The Tin Shingle Blog

One of the best things about the start of a new year is the incentive it gives us to start fresh, start better or start over.  It gives us time to reflect on how we're doing things in our work, life, office and home and how we can do those things more successfully.  More strategically. More happily.  Today our co-founders Sabina Hitchen and Katie Hellmuth-Martin have pulled back the curtains of their own homes (in Katie's case, quite literally) via our Small Biz Diary series and are giving you a peek into how they are marking the start of the New Year.  Feel free to steal a couple of plays from their playbooks and report back to us on your own progress or plans in the comments below!

Sabina Gets Her Groove Back: Our chief-excitement officer shares how she is marking the new year mentally and physically, and sharing the three-part blueprint she is following to fuel a peace and joy-based year of business success in 2015.  Read her personal story and tips here...

Katie Takes Back Her Home Office: Filled with changes of curtains, binders, pens, moving furniture, this was a big project that was not scheduled, but was very necessary. Read and watch in a video how she did it...

Something special happens when you connect with your passion. And when that passion leads to a business?  Well let’s just say the results speak for themselves! Meet Tiffany Bobb, the founder of T. Victoria accessories.  After years as a professional model and visual merchandiser she went on a spiritual journey, listened to her calling, and translated it into a stunning accessories collection that truly stands out from the pack a very crowded industry.

Prior to pursuing your love of jewelry design you worked in modeling and visual merchandising, what led you to decide to join the competitive world of accessories design?
I actually lost my job, and at first it was upsetting, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  I had to examine my life, and figure out what I wanted to do.  I started making jewelry for myself, and my friends asked if it was available to purchase.  The first year was more of a fun, crafting experience, then I got really serious about it. 

You say that jewelry design is your true passion – and the journey to get to this professional space has been a spiritual one – how has working from a place of passion sustained you during the ups and downs of accessories entrepreneurship?
Any career requires a lot of time and work, but there's something about working for yourself that's more satisfying.  You don't realize how much goes on behind the scenes of a business.  Everything that you know about a business has been created by someone.  The look, the feel, the brand image, the logo; people created those things.  I did those things for myself, so I love the sense of accomplishment. 

The moment someone sees your pieces it’s clear they’re stand-outs – they really make an impact.  How have you been able to have such a clear design vision and stand-out style?
I've always loved fashion, and put a lot of effort into my appearance.  My designs have evolved, but I always created pieces that not only make a statement, but will sustain their appeal for many years. I know what it feels like see an item, get excited, and want to wear it with many outfits.

What have been some of the most difficult parts of launching your own accessories label, and what accomplishments have been the most satisfying?
The most difficult part has been all the technical and book keeping needed to be an efficient business woman.  The most satisfying part is finishing a new piece, and getting its first sale. 

You’ve managed to produce magazine-ready collections for not just women, but for bridal, girls and men – how do you manage to keep all the different parts of your brand moving forward?
I'm constantly keeping up with fashion news and current events.  Sometimes, I'll shop for beads, and get inspiration for a new piece.  I don't have children, but my friends' children inspire the girls line.

What celebrities – sky is the limit – do you envision wearing your pieces in the future?
Gayle King, Beth Stern, Heidi Klum, Nicole Kidman

Where would you like to see the T. Victoria brand five years from now?
Five years from now, I see my brand in high end department stores, having a larger staff to help me with the office work, marketing, and distribution, and always designing beautiful pieces that put smiles on people's faces, and love in their hearts.

If you live in America and have turned on your television or looked at the Internet over the past week you know this: The Royals are here - and they're swiftly occupying every news feed as reporter after reporter, blogger after blogger and everyone try to keep up with the country's demand for "royal scoop".  Though some stories are directly based on what Will and Kate are up to (wrapping newspaper, visiting the President, watching a Brooklyn Nets game, meeting Queen B AKA Beyonce), several others are an attempt to keep the royals in the press by running a story that is slightly related to the royals.  In other words, they're going to bring on experts, stylists, editors and more to talk any and all things Will and Katie while the topic is still hot.

This is where you come in dear business owner.  If you want the chance to get your business or yourself mentioned in the press, if you want to boost your website traffic by talking about a highly searched topic, if you want to give people in your social feeds and those who read your blog something to get excited about, you're going to get up on this hot topic!  How do you do this if you're not besties with the dynamic duo from the UK?  You find some story angle you can pitch or blog/tweet/Facebook/Instagram you can post that ties you, your skills and your business into a royals-inspired story.  Keeping up with and focusing on hot topics like this when you can find an authentic connection, is an essential component when trying to keep people buzzing about your business.  To get you started, we've come up with a few ideas of our own:

Etiquette Experts: Chime in with your tips about whether or not LeBron and other Americans (including the overzealous wrapping paper lady) followed the correct royal protocol when meeting Will and Kate.

Speaking of Wrapping Paper Lady, Wrapping Paper Experts: I bet you can create a blog post, social media post or set of tips inspired by Kate about the best way to wrap packages.

Stylists and Fashion Experts: This is your moment to discuss what Kate was wearing, how we can all buy the look for less, what Kate and Will's style say about them...

Event Planners: Give tips on how to throw a Royals-inspired party this holiday season.

Cooks & Cocktail Pros: What types of drinks or snacks could you suggest people serve at a party that are inspired by England and the royal couple?

The possibilities are endless!  The key here is to make sure the connection (even if it's fun or silly) makes sense and is authentic.  Also remember, though hot topics are great excuses to reach out to the press with story ideas, you can always get a guaranteed story of yourself out there if you create a blog or social media post, so be sure you don't leave your own website and social feeds out of the loop when you tie yourself to hot topics!

