Nick Tart – Founder of 14clicks.com

Nick Tart

At 23 years old, entrepreneur Nick Tart has launched two successful companies, Juniorbiz and Monument Marketing. His newest business venture is 14clicks.com, a website that helps young entrepreneurs become successful by providing resources and advice aimed at making your business sky rocket.

I caught up with Nick and he shared with me what he wishes he would have learned in business school

Nick and I discuss:

• Internet marketing -creating quality content to drive traffic to your blog
• Freelancing – discovering which skills of yours are useful and who they are useful to
• Networking – Listen up graduates! using networking to develop trust, create value & land job offers. Nick recommends visiting Meetup.com 
• Go for it – Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from starting something. Get up and get started!

Erin Blaskie – CEO BSTEC

Erin Blaskie

 I recently came across a list online titled 10 Blogs By Entrepreneurs You Should Be Reading.  I was especially impressed with Erin Blaskie’s blog. Erin Blaskie is the founder and CEO of BSTEC, a company that has assisted over 300 entrepreneurs in launching their companies.

What types of tasks should business owners outsource ?

Business owners should outsource any task that isn’t directly generating revenue for them or, tasks that they don’t have to do themselves. An example would be: imagine you are a coach and you earn your income by speaking to people one-on-one. Doing website changes or your ezine is not necessarily an income generating task for you so you would outsource that. This way, the hour or two you were spending per day doing random tasks can now be spent taking on more clients.

What types of tasks do you recommend business owners handle themselves, rather than using a virtual assistant ?

Business owners should handle the tasks that require their presence or their expertise. If you’re a coach, you want to do your own coaching calls. If you’re a writer, you should do your own writing (although, some writers still use ghostwriters!) Also, any task that requires big decision-making for your company should be done by you (unless of course you have a COO) as well as the big picture vision planning for the company.

What are some big mistakes you see companies make when outsourcing ?

Some companies are too quick to hire and fire their outsourcing team before giving it some time to work. What I mean by that is companies will often hire an outsourcing company or person and expect that they are going to be able to jump in and know everything there is to know about the company. Just like in “real” jobs (I call any job that isn’t entrepreneurship a “real” job), there is always a training period or a probation period. You need to give the relationship some time to cultivate and you need to provide ample direction and vision to team members – especially those that are virtual.

What are 3 of your top tips on successfully managing employees ?

(1) Be clear. You want to make sure that the messages you are sending to your team are clear, concise and an actual depiction of what you want. Use examples, provide deadlines and be detailed as that will help you achieve the results you are after.

(2) Provide vision. Don’t expect the team to know the goals for your company. Set the tone for your team by providing the 3, 5 or 10 year goals of the company as well as the immediate, short-term goals.

 (3) Don’t micro-manage. Hire people whose talents you trust and then let go. By letting go, you’ll allow your team to do what they do best so you can focus on other things. Waiting by your e-mail inbox or your telephone for tasks to come back or directing your team on how things should be done will just cost you precious time.

Can you give us some specific examples of how you have implemented these employee management tips into managing your team at BSTEC ?

(1) Clarity. We have video demos, training resources and extensive documentation on how certain things should be handled. We also use Basecamp to organize projects, have discussions and share the workload so we can maintain clarity in our company and with our client’s companies.

(2) Vision. The team is consistently checking in with me to see what the goals are of the company, both short and long-term, and I’m relaying that to them often. We also request that our clients do the same.

(3) Micro-managing. We hire excellent team members and then trust the process. Each team member can do their work in their own style so long as the end result is the same.

Erin’s weekly 5 – minutes or less podcast series is a must listen for the aspiring entrepreneur. On my first visit to Erin’s blog I tuned into Episode 14 which covered the best marketing tactics for your business.  What a well spent 5 minutes.

I can assure you that your first visit to Erin’s blog will be love at first click. I know mine was !

Jessica Mah – inDinero.com

Jessica Mah

My inspiration of the week comes from Jessica Mah,co-founder and CEO of , inDinero.com a platform that allows businesses to track their finances online. The slogan at the bottom of the indinero.com website reads, ” Say hello to inDinero and goodbye to accounting! “

What were 2 of the biggest hurdles you came across while trying to launch InDinero and how did you overcome these hurdles ?

