Episode 29 - What Happens After you Launch with Laura Briggs, Founder of Clothing Brand The Shortlist

Today I am joined by Laura Briggs, founder of ladies petite clothing brand The Shortlist. This is my second time chatting with Laura as we spoke before the brand was launched and you can catch that in episode 7 of the Start Scale Succeed. Now we are about 8 months on and today Laura and I are going to be discussing the highs and the lows, the real behind the scenes of when a brand launches and the following months. Not just the glossy highlights that people share on Instagram. 
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Things will go wrong. The important thing is to keep calm and keep your customers informed. Don’t let adversity knock your confidence. 
Launching multiple large collections every year is very full on and time intensive. But having a more limited release of new products you can learn what your best sellers are and gives you the opportunity to test and repeat. 
Some of your mistakes will be seen publicly and some won’t. It matters how you ride that wave and deal with the issues with a positive mindset. 
Not everybody is ready to buy when a new collection goes live. Laura has learned that people shop in different ways and there is a balance between keeping things in stock and creating hype on social media. 
Laura had a short spell of spending £35 per day on Instagram advertising leading to around 400 new followers. She is hoping this converts to sales when the new collection drops. 
You have to make the people on your email list feel like they’re getting some value from it, not just what’s on your instagram. 
 
BEST MOMENTS
‘Making mistakes is the best thing I’ve ever done’ 
‘I see the brand as separate to myself’ 
‘If they’re on your email list they want to be part of your world’
 
VALUABLE RESOURCES 
www.thebuyerandretailcoach.comwww.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoachwww.shoptheshortlist.comwww.instagram.com/theshortlist
 
ABOUT THE HOST
Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line. 
Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM) 
Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme:  thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist
 
CONTACT METHOD 
Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.comIG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk Email [email protected] Newsletter https://thebuyerandretailcoach.com/newsletter-sign-up/Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall