STOP WEEKEND SCHLEPPING BY CRACKING THE WHOLESALE CODE+
Are you struggling to scale your product-based brand and reach profitability?
Do you feel like there are pieces of the business puzzle that you must be missing?
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could stop pounding the pavement at farmer’s markets and retail shows, reclaim your weekends and design a way to deliver interested buyers to your doorstep?
If you’re reading this, then there’s a better-than-even chance that you’re overwhelmed with a deluge of dizzying choices about your brand. You likely design beautiful products, but the “business” stuff often leaves you befuddled. It’s almost as if you’re stumbling blindfold through a maze of business decisions about product development, pricing, branding, marketing and scaling, crossing your fingers with each verdict and whispering a silent prayer into the universe that you made the best decision to propel your company forward. Wouldn’t this whole entrepreneurship gig be infinitely easier if you had a sage mentor by your side to help you navigate those decisions?
Or maybe you’re a maker whose overwhelm has devolved into frustration and burnout, which serves neither you nor your brand. You’re working like a mad woman, carving out scant few hours of sleep in between keeping a myriad of balls in the air, all the while telling yourself that you need to double-down, dig deeper and push through the self-doubt. If you could just manage to stay laser-focused and infuse your company with fresh energy, then perhaps you could turn a corner with this business and finally get some momentum going.
Perhaps you’ve enjoyed some awesome success in your business, but the bank account is looking a bit anemic these days, and you’re unsure of how to reignite the spark and coax it into a full-tilt bonfire. What you’ve been doing clearly isn’t working anymore but you’re not certain what strategies to employ next or the steps you can take “level-up.”
Or maybe your brand’s rocket ship is clearly taking off, but you’re so busy pumping jet fuel into the ship that you need a seasoned captain to help direct that momentum so it’s sustainable in the long term.
ASK YOURSELF…
- What would your company look like if you knew how to work smarter, not harder?
- What would it feel like if you had confidence and clarity around your work?
- What kind of business could you build if you knew where the pitfalls lay and had the know-how and athleticism to glide right over them?
ENJOY THE SAME CURRICULUM THAT'S HELPED 450+ BRANDS CONQUER WHOLESALE+
Over the decade I spent building my own brand, I landed my apothecary products on the shelves of more than 1,500 shops and spas worldwide, from Los Angeles to Dubai and New York to Nairobi. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but it’s absolutely been worth it.
Since 2012, I’ve had the pleasure of coaching more than 450 creative brands through LBU Live, my eight-week, how-to-wholesale program for makers and product designers. Each semester sold out within days, the program often had a waiting list, and brand owners waited up to four months after enrolling before we kicked off the live program.
I’ve been honored to join stationers, apothecary and beauty brands, jewelers, ceramicists, apparel and accessory designers, chandlers and even a cupcake baker on their entrepreneurial journeys. Thanks to LBU, they’ve stepped more fully into their business’s potential by conquering the B2B model and landing their products on the shelves of retail shops worldwide. Now you can access those same resources to build a powerful wholesale program that will make buyers weak in the knees… and you can do it on your own schedule via LBU On Demand.
I’ve heard from so many entrepreneurs who need help right this very minute, so I created an exciting new way to access the LBU curriculum on your own schedule. Thanks to LBU On Demand, you can enjoy 16+ hours of wisdom-filled video teachings, 6 inspiring interviews with industry rock stars, and more than 45 worksheets, templates, and scripts designed to help you put this wholesale wisdom into immediate action.
MODULE 1: PREPARING YOUR PRODUCT COLLECTION FOR WHOLESALE+
Are you interested in scaling your business and improving your efficiency by tapping the wholesale marketplace?
Do you wish you knew how to dive into the world of wholesale with a strategy that played to your strengths… one which felt easier and more intuitive?
Are you drowning in wholesale lingo you don’t understand (drop shipping, consignment, SKU, UPC… What language are we speaking anyway?)
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could make your products extra “juicy” to attract wholesale buyers like bees to honey?
Are you interested in learning how to succinctly and professionally communicate your wholesale policies?