 The two biggest hurdles we had were 1) convincing investors that it was a problem worth solving, and 2) figuring out how business owners would use our product.  We first thought we’d be an easier-to-use accounting solution, but quickly found out from business owners that they didn’t want that — they were instead looking for a better way to have insights into the finances behind their business, and that complex accounting reports aren’t the best solution.  By solving this problem for a few thousand business owners, we were able to convince investors that it was a problem worth solving.

 From day one what was one thing that InDinero did to keep its ears open to users and their questions / concerns ?

A lot of startups are great at listening to customer concerns via email, their blog, or twitter, but few of them actually visit their customers in-person.  For the first few months that we were in business, I’d visit dozens of our clients at their offices, and watch them use the product first-hand.  There was no better way to learn about their problems!

 What is InDinero doing today to keep its users happy ?

We’re doing more than ever on customer service — we have live-chat, a toll-free phone number, and multiple people replying to customers even through the weekend.  We’re also working on a 1YR gathering for our customers, scheduled for July.

 I understand that InDinero receives many ( or loads actually ) of product feature requests ; how does InDinero choose which requests to fill and which requests to decline ?

We have what’s called a “product thesis” — three things that we’re focused on building, and we see if feature requests fit into the thesis.  For example, our top thesis is to “help businesses become more profitable” — and thus, any requests related to “payroll” or “invoicing” will be postponed to a later date.  We also write about our top user requests every Friday on our blog.  (blog.inDinero.com)

 You and your team keep the InDinero customers happy, so how do you keep the InDinero team happy ？

There are a lot of simple ways to keep the team happy:  give them the autonomy to do what they want to do, be transparent about the direction we’re taking the company, and take the team out on fancy outings  (we’re headed to Vegas this week!)

Jessica’s blog, Mah Meet’s World , is highly entertaining, documenting her life as a young CEO. If you are looking for inspiration, I know I always am, I highly suggest you take a look at Jessica’s blog and keep your eye on this girl.

Gelie Akhenblit – Founder & CEO of NetworkingPhoenix.com

Gelie Akhenblit

Gelie Akhenblit is the founder and CEO of NetworkingPhoenix.com, one of  Phoenix’s  most widely used networking and social media sites. www.networkingphoenix.com is a one stop shop for professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners looking to find networking events, professional mixers, and useful business seminars.

The site is like no other offering a free consolidated calendar publicizing events hosted by various local groups and organizations as well as a wealth of training seminars, workshops, and other educational opportunities to help individuals develop their networking skills and expand their businesses.

What is the start-up story of Networking Phoenix ?

When I first started networking, about 3 years ago, I quickly realized that there was a big gap in the market. There is a big networking community in Phoenix , but it was extremely segregated and there wasn’t a central place where networkers could come together to get information on events. I would try to plan out my networking strategy for the month and it was nearly impossible because I would find out about events the day before or after they had already happened.  As a hobby, I created a calendar to share with all my ‘networking friends’ and the rest is history. NetworkingPhoenix.com exploded onto the scene just over 2 years ago and as of today, the site lists approximately 600 events monthly on its interactive calendar. The website has been gaining tremendous popularity since its inception and now boasts nearly 13,000 members. NetworkingPhoenix.com has also become one of the most visited local non-publication or government website in Arizona and is in the top 1% of most visited global websites (source: alexa.com).

How has networking Phoenix transformed and matured since its founding ?

 NetworkingPhoenix.com has evolved in a number of ways. For one…we are already on our third version of the site. I’m sure as the years go by, the look and feel will keep getting updated. We also offer many more tools to our members, such as the Networking Passport membership. Once our members sign up for this program, they can attend many of the other group’s events for free. This program is very popular and we are constantly evolving it to keep adding value for our members.

What are 3 top networking don’ts ?

Don’t push your product or service, push yourself. People want to do business with YOU.

-          Don’t monopolize people’s time. Give others and yourself, a chance to work the room.

-          Don’t hand out your business card to everybody in the room. Make a connection, THEN exchange cards.

 What are 3 top networking dos ?

 -          Do be yourself. Genuine people are easy to work with and hard to forget.

-          Do ask open ended questions. Engage people by listening more and talking less.

-          Do follow-up. Show people that you follow through, reconnect within the first 3 days.

  In July you wrote a post about the gift of fearlessness. Can you tell us a little bit about this post ?

