Bring Your Product Idea to Life Vicki Weinberg

Today on the podcast I'm talking to Kate Smith from The Makery. Kate set up The Makery in 2009 on a mission to teach the world how to craft. Fast forward 14 years, two books, a Dragon's Den appearance, an internationally distributed product range, and nearly 150, 000 customers having attended her craft workshops and events. 
Covid, Brexit and other challenges led Kate to pivot her business, and she is now dedicating much of her time to helping other creative entrepreneurs achieve their full potential and run successful businesses doing what they love. 
The power of this conversation is that Kate has navigated real highs and real lows in her business. Kate explains how the highs came about via the power of yes, and the mindset tools she needed to navigate the lows and make huge decisions about the direction of her business.
There is so much to take away and I am sure you will be inspired after listening. 
Listen in to hear Kate share:
An introduction to herself and her business (01:25)Why she set up The Makery to run craft workshops (03:31)Getting a book deal (05:25)Being on Dragon’s Den (05:41)Getting a licensing deal for her products and kits (06:32)When things go wrong (07:44)Pivoting the business online after the pandemic (10:02)The realisation that she didn’t need physical premises to run the business (10:58)What to do when a major source of income disappears (12:51)How to mentally deal with challenges and setbacks in business (15:52)Creating products with a licensing deal (17:07)The power of saying yes (26:31)Why she stopped selling physical kits (27:38)How she moved into consultancy and running a team who teach crafting all over the country (28:48)Her number one piece of advice for product creators (37:30)
USEFUL RESOURCES:
Makery Kate Website
Makery Kate Instagram
Makery Kate Facebook
Makery Kate Youtube
Kate Smith Linked In
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Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

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Mentioned in this episode:
Get on the waitlist for my Group Product Creation Programme
Join the waitlist to be first to hear when you can join Create a Product to Sell and get a free 1:1 call with me when you sign up!
https://checklist.vickiweinberg.com/waitlist

My guest this week is Amelia Peckham. In 2005 Amelia Peckham was told she would never walk unaided again, following a serious quad bike accident and consequent spinal injury her ’new normal’ aged just 19, was a life on crutches. Sadly her hospital ones gave her blisters, clicked so everyone could hear her coming, slipped and even snapped - it was then Amelia alongside mother Clare, sought to find something better. 
There was a huge gap in the market for comfortable, silent, certified crutches and walking sticks that wouldn’t compromise on style…and so Cool Crutches & Sticks was born.
Tackling a number of pain points Cool Crutches and Sticks are moulded to a left and right hand (no more blisters), totally silent to use (no more clicking), they’re cushioned (so won’t jar upper body joints), have added grip (won’t slip) and are CE certified to support long term, medical conditions and disabilities. The best part? They’re unavailable in hospital grey - with a wide range of fabulous colours and prints as well as the option to print your own personalised design these sticks are the walking definition of functionality & style.
It was an absolute delight to talk to Amelia, learn more about the story behind the business, and how Amelia’s background in PR and confidence in the product has helped the company go from strength to strength.
Listen in to hear Amelia share:
An introduction to herself and her business (01:21)The importance of proving you can have functionality without compromising on style (03:04)How the NHS issues crutches to people and identifying a gap in the market (04:21)The design process (08:06)Adding fun and style to the design (13:25)Working with a manufacturer (15:10)Offering personalisation (17:19)Using the design and personalisation process as a positive focus for customers (20:33)The psychological boost the crutches can provide (21:53)Generating Press and PR (25:15)Working with and supporting celebrities (27:40)The power of absolute confidence in your own product (33:17)Her number one piece of advice for product creators (37:30)
USEFUL RESOURCES:
Cool Crutches Website
Cool Crutches Facebook
Cool Crutches Twitter
Cool Crutches Instagram
Cool Crutches TikTok

LET’S CONNECT
Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators
Find me on Instagram
Work with me 
Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support
Mentioned in this episode:
Get on the waitlist for my Group Product Creation...

