July, August and September 2006
Okay, my bad. I haven't blogged in a while. I will be more diligent in the future. I think I've thought more about this because I haven't blogged than I would if I had just blogged when I should have!
I've had lots of ups and downs this summer. One thing I finally learned (it took three times!) is when someone takes the presentation process away from me, I usually don't close the deal. It happened originally with a large curtain rod company when I wasn't allowed to do a presentation to the large retail company they were interested in doing a joint venture with my product. Then it happened when I was talking to another large curtain rod company who had everything in place to joint venture with my product and it would have been a perfect vehicle for all of their fabrics and marketing campaigns. I wasn't allowed to go demo my product to anybody, instead they had their ATTORNEYS look at my PATENT and make a decision based on that. HOW OBTUSE!!!! Now, this is the third time this has happened. I was working with a well-known designer (well, actually his CEO and director of Licensing) to partner not only with him but with a large fabric and craft chain to have my product in their stores. Again, it would have been a perfect match, and I was anxious to make this work. I wasn't allowed to go demo my product to the decision maker at the chain and the whole thing fell through again. I guess I've learned my lesson.
Things have stalled with IKEA because I have to have my curtain rod tested for RoHS compliance, which means there is no cadmium, cadmium compounds, lead or lead compounds in my product. I have found a facility here near me that can do the testing, but although I have contacted IKEA several times about it, they can't seem to find the time to respond to me. So I am stuck in limbo until we can get this resolved. When I was a child and got frustrated, my mother said I used to bang my head against the wall. Well, I feel I am banging my head against the wall and that's about the response I am getting, a headache.
My designer partnership program, however, is going well. Because this is such a great product, my designers are finding great success selling my product under my private label, Velegance. I have 4 people sewing in my workroom (I was ramping up for the IKEA Atlanta pilot project) and my workroom manager has been training them how to sew all the window treatments. One of my designers is moving to Rhode Island and I have one in Fort Lauderdale. I also have a client who lives in Indiana who is such a raving fan of the product and is also a designer who wants to join the program and start selling Velegance there! So I am very excited about this and I plan to make it work all over the US. This model works!
I passed my year anniversary of winning the M3 with Count Me In. It has been a great year! I'd like at this time to thank Kathy Keeley for hanging in there for the whole year, with mentoring and coaching and helping me with my numbers and my budget and generally being there for me. We have developed a great friendship and will be in contact forever, I'm sure. I also extend prayers to her husband, Stan, who is battling a serious illness right now. Hang in there!
Due to circumstances I won't be able to attend the Count Me In event in New York. I have been to every other event and I am sad I can't make it to this one--but I wish all the contestants good luck and I hope to see everyone again next year.
One thing I throw out there to anyone who is reading this. I saw the movie "The Secret" (www.thesecret.tv) and it has changed my whole way of thinking about things. In fact, it has probably changed my life! (and Dr. Dimartini is featured on it!) You can watch it on line for $5 and apply that money to the purchase of the DVD. I recommend it. Next month I will talk about the Be, Do, Have equation.
I've had lots of ups and downs this summer. One thing I finally learned (it took three times!) is when someone takes the presentation process away from me, I usually don't close the deal. It happened originally with a large curtain rod company when I wasn't allowed to do a presentation to the large retail company they were interested in doing a joint venture with my product. Then it happened when I was talking to another large curtain rod company who had everything in place to joint venture with my product and it would have been a perfect vehicle for all of their fabrics and marketing campaigns. I wasn't allowed to go demo my product to anybody, instead they had their ATTORNEYS look at my PATENT and make a decision based on that. HOW OBTUSE!!!! Now, this is the third time this has happened. I was working with a well-known designer (well, actually his CEO and director of Licensing) to partner not only with him but with a large fabric and craft chain to have my product in their stores. Again, it would have been a perfect match, and I was anxious to make this work. I wasn't allowed to go demo my product to the decision maker at the chain and the whole thing fell through again. I guess I've learned my lesson.
Things have stalled with IKEA because I have to have my curtain rod tested for RoHS compliance, which means there is no cadmium, cadmium compounds, lead or lead compounds in my product. I have found a facility here near me that can do the testing, but although I have contacted IKEA several times about it, they can't seem to find the time to respond to me. So I am stuck in limbo until we can get this resolved. When I was a child and got frustrated, my mother said I used to bang my head against the wall. Well, I feel I am banging my head against the wall and that's about the response I am getting, a headache.
My designer partnership program, however, is going well. Because this is such a great product, my designers are finding great success selling my product under my private label, Velegance. I have 4 people sewing in my workroom (I was ramping up for the IKEA Atlanta pilot project) and my workroom manager has been training them how to sew all the window treatments. One of my designers is moving to Rhode Island and I have one in Fort Lauderdale. I also have a client who lives in Indiana who is such a raving fan of the product and is also a designer who wants to join the program and start selling Velegance there! So I am very excited about this and I plan to make it work all over the US. This model works!
I passed my year anniversary of winning the M3 with Count Me In. It has been a great year! I'd like at this time to thank Kathy Keeley for hanging in there for the whole year, with mentoring and coaching and helping me with my numbers and my budget and generally being there for me. We have developed a great friendship and will be in contact forever, I'm sure. I also extend prayers to her husband, Stan, who is battling a serious illness right now. Hang in there!
Due to circumstances I won't be able to attend the Count Me In event in New York. I have been to every other event and I am sad I can't make it to this one--but I wish all the contestants good luck and I hope to see everyone again next year.
One thing I throw out there to anyone who is reading this. I saw the movie "The Secret" (www.thesecret.tv) and it has changed my whole way of thinking about things. In fact, it has probably changed my life! (and Dr. Dimartini is featured on it!) You can watch it on line for $5 and apply that money to the purchase of the DVD. I recommend it. Next month I will talk about the Be, Do, Have equation.
posted by Janice Cairns at Thursday, October 05, 2006
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