Let’s Talk Shop
A weekly podcast for the small business owner and creative entrepreneur to help you grow your wholesale. Brought to you by Therese from the Small Business Collaborative. Find out how buyers select new products, what it takes to make a product successful, how to build a long-standing relationship with a retailer and what you can do to stand out.
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Episodes
Monday Sep 25, 2023
Monday Sep 25, 2023
🎙️ Welcome back to Let's Talk Shop, the podcast where we delve into the world of retail businesses. Today, I am joined by a special guest who has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the world of buying and marketing. Get ready to be inspired as we welcome Bryony Taylor Edwards, the head of marketing and home and gift and interiors buyers at Yarnton Home and Garden.
In this episode, we dive deep into the art of building relationships with buyers, understanding what works and what doesn't. Bryony shares invaluable insights into contacting buyers, creating memorable interactions, and the power of consistent communication. From product seeding to the importance of personal connections, we uncover the secrets to capturing the attention of buyers and establishing a loyal customer base.
But that's not all! We also discuss the crucial role of marketing and branding in the success of product businesses. With Bryony’'s expertise, we explore the power of authentic storytelling, effective product packaging, and how to stand out in competitive marketplaces. Plus, Bryony shares her own experiences consulting on brand marketing and buying strategy, offering valuable tips and strategies for entrepreneurs looking to grow their wholesale business.
Get ready for an episode packed with insights, valuable advice, and inspiring success stories.
00:00:00 Podcast with Bryony Taylor Edwards from Yarnton Home and Garden.
00:04:57 Big space, eye-catching products, customer service
00:06:38 Product seeding: inspiring customer loyalty for small brands.
00:11:20 Inconsistent contact hampers brand recognition, competition tough.
00:12:41 Regular contact with buyers brings success.
00:16:47 London lobbyist turned garden center worker and consultant.
00:21:57 Imagery and brand messaging essential for sales.
00:24:02 Suppliers who ease my life, organize me.
00:28:05 Instagram primary contact for small business marketing.
Bryony is Head of Marketing and Home, Gift, and Interior buyer at Yarnton Home & Garden. In her spare time, she consults on brand marketing and buying strategy.
Over the course of her 5 years at Yarnton the Home, Garden, and Gift store has grown to include a huge toyshop, a new clothing area stocking women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing and apparel, and a large home, gift and stationary area.
Before starting at Yarnton Home & Garden Bryony had never done a day’s buying her background was in marketing and brand building. However, she learned on the job and loved every moment. She was delighted when Yarnton Home & Garden won The Greats Awards, Best Garden Centre Gift Retailer Award. Other high points have included working with local and small suppliers and using her marketing and branding knowledge to promote the many small businesses doing things well.
www.yarntonhomegarden.co.uk
Instagram @yarntonhomegarden
And Bryony can be found on insta @bryony_tayloredwards where you can tap into a wealth of marketing and branding advice, aimed at small businesses
My links
https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Welcome to another episode of "Let's Talk Shop!" In today's episode, we’re flipping the script. As I asked our guest, Nina Elegba to interview me for a change. We chat about everything from selling hot dogs outside nightclubs to becoming a successful business owner. We talk about the role of gratitude, manifestation, and finding your own unique methods to stay calm, grounded, and aligned in the business world. So grab a cup of coffee and join us as we explore the keys to success, the power of trade bodies, and the joy of connecting with your audience.
Timstamps
[00:01:33] Thank you to Instagram community for questions.
[00:04:55] Instagram helped with daily gratitude through coffee.
[00:08:09] Former sales head at publisher led multiple departments, curated books for retailers, sought work-life balance by transitioning to small business with more flexibility, ultimately made redundant due to lack of cash flow management.
[00:12:49] Selling blackjack and hot dogs in Sweden.
[00:14:54] Stay active, engage, and prioritize visitors.
[00:18:40] Industry involvement crucial for representation and support.
[00:21:46] Benefits of working for yourself: flexibility, control, self-support, rest, balance, business needs, personal needs.
[00:25:50] CRM system: Absade for sales, Thinkific for courses. Whiteboard tracks clients and calls.
[00:29:44] Manifestation journal helps attract ideal audience daily.
[00:32:07] I love my work and stay positive.
[00:35:55] Road trip analogy: map stops to save money
[00:38:38] Various independent shops for homeware, gifts, and stationery.
[00:42:57] Advice for younger self: embrace spontaneous living.
[00:44:37] Workplace, brand, indie biz, Instagram, LinkedIn.
