Small Business 101

I started Bows & Kites on a hot summer night (okay - not that hot, but San Francisco hot standards) in 2013. Honestly, I never thought B&K would get to where it is now. I came in to the market knowing that were a lot of competitors. I needed to set my shop and brand apart to attract customers and makes sales. Recently, I received a few emails from girls asking me for advice about opening up a new shop. It's not easy running a small business and everyday is a learning experience. I wanted to share a few tips. 

Marketing Using different social media channels (Youtube, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc) is a great way to build your brand. My favorite way to market my products and interact with my customers is through Instagram. Take (good) photos of your products and share it with your intended audience by using hashtags. 
Branding Through Photography There are good product photos and there are bad product photos. Believe me, if you want to stand out, you do not want your photos categorized in the latter. You do not need a fancy-schmancy camera to take good photos. When shoppers are searching for products, they'll compare your products alongside products from another shop. In most situations, that shopper will pick the product with the better photo. 
Some shop owners use watermarks on their product photos. On the first few months, my products had a B&K logo. Recently, I took out my watermark and I really regret it. This weekend, I was searching on Etsy and Storenvy and I found out that another bow shop was using my pictures for their product photos. This is a big no-no. 
Testimonials  Use your customer testimonials to your advantage! Read what your customers are saying about your product and their suggestions. Reading my customers' reviews made me put out different options for hair clips. 
Got negative reviews? Don't sweat it! Every shop gets negative reviews. You are not alone. When I first had my dollar sale, I had a few customers leave me negative reviews because of the long turn around time. Circle back with those customers and ask them how you can improve and make their shop experience better. These customers were so glad that I checked back with them and because of this, they still purchase items from my shop. Here's another good lesson: Be clear about your production and shipping time so your customers know what to expect.
Set Goals Set goals for yourself and your business. Where do you see your business in five months? One year? Don't feel defeated if you don't make your sales goal. Even big businesses like Walmart or Target don't meet their daily sales goal. Set goals to make better products or interact with customers more. The sales will come when your customers see how passionate you are about your work. Be proud of your products! 
If you are a small business owner, what is one important lesson that you wished someone passed along to you?

Rest, Relax & Rewind

I've been going back and forth with this decision, but now, I feel like it is time to finally announce that I am closing down the B&K shop until further notice. A few months ago, I had a little shop with a few items and customers. It was tough setting my brand apart from other bows shops on Etsy and Storenvy, but with the help of Instagram and the B&K campus rep program, I was able to gain a decent following for my store. Almost eight months later, I never thought B&K would get this big and it is time to make some changes.

For the next few weeks, I will be working on improving the overall brand and store experience. I have read all of your suggestions and reviews about our products. I will take all of your ideas in to mind when it comes to designing new products and lowering the current production time. It has been difficult to find time between my full time job, my personal life, and B&K. Juggling these three things have definitely been a challenge for me. I honestly love what I do in Human Resources and B&K. During this break, I hope to finally get some rest (yes!), hire an extra employee, and create a schedule for personal events and work.

I do not have an exact return date for the store. For this reason, I have also decided to shut down the campus rep program for the spring. I know a lot of you were excited about the spring program and have already sent me emails about your interest in joining the team. When I decide to open the summer campus rep program, I will send email reminders about the application process.

I would like to recognize all of my campus reps from Fall, Winter, and Spring. The B&K campus reps have done such an amazing job at promoting the brand.

Because of your continued support, B&K continues to grow. I've sent bows to girls from Florida to Hawaii (still waiting on you, Alaska!) and even to Canada and the Netherlands. I've enjoyed seeing all your photo posts on Twitter and Instagram on how you styled your bows. It makes me so happy.

Thank you.

xx Paulette

B&K Set Sail

1. B&K Navy Blue Bow - Navy Been Better

2. Lilly Pulitzer Tote - Coastal Tote

3. B&K T-Shirt - Set Sail Shirt

4. Lilly Pulitzer Shorts - Barclay Shorts

Yesterday, I introduced a new item to the B&K brand. Shirts! With the Set Sail shirt, I was inspired by San Francisco's Marina District. You can purchase the shirt on Tee Spring. The Set Sail shirt is available for a limited time. Our campaign goal is 25 shirts. If we reach our goal, our shirts will get printed. I'm so excited to share this with you all.