I read a quote that inspired me to write an entire blog on this topic. The quote read ‘Fearlessness is a gift, because where it exists, all things are possible.’ This quote really spoke to me because my whole life people have been telling me that I’m fearless. I’m not sure I agree with that comment, because we all have fear, I’ve just learned to deal with it differently. Somewhere along the lines, I made the conscious choice to live everyday of my life to the fullest and that involves doing a lot of things that make me uncomfortable and push me to grow. I’d like to think that in my life anything will be possible J

How do you recommend aspiring entrepreneurs balance job security with taking the big leap to starting their own business ? Is there a balance or do entrepreneurs simply need to take calculated risks ?

 In order to start your own business you need to be backed by capital. Period, end of story. Whether that means that you save up for over a year before you quit your job, you depend on your spouses’ income or you take out a loan…the money has to come from somewhere. For me personally, quitting my career at 26 was a tough choice (brutally scary) but also extremely exhilarating. My entire life I have strived to NEVER depend on anyone else financially, and for the first time in my life I found myself completely dependent on my husband. In fact, I was so scared of quitting my job that I actually built out as much of the business as I could before taking that leap. The first month out on my own, I had 4 paying clients because I built up my network before quitting my job. So there are definitely ways to take calculated risks, but at some point you just have to jump in and go for it.

 What are the keys to connecting like minded people ?

This is a simple one – being authentic and genuine. When you are true to yourself, you attract like-minded people. In fact, this is a great filtering process. I have a whole bunch of layers…and the only way to get to me is to go through my layers. This is not very difficult for anyone that’s like-minded. The people that don’t get it just keep moving on because there is no connection between us.

Email has served as the biggest tool in promoting Networking Phoenix . How do you prevent emails promoting Networking Phoenix from coming off as spamish ? What role does word of mouth play here ?

The other day at the end of teaching a seminar, a gentlemen came up to me and said ‘I’ve been getting your emails for quite some time now, and I’m so pleased to learn (after meeting you) that you are just like in your emails.’ I thought this was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received because I try so hard to be genuine in my emails. There is nothing worse than spamming people with sales-like info that they don’t want. I basically figure that if I wouldn’t like something done or said a certain way…others won’t like it either. So everything I say in my emails has to be a reflection of me and how I would like things to be promoted.

Word of mouth is huge in this capacity because people forward my email to their friends/colleagues all the time and tell them to create a profile on our site.

Any expansion / development ideas for Networking Phoenix or more interestingly for your personal brand, Gelie Akhenblit ?

There are so many exciting things to come!! This is just the beginning. There needs to be one of these websites in every single major city of the U.S. and I plan on making that happen. We are still fleshing out the model here and working with the various revenue streams, and as soon as we feel we are ready to duplicate this in another market, we’ll take it national. My personal, Gelie, brand will grow along with the company and I do plan on writing multiple books and teaching others what I’ve learned along the way.

Last, but not least how do you stay motivated and enthusiastic about work and life in general ?

The work doesn’t really feel like work because it’s my life – if that makes sense? I feel motivated because this is a great resource to so many people that desperately need to connect with others, especially in this economic climate. When someone comes up to me and tells me they found their job because of attending one of our events or that they landed the biggest client of their career because of NetworkingPhoenix.com, I feel good. Sometimes I can’t even wrap my mind around all the connections I’ve helped facilitate, but I believe in Karma, so I know it’s all going to come back to me J

I’m also very blessed to have a wonderful team around me. It started with just an idea that I had, but now we have a big team of very talented individuals and working with them on a daily basis is fun and rewarding in itself.

Sheila Seiler – BEAN-Shanghai President

Sheila Seiler

Sheila Seiler joined BEAN in 2009 after making a New Years resolution to be more social. BEAN Shanghai  ( http://shanghai.beanonline.org/ )  is the biggest community outreach organization in Shanghai with about 1,800 members that hosts volunteer events every weekend and social and networking activities several times per month.

How did BEAN start ?

BEAN – Shanghai started two years ago by a woman named Aimee Haynes who had been a member of BEAN – Seattle, which is the first BEAN internationally. BEAN – Shanghai is the second BEAN branch and now there are branches all over the world: New York, Seoul, Hong Kong, and so on. In Seattle, BEAN was primarily a networking and social group that occasionally participated in volunteer events. But for Shanghai, Aimee set it up as a volunteer organization that hosts networking nights and social activities a few times a month. She began it because she was frustrated by the lack of volunteer activities and programs in Shanghai, so decided to create them herself. Since then, she’s left to go to law school in Philadelphia, but comes back to visit at least once a year (and this year, three times).