About Nina
Nina Elegba is the woman behind Recess living. Recess facilitates creative workshops, supper clubs, panel talks and workplace wellbeing events, as well as supporting companies in creating people-centred workplaces that nurture these conversations.
https://www.recessliving.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/recess-living/
https://www.instagram.com/recessliving/
Award yourself with a little selfcare moment - refer your company or someone you know to Recess, if they book a workshop, not only will the team thank you for a wonderful experience, you will also get a £100 voucher to spend on selfcare. https://www.recessliving.com/referral-program
My links
https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Sep 11, 2023
Monday Sep 11, 2023
In this episode of Let's Talk Shop, we have a special guest, David Nichols-Rice, who shares his journey and experiences in the creative industry. With a background in working with artists and trade shows, David discusses his love for wholesale and the rewarding yet challenging aspects of being a sole decision-maker. He shares insights on launching his own line of greeting cards, pivoting to online sales during the pandemic, and creating authentic relationships with retailers. Join us as we dive into David's story of resilience and success in the greeting card industry.
Time Stamps:
00:00 - Introduction to the episode
01:15 - Guest speaker, David, introduces himself and his background in the creative industry
02:30 - David's passion for wholesale and trade shows
03:45 - Launching his own line of greeting cards and the challenges and rewards of working alone
05:15 - Transitioning to online sales during the pandemic and partnering with a local company
07:30 - Sourcing and curating other products for his business
08:45 - The importance of trade shows and face-to-face interactions for David's business
10:30 - Highlights of David's journey, including being a finalist in the Christmas card category
12:15 - Lessons learned and advice for success in building relationships with retailers
14:00 - The role of Instagram in engaging with stockists and researching potential partnerships
15:30 - The significance of trade shows in the marketing budget and successful collaborations
17:00 - Personalizing interactions with stockists through printed catalogs and handwritten notes
19:00 - The importance of nurturing relationships and being patient with customers
20:30 - Strategies for marketing and investing in trade shows as the business grows
22:15 - Overcoming challenges with asking for contact details and incorporating it into conversations
23:45 - David's passion for greeting cards and stationery, and the story behind the name "Ricacle"
26:00 - Learning to leverage strengths and outsource tasks in managing a startup budget
28:15 - Developing relationships with retailers and seeking their input for new collections
30:00 - Future plans and stepping out of the comfort zone with phone-related projects
About David
David is the designer and founder of greeting card publisher Ricicle Cards. Based in a seaside town just outside of Bristol, he creates colourful, charming and whimsical greeting cards. There's plenty of illustration, hand-lettering and luxe hot foil going on in the collection and in addition to his own designs, he loves collaborating with talented artists from across the world to bring his ideas to life.
www.riciclecards.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/riciclecards
Facebook: www.facebook.com/riciclecards
My links
https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
In this episode of Let's Talk Shop, host Therese interviews Hannah Paine, the founder of Epanoui. Hannah shares her journey of starting a jewellery brand and opening a brick and mortar store. She discusses the challenges she faced, the importance of integrating herself within the community, and the careful growth of her business. With her unique perspective as both a brand owner and a shop buyer, Hannah offers valuable insights into the wholesale market and the success of independent brands.
Time Stamps:
- [00:00:00] Introduction to Let's Talk Shop and guest Hannah
- [00:01:11] Discussing the podcast hiatus and the excitement of bringing it back
- [00:01:56] Hannah's journey of starting her jewellery brand from her kitchen table
- [00:04:06] Taking a break from wholesale when the shop became too demanding
- [00:05:17] The unique approach of being both a brand owner and a shop buyer
- [00:06:45] Building buyer confidence with successful product sales in a smaller town
- [00:07:01] Hannah's love for buying from small brands and the visual alignment of products
- [00:08:20] The importance of customer engagement and creating a memorable shopping experience
About Epanoui
Hannah Paine is the founder of Epanoui, a jewellery brand inspired by nature. She started her business in 2012 and has since grown it into a successful independent lifestyle store in Bedford.
Hannah's team handcrafts each jewellery piece, and she has a unique perspective as both a brand owner and a shop buyer. With a passion for supporting small brands, Hannah is always on the lookout for unique products that visually align with her shop's aesthetic.
https://epanoui.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/epanouilifestyle/
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Welcome back to Let's Talk Shop! In today's episode, we have a very special guest joining us. Sakina Bouy, the visionary behind The Somerset Toiletry Co, will be sharing her incredible journey in the toiletry industry. From navigating through economic crashes to understanding ever-changing legislation, Sakina has built an impressive brand known for its integrity and beauty.