Do you know how to get your product collection “retail ready?”
Through a series of video workshops totaling just under 3 hours, you’ll understand precisely how to get your product collection as lean and wholesale-ready as possible.
Dive into the video curriculum of LBU Module 1, complete the assignments and you’ll emerge with a product collection that’s lean and mean and ready for wholesale. You’ll also discover my favorite tips and tricks to thrill wholesale buyers.
CURRICULUM:
In this module, you’ll discover…
- The differences between wholesale, consignment, and drop shipping.
- What wholesale buyers need most in their vendor relationships.
- The criteria for strategically editing a bloated product collection.
- What market cannibalization is and how it can affect your business.
- My strategy for seeing your product collection through the eyes of a first-time buyer.
- Methods for increasing the consistency of your product collection.
- Strategies for ensuring timely delivery of your products to retailers.
- The value of building segmented email lists.
- The pros and cons of three different online ordering system for wholesale buyers.
- What merchandising is and how it affects your product package design process.
- How to package your product so that it’s attractive to wholesale buyers.
- Why POP displays can make life easier for retailers.
- How to determine if you need UPC codes.
- What UPC codes cost and how to secure them.
- The pitfalls of buying codes through UPC resellers.
- How to communicate the value of your product to wholesale buyers in a single sentence.
- My strategy for identifying both complementary and competitive brands.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
Meet Adina Grigore of S.W. Basics. She joins me for a sit-down that focuses on the importance of knowing your niche, the power of the hustle, and outsourcing.
MODULE 2: PRICING FOR PROFIT + FINDING YOUR PEOPLE+
Are you struggling to identify the kind of stores that would be interested in your work?
Are you confused about how to effectively price your products for wholesale?
Are you curious about what it’s like to work with big corporate accounts like Anthropologie or Paper Source?
Do you wish you knew what buyers expected, so that you could waltz into your next meeting prepared and ready?
Are you unsure what to include in your pricing structure so that you can be doubly sure you’re clearing a profit with each sale?
Through a series of video workshops totaling just under 3 hours, you’ll understand precisely how to price your products for wholesale and connect with stores that will be genuinely interested in your work.
Dive into the video curriculum of LBU Module 2, complete the assignments and you’ll emerge with price points ready for the wholesale market. You’ll also discover how to identify the “right” stores for your brand to ensure synergy and increase efficiency.
CURRICULUM:
In this module, you’ll discover…
- How to calculate your true “cost of creation.”
- What raw materials, labor, and overhead include and why they matter.
- What type of “discount” wholesale buyers expect.
- How sales reps, distributors, and export arrangements impact a pricing structure.
- My trick for “pricing backwards” to capture the full value of your products
- Strategies for bring your “cost of creation” into alignment.
- How to stratify your price points to capture more wholesale business.
- Strategies for increasing your brand’s value perception among buyers.
- The difference between a price adjustment and a brand repositioning.
- The optimum timing for a price adjustment announcement.
- How to strategically frame the announcement to wholesale buyers.
- Methods for protecting fragile relationships during the price adjustment period.
- The three types of core wholesale buyers.
- Strategies for discovering new stores.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
Join me as I sit down with Padraic Ryan of Ryan Design Studio for an insightful chat about SEO and e-commerce.
MODULE 3: DESIGNING YOUR WHOLESALE PLAYBOOK+
Are you guessing at your wholesale policies- either by taking stabs in the dark or mimicking your competition?
Do you long for a set of tools to help you think through payment methods, lead times, and order minimums so you can design them in a way that’s uniquely tailored and best-suited to your brand?
Are you interested in learning how to succinctly and professionally communicate your wholesale policies?
Are you hoping to impress the pants off wholesale buyers, dazzling them with how prepared and professional you are?
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could pitch your work to buyers, knowing that you’ve developed a smart wholesale program that will help grow your brand?
Through a series of video workshops totaling just over 3 hours, you’ll understand precisely how to structure your wholesale program in a way that strikes gold for both you and your customers.
