why your recipe is unique? Is there any portion of your product, formula or service that could be trademarked or patented? Do you have a memorable name, tagline and mascot? Are the health benefits to your product? I know that in some cases pet food can be highly regulated so you may not be able to make specific health claims. Next, I think you should look at a three pronged approach that is scalable: 1. Continue to develop your local market, treating it like a test kitchen. Work on new recipes, concepts, products, ideas and test them locally. Build a unique product line and a unique system for creating those products. 2. Develop a strong network of pet owners, pet shops, boutiques, organizations and so on. 3. Market your dog cupcake system and sell it as a turnkey package. This could be as simple or as fancy as you want to make it. The simple way would be to sell one time "starter package" with upgrades on a subscription model. This would include order forms, marketing plans, marketing materials, new product ideas, training videos, shopping lists, ingredients and so on. The expensive way would be to lawyer up and create an actual franchise but this can be very very expensive. I hope this was helpful and I'd be happy to work with you further on developing your business. Good luck and I look forward to buying Sadie, Charlie, Nixie and Sachi some tasty treats from you in the near future!

Your brand must conjure associations beyond the clothing itself. Fabric is only fabric. Attractive design matters, but market competition is enough to drive down prices. If you intend to ask a premium, then your product line must SUGGEST more than it literally is. Eventually, certain brands reach maturity and can point to an established reputation or high-profile adoption by the rich and famous. But you can start out by honing a brand "story" that captivates attention. Parts of that story are visual; others are verbal. Naming -- which is a large part of what I do -- is crucial when it comes to instantaneous unconscious communication. The right name tells your story for you on first contact with investors or consumers. Thereafter, it echoes in the mind, resonating with associations people bring to your product from their own experiences. Those associations add value. This is true whether you're a luxury brand or a maker of upscale outdoor gear like Patagonia, which takes its name from rugged South American highlands. In addition to your brand name, I would recommend paying close attention to all of your written copy. Make it unified and stylish ... in whatever way best fits your product line and intended audience.