Seed for Success | Empowering Women Entreprenuers

It has been a long and challenging summer, but well worth the effort… www.RedKoala.com is open for business! Now the fun begins: Branding, Marketing, Sales, Partnerships, etc…

This week I am preparing for a large tradeshow at the AmericasMart in Atlanta over the weekend. Many of the major boutique owners from the East Coast will be there shopping for items to sell in their stores. This is a great opportunity to get my products in front of them without having to travel from door to door. People are amazed by the outstanding quality of our art and I’m confident that many of these boutique owners will feel the same. I have worked frantically to have samples produced and brochures printed.

It took me a while to develop a plan for retail and I think I have come up with the best solution. I am offering retail outlets access to my online canvas designer to create custom designed pieces of art, at a wholesale price, to sell in their stores. The store owner, or a designer, will create art to match the store’s other offerings such as crib sets and drapery. The custom designed art will be showcased on the store walls. The store itself will be able to sell the art for a premium because it was custom designed to match a particular bed set or room decor. This system allows for some personalization by the customer and no inventory for the store to carry.

In addition to retail, I will market my services and products to interior designers who are always looking for fresh and innovative products for their clients. Not only is our art fabulous, but you can find something to match any room. We currently have 6 artists that all have unique styles and provide exclusive images for the Red Koala Canvas Co. We will work with designers or customers to commission our artists to paint an image not currently offered on our site. It’s a one stop shop for custom art.

In total, there are three major markets for our business: retail, interior designers, and customers/moms who like to design or want to give a special gift. This market will be challenging to reach through all of the clutter in magazines and online. However, there are plenty of moms out there that would love this service so I will work hard to make sure they know about the Red Koala.

Each segment in of itself is a large market. In the next month I will put together a detailed marketing plan on how to reach each of these segments. I am really excited to have some great conversations with my mentors and get their advice on marketing and partnerships. So please go visit www.RedKoala.com and give me your feedback or even better buy some art!

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Posted by Abby Port