How many members belong to BEAN ?

BEAN officially has 1,800 members and a third of those members are active. We define an “active” member as someone who volunteers or attends an event at least once a quarter. Some people come out every weekend, some once a month, some once a quarter, and some just stay members because they like getting the newsletter each week.

What are the biggest challenges you face in operating a charity organization in Shanghai ? Have you faced any unique ( to China ) legal issues ?

Our largest challenge by far is creating enough events to accommodate the demand. People in Shanghai are really excited about the chance to work hands on with orphans, disabled adults, migrant students, the elderly, even abandoned animals- really anyone in need. We feel that our role in Shanghai is to support that enthusiasm by making sure that we provide quality volunteer programs for busy working professionals. This means that we want to make sure that our volunteers don’t need to attend a lengthy orientation, pay membership dues, sign a long-term commitment, or even speak Chinese or English in order to get involved. Regarding legal issues, we’re extremely careful to make sure that everything we do demonstrates that we’re a friend to China and that we’re here to help in whatever way we can.

How does BEAN use social media to promote its events ?

BEAN – Shanghai was originally a Facebook group that would post events that people could attend by writing in. Almost two years ago, we got our website, provided by the BEAN – Seattle team, which became a better way of featuring volunteer opportunities. We were really lucky that the website was up and running before Facebook got blocked because I think that the organization would have suffered if we hadn’t been prepared. Besides the website, we also have a weekly newsletter so that people can stay informed without even having to log in. We post large-scale events on magazine websites and blogs like Shanghaiist, but by far our greatest tool in getting the message out there has been the BEAN website. We keep meaning to update more on Twitter and maybe this article will be a good impetus for us to start that up again.

What has been the single most powerful force in the growth of BEAN ?

Last year we changed our focus from primarily focusing on the needs of the charity and the people in need who we help to considering with equal importance the needs of the volunteer. We realized that by stripping away language requirements, we were able to attract more Chinese volunteers. By making sure that all of our events are located near public transport, we were able to attract volunteers of different social classes. By having a team of confident, trained leaders, we were able to focus on supporting the volunteers so that they could do the best work possible- basically, taking the fear out of volunteering. This made our events more fun and engaging for the volunteers, which made them want to come back to other BEAN events, which gave us a strong following of committed people. We now have a huge base of loyal members who look forward to their weekends because they’re often more enriching or enlightening than what they get to do at work. Having such a strong base has made it so that we can tackle more challenging projects, which has then helped take many of our charities to the next level by providing them with resources, funding, and volunteers that they never would have otherwise had.

Can you tell us what happened at BEAN’s most recent event ?

This past Saturday we went to our sponsored elder care center to do our monthly visit with them. Each time we go, we play western games like Jenga and Chinese games like mah jong and Chinese chess. Our volunteers really like teaching the elderly how to play different games and the elderly people enjoy teasing the younger generation about their mah jong skills. For the people at this elder care center, our visit each month is often the only time they get intellectual stimulation, extra care and attention, and the feeling like they’re important and not forgotten. For the volunteers, they can practice their Chinese or bond with someone who’s unconditionally happy to see them. The event was supposed to last an hour and a half, but it lasted almost three hours because no one wanted to leave. It’s a great example of how considering both the needs of the volunteer and the population we serve benefits everyone.

Can you tell us a little bit about an upcoming BEAN event ?

We host volunteer events every Saturday and Sunday, networking nights one Monday each month, and social events once or twice a month. Our social events always focus on some aspect of Chinese culture or are something that’s better to do in a large group than with yourself or just a few friends. Our next big event is Rocksgiving for Charity, a charity concert that we’re hosting with Shanghaiist on the American Thanksgiving on November 25. We’ve found four amazing bands, including Boys Climbing Ropes, who will play for free, and are in the process of contacting sponsors for the event. It’ll be at Lune and should be an amazing night- and all for charity!

What words of encouragement do you have for those who are considering joining BEAN ?

If you’re looking for something fun and rewarding to do on the weekend, then this could be a great fit for you. If you’re looking to experience something new that you’d never be able to do otherwise or to see a different side of the city, then we’ve got that covered too. If you want to donate your time or skills to others without having to dedicate every weekend to it, then we can help you with that. If you’re looking to meet *real* Chinese or foreign friends, then this could be a good way to meet some really fun people. Actually, that last point is important- all of my best friends who are Chinese are people I’ve met through BEAN and the same goes for most of my laowai friends here. What better way to make an instant connection with someone than by undertaking some project together or participating in an event with a bunch of people you’ve never met?