Dive into the video curriculum of LBU Module 3, complete the assignments and you’ll emerge with a set of wholesale policies that attracts buyers like bees to honey, while protecting that cute tushie of yours. You’ll also discover best practices for trade credit programs, sample policies, and line sheet and order form creation.
CURRICULUM:
In this module, you’ll discover…
- Why item numbers are so important.
- How to assign item numbers that make sense for your collection.
- The five pillars of a successful set of wholesale policies.
- The pros and cons of various payment methods.
- How trade credit works (and why you might consider extending it).
- How to establish a trade credit program that reduces headaches and minimizes risk.
- How to avoid one of the most potent death knells of wholesale.
- Best practices for developing sound shipping policies.
- Strategies for developing effective order minimums.
- What incentives are and how to put them to work.
- The difference between a sample and a tester.
- The definition of a MAP policy.
- The anatomy of a line sheet.
- How to format product information for line sheets.
- When and where order forms come in handy.
- What information should be collected through an order form.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
Meet Clay Hebert of Crowdfunding Hacks. He’s serving up information on crowdfunding as an avenue to build brand visibility and raise capital.
MODULE 4: THE ART OF WOO'ING WHOLESALE BUYERS+
Are you intimidated by the thought of approaching wholesale buyers?
Do you wish you knew what to say, what questions they’d ask and how to answer with confidence?
What’s the etiquette involved with wholesale buyer outreach, anyway? Are you supposed to call? Email? Stop by? Send them something in the mail?
When a buyer reaches out to you, what you you do next? Should you send samples?
Once a buyer orders from you, how do you keep them happy and coming back for more?
Through a series of video workshops totaling just under 3 hours, you’ll understand precisely how to pitch via email, postcard and in person in a way that will capture a buyer’s attention – and their order.
Dive into the video curriculum of LBU Module 4, complete the assignments and you’ll an understanding of how (and how not) to pitch via email, phone, and postcard. You’ll also discover several of my tried and true methods to keep a stockiest happy and coming back for more.
CURRICULUM:
In this module, you’ll discover…
- How to know when you’re ready to start introducing your work to buyers.
- The 4 keys to successful pitching.
- The pro’s and con’s of pitching via email and phone.
- How to format an email pitch that gets attention.
- How to ring a buyer without torpedoing your chances.
- The pro’s and con’s of pitching in-person, and via postcard.
- How to pitch in person without being an intrusive PITA.
- Five ideal opportunities for postcard mailings.
- How to design a postcard that captures attention.
- Tips for keeping postcard costs under control.
- My strategies for keeping stockists happy (and ordering!).
- How to pack a shipment like a total pro.
- How to structure “one time exchanges” and exclusive product offers.
- What a shelftalker is and how to design them for maximum efficacy.
- How to design wholesale bundles to simplify ordering.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
Wishing you could hear directly from a retail buyer? I’m introducing you to Jessie White of Youngblood Boutique. She’s sharing her process for scouting new work and tells us how brand owners can rise above the market noise to capture buyer attention.
MODULE 5: EXPANDING YOUR REACH WITH SALES REPS+
Do you love creating but loathe selling?
Wish you could pass the baton to people who were excited about promoting your products?
Are you struggling to connect with qualified sales reps who can help secure market traction for your brand?
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could create multiple competitive advantages which help you run circles around other creative brands?
Do you know how many collections to launch each year, and when to launch them, to keep your wholesale buyers and sales reps interested in your line?
Through a series of video workshops totaling 2 hours, you’ll understand the value of sales reps and just what you need to be sure of before you dive into bed with one.
Dive into the video curriculum of LBU Module 5, complete the assignments and you’ll emerge with the know-how to pour gasoline all over your wholesale program with the addition of sales reps. You’ll discover how to build upon the strong foundation laid in LBU Modules 1-4 to amplify your efforts and get your brand to the next level.
CURRICULUM:
In this module, you’ll discover…
- What a sales rep is and how they can help grow your business.
- How reps are paid (and how they affect your profitability).
- The pros and cons of bringing on sales reps versus hiring in-house sales people.
- Five strategies for connecting with potential sales reps.
