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Niche : Home and Living
Shop link : https://www.etsy.com/shop/GlamRollups
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/glamrollups
Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/glamrollups
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/glamrollups
Website : https://www.glamrollups.com
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Tell us something about yourself. What is your niche? How did you get your idea or concept for the business?
What inspired me to start Glam Roll-Ups? It was created out of frustration and necessity. I am a self-confessed makeup junkie living in a very tiny apartment with no space. My collections of lipsticks and nail polishes became overwhelming. I have tons of lipsticks…. just my red lipstick shades were at least a dozen. I had to do something about my disorganization! My favorite lipstick shades were jammed into a jar and every time I wanted a particular hue I would have to dump out the whole jar and rummage through it. What was also annoying I kept buying lipsticks and glosses which were too similar to ones I already owned because I could not see all my lipsticks, lip glosses, lip pencils, lip stains, etc…This same mess too with my nail polishes….my nail polish case looked like an Essie display jammed into a zip lock bag. I wanted to see all of my polish colors at a glance, so I could streamline and organize them by the season, mood, or formula. Inspiration kicked in!! As an avid seamstress and former designer, I decided to make a “packable shelf” for my nail polish storage and lipstick storage. What I developed was my first Glam Roll-Up. The Smoochie holds 40+ regular size nail polishes and or 60 lipsticks. It enables me to see all my colors instantly and keeps me from buying colors I already have. I loved my creation so much I decided to design different styles and launched Glam Roll-Ups as an online store.
What are your responsibilities as a business owner?
As a business owner -you are the “jack of all trades” and responsible for all of the trades and or moving pieces of your business. You are the creator, bookkeeper, shipper, marketer, buyer, investigator, communicator, visionary, problem solver, oh, and also cheerleader to yourself.
What are your best selling products, what type of materials are used in your creations, how do you design your products, what makes your products stand out?
All of my products sell well as they are super versatile.
* Products are designed with clear vinyl on purpose so you can see all of your items instantly.
* Products are designed with satin trim so hair and makeup do not easily stick to it.
* All the Glam Roll-Ups have zippers on the top and bottom to add and retrieve items easily
* All the Glam Roll-Ups are designed to store products compactly and come with an elastic enclosure.
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What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? What’s the hardest about it?
I relish in the fact that I have created a product from scratch and made decisions in my journey to bring the product to market. It takes faith, lots of tears, but the reward is its YOURS – you made it happen! Even if you sell just one piece, it’s an accomplishment. Many people want the rewards of being an entrepreneur but give up when things don’t go right. Keep the firing burning, even if it’s not blazing, you have to nurture your product like a baby. The hardest thing about being an entrepreneur- every decision is on you. You make a decision to spend $ on something and the ROI doesn’t work out, it’s on you- even with investors, you have to be accountable.
Who do you sell to (and how do you get customers)? What marketing tools or strategies you use to boost your sales? Are you satisfied with the results?
On Etsy maintaining a strong daily budget to market, on Shopify – it’s word of mouth, Google ads, Pinterest, YouTube, yes it’s working but it’s a slow process. Getting a large distribution channel has been a turning point in my journey – Glam Roll-Ups will be featured in the Spring of 2021 on QVC.
Do you believe there is a winning formula for becoming a successful entrepreneur? What is yours?
I don’t believe there is any winning formula – I think that it takes perseverance, keeping money rolling in (you will most likely have a day job too) to keep your passion alive, if something isn’t working switch gears and try something else, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. I’m constantly asking what people like about my bags and what they don’t. I worked a job which didn’t pay very much but allowed me to test my product- to see if people would buy it and how much they would pay for it. It was a valuable lesson in proof of concept.
What was the toughest moment you have experienced in your business practice? How did you succeed to get over it and move forward?
Prior to making Glam Roll-Ups, I had other entrepreneurial ventures which were heavily invested in time and money. I wrote a book called Teen2Queen in 3-5 Minutes, A Crash Course on Makeup, Hair, and Nails, and after several years of literary agents, and publishing queries, it was ultimately denied by Random House. I was devastated! Although I ended up self-publishing I did not get the distribution I needed to launch my book nationally. Very tough moment, I could not get out of bed, my heart was broken. I had to let time go by and make peace with it. Eventually, I was inspired to create Glam Roll-Ups and here I am:)
What inspires you when you’re creating? How do you get ideas for new products? What are some methods or tools you use to get creative?
My inspiration comes from necessity. I savor developing my roll-ups so that my life will be more organized and convenient. I have lots of ideas on how to alter my existing styles, as I have different needs arise, I make notes to myself on what I would like to change or create in a new style.
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Do you ship your product internationally? How do you handle postage pricing? What is the average time it takes from the order to the delivery? Do you use free shipping? If so, why? How do you package your products?
Yes, I ship bags internationally. Depends on where I’m shipping, sometimes I can do online from my office, sometimes I have to work with the postmaster. It takes 1-3 days from order to delivery. Yes, I offer free shipping on some items, it helps with sales, some people really like the free shipping option. I package my roll-ups with bubble mailers.
What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful online business?
Communication, desire, passion, the ability to persevere even if at times it feels like the debts are high and you just want to sigh and give up.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
Baby steps. Do something you love, the rest will fall into place. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Think outside the box in order to help generate some seed money. Don’t be afraid, just do it, you won’t know all the answers and that is OKAY- just start.
How do you personally define business success? Is it money? Freedom? Influence? Creative expression and innovation? Something else?
Success? I used to think it was about making lots of money, yes we all want that, but really… at the end of the day, you are successful if you take the risk and try something you believe in with your heart.
Describe your day-to-day operation. How do you manage your time?
My daily life is spread a bit thin right now. I live in both CT and Philly- I try to make the most out of the mornings and get everything square away for the day. If I’m on the train, I try to do make the most of it by working on my laptop or smartphone. By late afternoon I try to have everything wrapped up for the day.
How do you plan on growing your business? What is the biggest impact on your profitability?
I would like to secure a major distributor like Target or Sally’s. The biggest impact on my profitability, cost of goods- making sure the product costs are workable so I can sell to the customer at a reasonable price.
What are some things you did to set your shop for success on Etsy? What is one lesson you learned the hard way?
I became very familiar with the platform Fiverr. Originally I tried to take pictures of my Glam Roll-Ups myself and it was very difficult! I had no idea it was going to be so challenging. Do yourself a favor and get familiar with the Fiverr platform – hire someone else to do what you don’t know how to do.
Anything you wish to add, feel free to do so here. We value your opinion
Thank you for contacting me, I pray I can inspire other people!
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