I was honored to chat with Sheila over coffee last Tuesday in Shanghai.

I am now officially a BEAN member.  Join me !

http://shanghai.beanonline.org/join

 Signing up is quick and easy. Now I can view photos of previous events to see if I may be keen to attend a similar event in the future. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming BEAN event !

Dr Mathew McDougall – Sinotech Group CEO

Dr Mathew McDougall

Dr Mathew McDougall founded SinoTech Group, now one of China’s largest digital performance marketing companies in 2007 after recognizing China’s need for an integrated digital advertising performance company.  SinoTech Group works with multinational and large local Chinese companies in providing; social media, search marketing and affiliate marketing solutions.

What is the startup story of SinoTech Group?

I had a vision of creating world-class technology in China and having this used around the world… this was even the basis for our company name, “SinoTech Group”. I believed that as China grew and matured it had the ability to produce innovative technology people that I could draw on in a new technology start-up. My team and I first wanted to create digital marketing technologies that focused on measurement and analytics. It appeared these solutions were lacking some 4-5 years ago and I felt we could fit this need. Since developing web analytics solutions, we have now extended in social media marketing… an interesting area that needs a set of new guidelines and approaches that we are aiming to fill.

From day one, what has been Sinotech’s objective and what were some of Sinotech’s aspirations as a startup company ?

Our number one aspiration was to build a significant company that changed the way we thought and conducted digital marketing. We have not shifted from this goal and still seek to achieve this with as much passion as we started out with some 4 years ago.

Do you feel that online media is complementing or replacing traditional media?

With the rising influence of online media, I’ve seen the shifting away from traditional media towards digital… I don’t believe digital media will ever replace the other forms such as print, press and outdoor but it is certainly gaining mainstream appeal as digital has proven to add value above and below the line.

What are some online advertising trends you recommend companies keep their eyes on as 2011 approaches?

Social media analytics: (this will become mainstream just as web analytics did in 2000). Gain understanding of brand value and sentiment through social channel analysis.

Location Based Services (LBS): Using phones and tablet devices to ‘check-in’ and you will be rewarded with vouchers and special offers in stores located close to where you are presently.

Social Commerce: the bringing together of e-commerce and social networking sites to gain significant discounts through group buying as well as recommendation engines providing discounting because of engagement with the community or brands.

Maria Korolov – Trombly International

 Maria Korolov

While doing research on conducting business in Shanghai, I came across Maria Korolov’s post, How to Become a Shanghai Entrepreneur.  Not only did Maria’s article lead to lots of useful information concerning the entrepreneur community here in Shanghai, but it introduced me to Maria herself.

Maria Korolov (formerly Maria Trombly) is founder and president of Trombly International, a Massachusetts-based company which runs emerging markets news bureaus for US business and trade publications. Maria was based in Shanghai from 2004 – 2008 and now resides in Massachusetts.

Maria exemplifies the dedicated journalist, stopping at nothing in order to deliver a thorough report. Maria spent a month in the trenches with Abzhazian separatists, followed the Georgian guard as they looted and pillaged their way through Western Georgia during the civil war with the Zviadists, and was twice taken prisoner.

What opportunities does China present for a business that the US is unable to offer?

 China’s economy is growing fast, and many meets are still unmet, offering opportunities for entrepreneurship. By comparison, developed economies are often extremely mature. Any sector you might consider entering already has plenty of established companies in it, and battling them for market share is not easy. To succeed, you have to be dramatically innovative. In China, by comparison, you can copy something that’s worked elsewhere, which puts less of a burden on the entrepreneur to try to come up with something brand new.

What is the biggest impact the Chinese culture has had in the operating of Trombly ?

 Chinese culture? Not much. It can be hard to conduct an interview while the New Years fireworks are going off outside.

But seriously, the biggest problem was the lack of push-back from employees. This may not have been a cultural issue as much as an experience one, however. If I was hiring people in the US who were new to the industry, they may also not be willing to criticize management or second-guess decisions. This is a problem when I tell someone to do something wrong by mistake — or was misheard — and employees have doubts about carrying the order out but do it anyway.