Click Here to Learn More About the Different Types of Stories Every Biz Should Know How to Spin Themselves Into...

I'm not a mom yet, but as the proud aunt of a beautiful 16 month old and an unofficial aunt to several of my friend's kids, I know a few things about their wardrobe needs. The golden nuggest of children's wardrobe knowledge I possess include: they go through clothes faster than you can ever imagine - sometimes before they've even worn something you have spent way too much money on; though the clothes are small, some of the pricetags on these outfits are anything but tiny; and finally, it's incredibly fun to pick out adorable outfits for them - it's just so hard to resist. 

That's why the moment I discovered My Kids Threads, an online kids consignment shop featuring designer clothes at up to 80% off (as well as an easy-button option to sell your own kid's new or gently used items) I thought, "THIS is going to be big!"  I also thought, "THIS must have been invented by a mom."  I was right, and in today's Small Biz Spotlight feature interview you're gong to meet that founding mom, Lisa Batra, and here her story...

Take us through the process in your head and your life that led you from “Man, cute kids clothes are expensive but what are you going to do?” to “Oh I know, I’ll create an online platform where moms can buy and consign high quality, high fashion kids apparel?”

I am a mom of two and I understand first-hand how quickly children grow. In my experience and in chatting with other moms, we all faced a similar problem of finding a way to effortlessly shop for high quality kids clothing without breaking the bank. I had tried consignment shops, online auctions and more, yet it was too time consuming. I just knew there had to be an easier way than waiting in long lines, bidding on auctions, and dragging the kids back and forth to brick and mortar consignment shops.

I spent countless hours working on a business plan for this online service focusing on how to take the hassle out of buying and selling high-quality children’s clothing while saving moms time and money. How could we recycle and reuse excellent quality children’s clothing that had been worn once or twice and outgrown? Once I had the plan done, it was time to take action and implement.

I wanted to take the brick and mortar consignment shop and bring it online, focus specifically on higher end brands and create an online destination for moms to buy and sell, easily and effortlessly. My Kid’s Threads does not purchase items from consignors for pennies on the dollar, rather, we offer the consignor a generous payout, 50% of the selling price, when their items are sold. There is also the option to donate consignments earnings directly to a charity. Our consignors love this model.

Was the decision to leave corporate America, “jump” and work with My Kids Threads full time a scary one?  What made you decide it was time to put all your time and energy into it?

I had been in the eCommerce space for Fortune 500 retailers for the past 15 years and I always knew I wanted to run my own company. Given my expertise in running large scale eCommerce businesses (Fashion Bug, Lowe’s, Bath & Body Works, and QVC) coupled with the need for a solution for busy moms, I decided now was the time to do it. I left my corporate position soon after my second child was born because I knew the time was right to devote my efforts into launching MyKidsThreads.com and making it a household name.

What was the most challenging part about launching My Kids Threads?

The most challenging aspect in launching My Kid’s Threads was customizing the website for growth and expansion. Planning for growth and the providing the best user experience was on the top of my list when launching the site. The website is so robust and was built to be able to scale to support user traffic and thousands of SKUs of merchandise for the future in ancillary categories – maternity, shoes, etc.

When you began, did you work out of a warehouse or your home?  How did you keep up with the sales, deliveries and all the other plates you were spinning?

When I began I worked out of my home. Luckily, I had about 1500 sq ft of open space to work with and set up an office, photo studio and bars to hang up clothing.

I outsourced help for the areas of business that were not my expertise - the back-end website coding and customization. I also needed help to keep up with the volume and I hired a specialist to help process and sort the clothing from the mailerbags and write up the product descriptions.

How do you think your past work experience has helped you grow your own business?

My past work experience with multi-channel retailers has been invaluable. It was so exciting to be a part of the eCommerce side of the house that was growing fast and furious and contributing EBITDA to the bottom line. My work experience coupled with getting a MBA in New Ventures & Entrepreneurship has given me the foundation for my own venture.

What inspired you to add a charitable component to your offerings (we’ll explain this to readers)?

I believe it is so important to give back to the community. My Kid’s Threads is partners with several non-profit organizations, a majority of them directly help less fortunate children and families. We support Cradles to Crayons, The Baby Bureau, The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard, A Love for Life and Montessori Schools. All consignors have the ability to donate the proceeds of their consignment earnings towards a charity.
 
Additionally, all clothing that is not accepted and not sold is donated through one of these non-profits directly to children and families in need.

How do you manage the ever elusive “work-family-marriage-self” cycle?  What is that experience like?

As a mompreneur, I have been able to benefit by capitalizing on my schedule. I wake up earlier than my kids to respond to emails, orders and customer inquiries. Getting ready with the kids and getting them to school is something I enjoy doing, as well as picking them up and hearing about their day. These are things I was never able to do when I worked in corporate roles. I have a home office so when I am working I know the kids are taken care of by the sitter but I still feel "present".  Since I am not a morning person and am more energized in the evenings,
I work until well past midnight every night. It is vital that mompreneurs find the right schedule to have a happy and healthy home and work life.

What’s the most rewarding part about growing the My Kids Threads brand?

The most rewarding part about growing the My Kid’s Threads brand is knowing that the potential is limitless. There will always be a need to clothe children and now there is a way to do so effortlessly. I also love working for myself.

What are a couple of major “dreams” you have for your business?  Goals that would be thrilling to achieve…

My goal is for Mykidsthreads.com to become a household name. I would to be able to expand the business quickly and offer our customers tens of thousands of items for sale.