I am always so privileged to work with amazing business owners and have a space to connect and that’s why this week's blog post features four wonderful ladies who have all taken my sales course. I jumped on Instagram live to talk to them and they have kindly shared some words of wisdom about how they have grown their wholesale and how to get started.
Here’s a summary of all the key takeaways from each live and if you missed them you can find them all over on my Instagram.
Carla from Poppekins
Poppekins is a fun and brightly coloured illustration brand, full of joy and optimism and Carla exuberates happiness wherever she goes. She started the business after the arrival of her firstborn and it has grown ever since. She offers ready-made prints and cards, but also custom illustrations and I highly recommend you check out her fun designs!
In our chat, we spoke about:
How she began her wholesale journey by stopping into local shops and selling her products.
Why narrowing down your range can be helpful for buyers (and your cash flow)
How you can use Instagram to find new stockists by speaking to your customers and finding out where they want to see your products.
Key takeaway:
Be brave, and don’t be afraid to use your selling skills and Instagram profile to gain more stockists.
Catch the episode here.
Emma from Emma Bradstreet Paper and Press
Emma always had a dream to run a stationery led business and after buying a press on eBay she took her side hustle to a full-time brand and hasn’t looked back since. She has a beautiful range of letterpress printed stationery to choose from and works from her studio with her beautiful dog Maisie.
In our chat, we spoke about:
How she began her wholesale journey in Hong Kong and how she made the move to UK stockists.
Overcoming feeling disheartened when people don’t reply to your emails and why not all shops are the right fit for everyone's products.
How she re-engaged her stockists and overcame the fear of checking in with them which resulted in further orders.
Key takeaway:
Be proactive and just go for it even when your inner critic shows up and try not to take everything personally. Find a way that selling works for you and stick with it to boost your sales.
Catch the episode here.
Priscilla from Slow Moon
Priscilla is a great example of a small business owner who is proactive, determined and has a dream for her brand. She sells beautifully handmade eye pillows and started the brand as she wanted to share her love for the product with the world. She has one eye pillow in four prints, with 35 stockists which is such a great achievement and is proof that you are never too small to start wholesaling.
In our chat, we spoke about:
How she began her wholesale journey at the beginning of her business and why she wanted to push wholesale from the start.
How she has created set routines on a weekly basis to build her wholesale including using a timer and blocking out time.
Why getting your pricing right at the beginning of your journey is so important.
Key takeaway:
Just because you have a smaller range than other brands don’t be discouraged to start wholesaling. Don’t think you are not established enough or have enough time to sell, you shouldn’t let anything hold you back.
Catch the episode here.
Chantelle from The Wild and the Tame
Chantelle lovingly hand makes all of her beautiful children’s products in her home studio and is a great example of how handmade products can work within a wholesale world. She sources limited edition fabrics which means she had to think about wholesale in a different way but I think she has figured it out perfectly and is a great inspiration!
In our chat, we spoke about:
How she took her time to work out how to make her handmade margins work and how she has worked out how to order limited edition fabrics before even working on the pieces.
How Instagram has helped with her wholesale success by using Reels and approaching accounts on the platform.
Why your mindset is really important when it comes to selling and how it can hold us back subconsciously sometimes.
Key takeaway:
Having a handmade brand can be different but if you take your time to work out your margins and how to balance you can successfully build your wholesale still. Being flexible with stockists is so important and your mindset contributes to this every day.
Catch the episode here.
In Summary
I absolutely loved talking to all of these business owners who are all former students of mine, they have excelled themselves and I am so proud of them. If there is anything I can take away from these sessions it is that everyone has a different wholesale journey. These ladies are all brave and prove that you should just go for it. Don’t be afraid to sell your products, you can make changes as you go along and building your wholesale can be a great additional sales opportunity for your business.