In particular, Chinese students often don’t work while in high school or college, while American students have part-time jobs and internships. As a result, recent graduates from the two countries have very different expectations for the workplace. But it’s not just a Chinese thing. I’ve had employees from France who’ve had a similar experience, since their educations were paid for by the government, and they didn’t need to work.

So this isn’t so much a cultural issue, as a practical one.

From your experience, what are the main differences between managing a business in mainland China and managing a business in Hong Kong?

 Actually, I managed my business in Shanghai, but it was incorporated in Hong Kong. I have to say that everything is easier in Hong Kong — setting up a bank account, registering a company, getting anything done. People are friendly, everyone speaks English, and they go out of their way to be friendly.

Do you have any advice for enterpreneurs looking to operate a business in China ?

Join networking organizations that include people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including local Chinese entrepreneurs. There are many networking groups that afford such opportunities, and you will get a chance to socialize with Chinese people on a peer-to-peer, equal basis.

Sometimes, foreigners can fall into a trap where they see Chinese people as underlings or servants, or explain away employee problems by putting them down to cultural differences. By getting to know Chinese people who are your equals, it will be easier to avoid falling into such mental traps. As a result, you will have an easier time managing your staff. You’ll be able to find out from your Chinese peers whether it’s really a “Chinese tradition” to give employees a month off for their birthdays, or whether they’re just trying to pull your chain. (No, there’s no such tradition.)

In return, you have a lot to offer your Chinese peers as well. To start with, they get a chance to socialize with foreigners on an equal footing, making it easier for them to approach and sell to foreign customers. Then there are all the usual networking opportunities — job referrals, client referrals. And you can trade expertise — you can share your marketing or legal skills, say, in return for their help with local issues, saving both of you time and money.

Shannon Cavanagh – Estrada – Pitch! Press

Shannon Cavanagh – Estrada

Shannon and business partner Pam Roberts Malay are the founders of Pitch! Press. Pitch! Press is a PR company that offers fashion clients with affordable editorial and media coverage. Shannon and Pam place a large emphasis on honesty and expertise, which serve as the cornerstones of Pitch! Press’ success.

Can you give us a brief overview of how Pitch! Press was established?

Designers were asking for editorial coverage in the fashion and trade publications to build brand awareness at both a retail and wholesale level but didn’t have a budget for ‘full service representation’. My business partner and I both recognized a void in the public relations arena for: affordable pr as well as for a service that was streamlined and focused exclusively on the editorial arm of the pr process.

 I come from a full service marketing and public relations background and my business partner Pam Roberts Malay is a broadcast specialist and fashion industry expert.

We decided to join forces and create a business model unlike any other in the pr arena: focusing on pitching, sample request fulfillment, and securing editorial for apparel and accessory designers.

     Can you describe your PR strategy in 20 words or less ?                             

Pitch! is a press service for fashion industry clients seeking on-going editorial and media placement at an affordable monthly rate.

What does Pitch! Press offer to its clients that other PR practitioners may not necessarily be able to?

 Affordability.

Accessibility.

Dependability.

Honesty.

Expertise.

And, sincerity.

What are the main factors that help you differentiate one brand from another in order to market the brand accordingly?

As a company, we will not represent competing collections. We work with and take on collections we believe to be editorially savvy and can garner press.

Not all collections are necessarily a fit for all publications however. It is important when reaching out to the media that the product, style, or overall collection is something the editor and their reader will respond to.

For instance, fine jewelry may be more appropriate for lifestyle and luxury publications rather than say, Seventeen. Where graffiti inspired RTW may not be a fit for Oprah magazine, but certainly has a place in other books.

What role does transparency play in working with your clients?

We are very up front about how the pr process works. Consistency and timing is key. We cannot, nor can any publicist tell a publication what to shoot and when to shoot it.

From day one we require the proper pr tools: high quality seamless images, samples, line sheets, product updates, and being available to fulfill any last minute requests, because there are plenty!

What are some methods you use in order to assure that you tap into all potential media outlets for your clients?

We believe it’s important to recognize who the core customer is for each collection. Once that is established we can pinpoint how she gets her information in regards to fashion…. is it in the monthly glossies ? Dailies ? Online ? Our forte for the most part lies in the monthly fashion books, but that’s not to say we haven’t created successful pr campaigns online or through the newspapers.

Our goal is securing editorial and we happily, whole-heartedly, will reach out to the media outlets that are a fit for our clients in order to get it. We are a result driven duo.