Tune in as she discusses the expansion of her company, the importance of understanding market demands, and the challenges faced in today's business landscape. We'll also delve into the impact of Brexit, the company's commitment to becoming more environmentally sound, and the exciting plans for future growth. Get ready for an eye-opening conversation filled with insights, trends, and the passion behind creating luxury products at reasonable pricing.
Timestamps
[00:00:00] Shop is back, featuring Somerset Toiletry Co.
[00:03:41] Toiletry company offers luxury products at reasonable prices.
[00:07:59] Economy crashed, expanded products, different market appeal.
[00:11:41] Trade show relationships, new storefront excitement.
[00:13:29] Store owners guide us, customers influence trends.
[00:19:15] Industry stricter due to legislation, Brexit impact.
[00:23:40] Post-Brexit, business faces challenges amid changing landscape.
[00:29:36] COVID brought big wins: garden centers open, internet sales booming. Men's/unisex products sell well. Teams improve. Son's product development adds value. Manufacturing sorted out, soap base a win. Mixed weather in June and July.
[00:31:41] Expanding offices, retail, cafe, and products.
More about The Somerset Toiletry Co
Founded in 1999, serial entrepreneur Roger and aromatherapy expert Sakina identified a gap in the market to produce beautiful, honestly priced luxury toiletries. Following the initial success of producing body care for other companies, the business developed their own popular collections. Design is at the core of the business, as the team of extremely gifted designers, tirelessly create exquisite packaging for each and every product. Over the years the company has been recognised for many prestigious awards for business and design, including the Queens Award for Enterprise.
Trade Fairs all over the world have been used to build brand awareness and develop valued customer relationships. The Somerset Toiletry Co. gifts can be found on most UK high streets and garden centres and are now sold in over 50 countries worldwide. We’ve had busy time in recent years, opening a soap manufacturing facility in Somerset using sustainable palm oil. We also run a café and gift shop from our HQ in Somerset and give space to homeless charity Billy Chip. The future continues to look bright for the business as Zantore, Sakina’s son has recently joined the company.
https://www.instagram.com/thesomersettoiletrycompany/
https://www.facebook.com/SomersetDistributionUK
https://thesomersettoiletryco.co.uk/
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Season 6 is coming to an end and in this episode, Sasha and I speak about how we both found the experience of working together and what she’s learned about growing her sales.
We also set some goals for the next 6 months and talk about what’s been surprising and what’s worked and hasn’t worked.
Growing your wholesale and your sales can feel lonely and challenging at times but remember that consistency and staying focused is the way to go. If you need help and would like to work together in 2022, please apply to work with me via my website.
Please like and subscribe if you enjoy this episode and please feel free to leave us questions in the comments.
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LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
https://www.southsearock.com/
https://www.creasedcards.com/
https://www.jeffandthesquirrel.co.uk/
My wholesale courses: https://smallbusinesscollaborative.mykajabi.com/online-courses-beginners-guide
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🔔 Subscribe for the latest! ➡️ https://bit.ly/letstalkshopYT
🚀🍾 Let’s work together ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
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Hello 🙋🏻♀️, I'm Therese Oertenblad and I help business owners start and grow their wholesale, get clear on their prices and margins and sell more.
RESOURCES:
FREE Canva line sheet template ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
FREE Third-party wholesale marketplace guide ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
✏️For all my business tips and hacks ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/blog
💌Get my newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/3EfzIkZ
📲Behind the scenes and tips on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Today we’re in Brighton where Sasha cold calls on shops in the hopes of getting some new stockists so that she can grow her wholesale business.
Cold calling, whether by phone, email, or in-person can be very scary but it doesn’t have to me. When it comes to cold calling practice really does make a huge difference, in particular, if you visit in person.
In-person cold calling will allow you to check if the store is a good fit before you approach and you will often find out the name of the buyer and get their initial reaction.
In between Sasha’s store visits, we do little mini-interviews about how it felt and we hope these will help you get more comfortable with cold calling and help you grow your business.
We also visit one of Cheeky Zebra’s stockists and see the cards out in real life.
Next Monday we will be back with another episode where we will talk about where Sasha is now with her wholesale and how she hopes to grow it over the next half a year.
Please like and subscribe if you enjoy this episode and please feel free to leave us questions in the comments.
