We work hard to afford all the necessities of life but we also make room for a little extra to indulge in a few luxuries. Being vain isn’t necessarily a sin because we need to make an effort to look pleasing and presentable to others but it shouldn’t be the focus of our lives. It’s okay to look great as long as you’re not spending a fortune or misallocating your resources in pursuit of the aesthetics.
What’s even better is to have a business in fashion, so you make money while looking fabulous all the time. It’s a win-win solution just as long as your business clicks. A lot of fashion and retail businesses are closing these days while others close their stores only to sell online because sales are low. If you have an eye for fashion and can make trendy or classic fashion that people will love, then you’d probably make it despite the odds.
Welcome to the lightning-paced modern-day beauty world, where the customer is not just always right, but intimately involved.
To say that the beauty game has changed is an understatement. The playbook that brands large and small relied upon for so many decades to launch, grow, and sell is now akin to an old Yellow Pages where everyone has moved away and no one has a landline anymore, anyway. While barriers have come down for some, they have unexpectedly gone up for others.
So, what does it take to build a brand today? This month, I asked inspired founders and market innovators to share their best advice. If there were a recipe for creating a new beauty brand — one poised for both immediate success and sustainable long-term growth — what would the ingredients be?
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“Authenticity” Is Not a Marketing Term
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Have a Mission and a Message — and Stay True to It at All Costs
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Be Close to the Consumer: Create a Dialogue and Make It Real
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Be Transparent, About Everything
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Even If You’re Big, Act Small
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Think About Cadence
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Be Open to Changing “How Things Are Done”
Businesses, no matter what it is, must take advantage of the World Wide Web in growing and promoting their brand. Everybody uses social media nowadays and it makes perfect sense to use this tool too in how they run their business. You’d be surprised at the power of social networks in catapulting something or someone into fame.
Australia‘s appetite for online shopping is surging – despite a lower Australian dollar – as growth in overseas sales drives the online retail market.
Data obtained from Australia Post reveals that overseas sales now make up just over 40 per cent of all online purchases in Australia, up from just 25 per cent just five years ago, when the Australian dollar was above parity with the US dollar.
“What we have found is that the Australian dollar really has very little to do with people’s online buying habits,” said Ben Franzi, general manager of eCommerce at Australia Post.
“The reason is simple – the level of the dollar also affects the prices of items at old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar retailers in Australia, and the majority of goods are imported.”
Another stumbling block or opportunity, depending on how you see it, is the growing preference of shoppers to shop online. Many fashion brands with physical stores are closing because nobody is buying anymore. The truth is, people have changed their shopping habits and now does most of their shopping online for their comfort and convenience. There is also a wider range of apparels to choose from and you can easily jump from one online store to the other if you want variety in your choices.
So, keep in mind to set up an online shop if ever you plan on establishing your own fashion business to stay closer to your customers and to make use of social media in promoting your business. Competition is tough and you have to stay relevant for people to remember your business. The best way to stay relevant these days is to go digital and establish a strong social media following because business is booming when people are talking.