#Girl Power “A Conference for Amazon Women Sellers”
Hey E-preneurs! So on Monday January 9, 2017 I had the opportunity to attend the “A Conference for Amazon Women Sellers” event powered by ACE Small Business Administration Women’s Business Center and three amazing women Karin Isgur Bergsagel “KIB”, Anna Hill, and Robin Jacoby. What an amazing event for online merchandisers. The event kicked off with breakfast which consisted of yogurt, pastries, fruits, coffee and more. One of our host Robin Jacoby named our group as 212 because that is the temperature at which energy is created, and us women being together does nothing but create good energy. We began the event with an icebreaker “Meet your Neighbor” which was a game similar to BINGO where we had to find out more information about our neighbors. I found it very helpful because I am a shy person and this forced me to get out of my shell and walk around and learn about other people. GREAT IDEA ladies! I met one woman, Jennifer, whose area of expertise is “RA” which is retail arbitrage. I was unfamiliar with what retail arbitrage was so she explained to me that it is when you buy merchandise from major retailers like Walmart and Walgreens and resale it for a higher price (pretty much what most Amazon sellers do). I was familiar with the process I just wasn’t too familiar with the term so I was happy Jennifer explained it to me.
After our icebreaker we had 6 amazing women speak to us about their experiences with Amazon and tips on how to become better sellers. Currently, I do not sell on Amazon however I did just take on a new business venture which will require me to be very familiar with the Amazon processes.
Our first speaker was Jaya Patel who left corporate America to create an Amazon business that provides work-life balance and incorporates her values, including diversity in the workplace. Some major points Jaya outlined were:
Pay yourself after the 2nd year in business (because the first 2 years all money will go back into the business)
Hire a Mentor/Coach
Attend 1 Wholesale or Trade Show per year, Attend 1 Industry Related Conference per year
Set times to Check Email don’t stalk it all day (She checks hers at 10am, 3pm, 10pm)
The next speaker was Shelly Dozier-Mckee, she has been shopping with Americas Mart for 15+ years in various roles during her career. Shelly is the founder of Scarlet Tassel which was a home décor boutique located in Atlanta, GA but she closed it down in 2011 to explore new business ventures. Shelly is an expert in the interior decorating industry. Some key points Shelly mentioned were:
If buying seasonal products, make sure to purchase them in January while sales are fresh on your mind and because most vendors place orders for seasonal products in October
Her business plan for Scarlet Tassel is featured on business plan pro for anyone interested in the interior design/home décor industry
More tips on interior design can be found on her blog at confettistyle.com
Our third speaker was Myriam Belasse who was personally my favorite because she is an expert at exactly what I am trying to achieve. Myriam is the owner of Atlanta Sewing & Patternmaking Service, LLC. Myriam works with individuals, start-ups, and established businesses to provide support for every aspect of the fashion industry. Myriam provides industry consulting and assisting with manufacturing in the U.S. for companies in the planning and development stages of their textile business. I received a sewing machine for Christmas so that I can start designing my own handbags for my brand VITAL XII. I reached out to Myriam for guidance with sewing and she was extremely helpful. Key points Myriam mentioned were:
Know shipping and duty cost before getting production done overseas
Haiti is one of the top countries for manufacturing today
Production in the U.S. may not be a popular thing again due to workers not wanting to continue to sew in factories, even in other countries it is becoming obsolete
The next speaker was Maria Peck, she is the director for ACE Women’s Business Center which provides capital and business advisory services to small business owners for more than 14 years. The takeaway I received from Maria’s presentation was that the best time to borrow money (take out loans) is when you do not need it because if you take it out when you really need it then you are probably going to get high interest rates due to the urgent need of it.
Next up was Katrina Quicker, who is a registered patent attorney. She provided a lot of information in regards to patents, trademarks, and intellectual property. The takeaway I received from Katrina’s presentation was to make sure you have your logos registered as a trademark federally they do not necessarily need to be registered in the state you are living in.
Lastly, was Teresa Smolinski she was such a phenomenal women she started selling with her young daughters sports headbands which were made out of medical tape. Teresa shared great private labeling practices with us.
At the event we also had the opportunity to get professional headshots by Nadia Lancy, who is an experienced senior writer for CNN International and a professional photographer.
This was such an amazing event and I am extremely excited that I had the opportunity to attend with these powerful women. #212 lives on and I encourage all of you to attend an event related to online retail in the near future. www.meetups.com is a great tool for finding meet-ups in your area.