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LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Sasha’s longest stockist: https://www.creasedcards.com/
My wholesale courses: https://smallbusinesscollaborative.mykajabi.com/online-courses-beginners-guide
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🔔 Subscribe for the latest! ➡️ https://bit.ly/letstalkshopYT
🚀🍾 Let’s work together ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
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RESOURCES:
FREE Canva line sheet template ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
FREE Third-party wholesale marketplace guide ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
✏️For all my business tips and hacks ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/blog
💌Get my newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/3EfzIkZ
📲Behind the scenes and tips on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Nov 08, 2021
Monday Nov 08, 2021
Since Sasha has done some wholesale in the past and had lost a bit/a lot of faith in it we needed to put the right foundations in place this time around to avoid costly mistakes and work way to hard for no return.
We started from the very basics with setting Sasha’s wholesale terms and prices and then moved on to creating her new and much improved wholesale catalogue. Since Sasha’s range is so big, she basically has a greeting card for every occasion you may ever come across, and of course, in a brick and mortar store, it’s unlikely they could fit as many and such a big range could be overwhelming. As such, Sasha did a lot of work on refining her wholesale range to include all her bestseller before creating her catalogue.
Remember to have a look over on Instagram as we wanted to show you the difference between Sasha’s old catalogue and the new one.
In this episode of Let’s talk shop, we talk about:
How to set your wholesale prices.
New catalogue vs. old catalogue, what Sasha do differently this time around?
How to set your wholesale terms? Hint: you set your terms!
Please like and subscribe if you enjoy this episode and please feel free to leave us questions in the comments.
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🔔 Subscribe for the latest! ➡️ https://bit.ly/letstalkshopYT
🚀🍾 Let’s work together ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
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RESOURCES:
FREE Canva line sheet template ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
FREE Third-party wholesale marketplace guide ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
✏️For all my business tips and hacks ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/blog
💌Get my newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/3EfzIkZ
📲Behind the scenes and tips on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Monday Nov 01, 2021
In this continuation of us documenting Sasha’s wholesale journey, we speak about selling.
Insecurities around selling are very common and sometimes they show up in very strange ways. It’s very easy to make yourself very busy to avoid having to step outside of your comfort zone and sell your products.
In this episode, we talk about how this showed up for Sasha and what tweaks we’ve made to her workweek to set her up for success so she can reach more retail buyers and get stocked in more shops.
In this episode of Let’s talk shop, we talk about:
What Sasha has done in the past to sell her products.
How we implemented a bit more structure to Sasha’s week and what that feel like.
What retailers to target and what to say?
Mindset - insecurities to start and to continue to sell. How some insecurities show up in peculiar ways.
How to reframe and prioritise selling and how a sales mindset changed how you showed up online.
Please like and subscribe if you enjoy this episode and please feel free to leave us questions in the comments.
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🔔 Subscribe for the latest! ➡️ https://bit.ly/letstalkshopYT
🚀🍾 Let’s work together ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
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RESOURCES:
FREE Canva line sheet template ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
FREE Third-party wholesale marketplace guide ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
✏️For all my business tips and hacks ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/blog
💌Get my newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/3EfzIkZ
📲Behind the scenes and tips on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
Monday Oct 25, 2021
Monday Oct 25, 2021
It’s not always that everything goes to plan when you try something new.
When Sasha from Checky Zebra first started to wholesale her greetings cards she would have looked very successful to most of us, getting a big order from a well-known multi-chain card retailer but all was not as well as it might have looked on the surface. In reality, it was very stressful and in the end, Sasha had very little to show for all that hard work.
This really put a damper on her wholesale experience and her focus turned to growing her business using Facebook ads instead and up until recently this worked really well until the ads for Father’s day flopped and Sasha’s sales fell off a cliff.
Building a sustainable and successful business takes resilience and bravery and when something doesn’t go to plan it’s your ability to pick yourself up and admit that it’s not always unicorns and roses.
Diversifying your sales channels can help you grow a much more resilient and sustainable business and over the last few months I have been mentoring Sasha to start to wholesale again and we documented her experience and can’t wait to share it all with you.
In this first episode of Let’s talk shop, we talk about:
Sacha’s previous experience wholesale with lots of funny stories!
Sasha’s reluctance to do wholesale.
And we set some goals for Sasha’s wholesale for this year and next.
Please like and subscribe if you enjoy this episode.
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LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Facebook ads expert: https://www.carlystringer.com/
Sasha’s longest stockist: https://www.creasedcards.com/
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🔔 Subscribe for the latest! ➡️ https://bit.ly/letstalkshopYT
🚀🍾 Let’s work together ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/
----------------------------------------------------
RESOURCES:
FREE Canva line sheet template ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
FREE Third-party wholesale market place guide ➡️ https://bit.ly/freebieYT
✏️For all my business tips and hacks ➡️ https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/blog
💌Get my newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/3EfzIkZ
📲Behind the scenes and tips on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/
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