- The pros and cons of independent reps versus rep groups.
- How to impress the sh*t out of reps you want to sign.
- Eighteen (18!) questions you should ask a rep before signing them.
- How to conduct due diligence on a rep before signing the contract.
- Four sales rep secrets other people won’t tell you (hint: they’ll help you understand and manage the relationship!).
- How many new collections you need to launch each year to keep the rapt attention of reps and wholesale buyers.
- Tips for building momentum and buzz around those launches.
- When buyers are scouting new merchandise for your specific product category.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
If you’d love to hear from a sales rep directly, then I have just the gal for you. Cherilyn Swanson has enjoyed a seat at virtually every spot at the table: she’s been a shopowner who bought for her own boutique, an inside sales rep for a beauty brand, and now she’s a rep for two prominent rep groups. We’re fortunate to have such a “360 degree view” of sales reps.
MODULE 6: MASTERING THE TRADE SHOW+
Are you preparing for your first trade show, but lost on how to make the most of the opportunity?
Do you have a friend or fellow entrepreneur with a trade-show-disaster story that has you shaking in your boots?
Worse yet: are you nursing a trade show hangover after a less-than-successful show?
Sorry, sweets… I know how demoralizing that can be, but I do have some important trade show strategies that could turn that ship around!
Dive into the video curriculum of LBU Module 6, complete the assignments and you’ll emerge with the knowledge and tools you need to make your trade show participation more effective and more strategic. You’ll understand how to maximize trade show opportunities so you can save the vodka for celebrating, rather than drowning your post-show sorrows.
CURRICULUM:
In this module, you’ll discover…
- What a trade show is and how they can help grow your wholesale business.
- How to determine if you’re ready to exhibit at a trade show.
- Strategies for identifying “good fit” trade shows.
- How to build a realistic trade show budget.
- Tips and tricks for saving money when exhibiting at trade shows.
- How and when to make big decisions about your booth and trade show strategy.
- Strategies for building buzz before the trade show.
- Tips for getting the foot traffic flowing your way at the show.
- How to design a simple follow-up strategy to implement after the show.
- Seven common trade show mistakes to avoid.
- What to take with you to a trade show.
- How to choose the booth best placement at a trade show.
- How the cost of union labor influences trade show booth design.
- A detailed virtual tour of booths at the NY NOW show.
EXPERT INTERVIEW:
The cherry on top? I’m including my Expert Interview with Kristen Ley of Thimblepress. She’s a stationery goddess who has rapidly grown her brand over the last few years, and she’s taking us behind the scenes for a peek at how she builds buzz in advance of her trade shows.
BUILD AN EFFECTIVE WHOLESALE PROGRAM ON YOUR OWN SCHEDULE+
As an “on demand” independent-study class, you’ll enjoy 24/7 access to a series of information-rich video trainings, each singularly focused on a critical building block of success. Every module is accompanied by a packet of curriculum support materials, including resource lists, sample scripts, and worksheets designed to put the information into immediate action.
LBU On Demand is the exact curriculum that’s helped more than 450 makers move their brands forward through my LBU Live program. Now you can enjoy infinite access to these comprehensive teachings on your own schedule and at your own pace.
In sixty seconds or less, you’ll unleash all this goodness…
- All six modules of the LBU curriculum: The full teachings, delivered in as much depth as the live version. That’s 16+ hours of professionally
produced video lessons.
- Six Expert Interviews: Enjoy insightful advice and direct-from-the trenches tales from wholesale professionals and inspiring brand owners.
- The full library of LBU handouts: 45+ workbooks, resource lists, and exercises to help tailor to these strategies to your specific brand.
LBU teaches you how to sharpen your hustle by providing the tools and support you need to build a sustainable creative brand. The result? Laser focus. More forward momentum. And a blueprint built especially for your business. Are you ready to dive in? Add LBU On Demand to your entrepreneurial tool box, and I’ll slide you the keys to my wholesale kingdom within minutes.
And the best part? You’ll enjoy infinite access, too, so you can return to your wholesale toolbox again and again.