B&K Spring Campus Rep Winner

Every season, I hold a referral contest for our campus reps. This winter, each campus rep received a special coupon code to the store. Each time a person used their code, they received a point in the contest. The campus rep with the most referrals will win a $50 gift card.

Each campus rep has done a fabulous job promoting the store. They are all amazing and I am so lucky to have them on our team. Thank you all so much! I look forward to working with you all again in March. 

Congrats Abby! Please email me at bowsandkites@gmail.com to claim your prize. 

Here is the final tally:

Abby: 27

Catherine: 10

Camille: 10

Maddie: 5

Emily: 5

Melisa: 4

Jasmine:4

Lindsey: 3

Melanie: 2

Jessicah: 2

Shaylah: 2

Kristen: 0

Campus reps - I also wanted to let you all know that your February and March packages are on their way. Some of the packages will be sent today and the rest of the packages will be sent on Monday. I can't wait to see how you style your new bows! 

How to Score Lilly Pulitzer Items Without Breaking the Bank

Spring is a hop, skip and jump away. Lilly Pulitzer is my go-to store for Spring/Summer items. If you are college girl on a budget, you'll find some items a bit expensive. But don't fret! There are a couple of ways you can score Lilly Pulitzer items without breaking the bank! Let me show how..

1. Check out the Re-Lilly Group on Facebook.

What is Re-Lilly? Re-Lilly is a place where you can buy/sell/swap used or new Lilly Pulitzer items. They post Lilly items every day for a reduced price.

Pros: I love Re-Lilly because you can find some of the older Lilly Pulitzer patterns for sale. It's always exciting to find You Gotta Regatta, Tusk In Sun, Let's Cha Cha and Peel and Eat items. I've bought several items from the sellers on the Facebook group. I've bought three murfees and a dress for great prices. On the Lilly Pulitzer website, a murfee usually goes for $118. On Re-Lilly, I was able to score a murfee scarf for $40! Now that's awesome.

Cons: You will have to contact the sellers if you are interested in purchasing their product. If it is a well sought out item, it is not always certain that you will get the item. It is usually on a first-come, first-serve basis.

2. Wait for the Endless Summer Sale or the New Years Cheer Sale.

What is the ESS or the NYCS? Lilly Pulitzer hosts two online sales every year. They offer some of our favorite prints at a great price (sometimes 60% off)!

Pros: This is a time where Lilly Pulitzer tries to clear their inventory, so you'll probably find some great finds. On the New Years Cheer Sale, I was able to find one You Gotta Regatta item, a Blue Anchors popover and two items in Get Nauti. They offer great prices and free shipping. My items came in the mail four days later.

Cons: Waking up early. Putting something in your tote and watching it disappear. Website troubles (I ended up not getting anything on the ESS because of the website problems). Limited sizes available.

3. Bows & Scarves.

This Tusk In Sun scarf is from Bows and Flows Boutique. 

 This Lilly Pulitzer Mai Tai bow is from Bows & Kites. 

Check Out These Shops: Bows & Kites, Bows & Flows Boutique and Bows Down South.

Pros: There are various shops online where you can purchase a Lilly Pulitzer bow or scarf. The prices vary from $5 to $40. I love buying Lilly Pulitzer bows because they are so adorable and affordable. Definitely fits the college budget. Skip that $118 murfee and get this adorable scarf from Bows and Flows Boutique for $30!

Cons: Sometimes the fabric is not authentic. I know a lot of prints are not sold anymore. I know the You Gotta Regatta fabric is not sold anymore (unless people are cutting up their YGR dresses - Yikes!), so please be careful!

4. Score some deals on Rue La La!

Pros: Rue La La often features Lilly Pulitzer items on their site. I was able to find a You Gotta Regatta bikini bottom for half the retail price.

Cons: Very limited sizes.