This week my guest on the podcast is Stephanie Mensah, the founder of Bibinee Dolls. Bibinee Dolls are a range of early years soft diversity dolls, which help to encourage learning through play and positive representation.
Stephanie’s business launched at the beginning of this year, and she has already achieved great things, getting stocked at Very and Littlewoods. Stephanie explains how her children’s own experience at nursery inspired her to create this range, how she went about manufacturing the dolls and ensuring that they met safety standards. 
Stephanie explains how customer feedback has informed the development of her range of products which now also includes clothing and accessories. Most of all Stephanie is just a really inspiring person to listen to  - she shares what drives her, what inspires her and how she has navigated setbacks. It really is an episode packed full of positivity and inspiration. 
Listen in to hear Stephanie share:
An introduction to herself and her business (01:25)Her range of dolls and what they look like (02:49)How her children’s experience at nursery inspired her to create the dolls (06:40)Making sure the dolls were usable and durable for very young children (11:38)Finding a manufacturer to work with (13:57)How her mum inspired her with her own business (16:08)Overcoming setbacks and what keeps her going (17:36)Finding stockists (20:09)Her experience at Trade Shows, The Baby Show (23:51)Customers reaction and learning that there is a wider market for the dolls (25:15)Challenging gender stereotypes and responding to customer requests (27:02)The process of getting safety certifications for toys (32:50)Their sustainability policy and what this involves (36:26)Her number one piece of advice for product creators (40:14)
USEFUL RESOURCES:
Bibinee Dolls Website
Bibinee Dolls Twitter
Bibinee Dolls Facebook
Bibinee Dolls Instagram
Toy World
The Baby Show

LET’S CONNECT
Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators
Find me on Instagram
Work with me 
Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:
Get on the waitlist for my Group Product Creation Programme
Join the waitlist to be first to hear when you can join Create a Product to Sell and get a free 1:1 call with me when you sign up!...

If you're selling on Amazon or plan to do so in the near or distant future, one of your primary goals is likely to be securing a place on the first page of search results for relevant terms. This goal is well-founded because when users search for something related to your product, you want to appear on that coveted first page.
Research indicates that products on the initial page receive a minimum of 80% of all clicks, with the top three listings accounting for 60% of those clicks. To put it simply, being on the first page is crucial, and the higher your position on that page, the better. Think of your own shopping habits - how often do you venture beyond the initial search results page?
In this episode I share my top tips for ranking higher on Amazon from explaining how the algorithm works to talking you through step by step writing  your product description. There is an accompanying blog post to this episode, and if you would like any further support please do get in touch. 
Listen in to hear me share:
The benefits of ranking higher on Amazon (00:50)How the Amazon algorithm ranks products (02:41)A9 The Amazon Algorithm and how it differs to Google (03:33)The factors that influence how you rank (05:26)Make sure you have a great product listing (08:49)Step by step instructions on how to write your product listing (12:08)What A Plus content is and how it can help (14:47)How to get your first sales to boost your ranking (17:46)The importance of sharing your Amazon product listing on social media and with your friends and family (21:54)The importance of product reviews and how to get them (23:52)The most important things to do (26:31)How I may be able to help you (25:12)
USEFUL RESOURCES:
Junglescout
Free guide - How to successfully launch a product on Amazon or rescue one that’s not selling
Blog Post: 
How To Rank Higher On Amazon

HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU ON AMAZON:
My Free Resources 
Is Amazon Right For You? Mini Strategy Session
Amazon Account Audit
Amazon Launch Package
Amazon Training Q&A Hour
Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT:
Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators
Find me on Instagram
Work with me 
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Today I'm talking to Liz Cooke from Chester & Cooke. Liz designs and makes country living products for the home, garden, horse, and dog. Liz shares her product business journey, and how she transitioned from a career in finance to starting her business and designing wooden products, which her husband then makes and they sell. 
We discussed the challenges of pricing handmade products, the power of offering customisation to your customers, and the areas to prioritise learning about and investing in when running your own business.
Liz has also won quite a few awards, and had some great PR successes, including being commissioned by ITV show Love Your Weekend to make a welly rack. We discuss how these came about, the channels that Liz finds more successful in helping people to find her business.
Listen in to hear Liz share:
An introduction to herself and her business (01:17)How and why she started her own business (01:44)Designing and making products from wood (03:38)Her expectations when setting up the business, and how these have grown (05:56)Their first product - a boot jack (08:34)The biggest challenges of setting up her own website (10:01)How to price handmade products (12:16)The power of personalisation on your products (16:24)How she achieved awards and PR success (18:25)Which channels work best for bringing in sales (22:11)Things to prioritise when you are at the early stages of your business (23:32)The importance of making sure your business doesn’t take over your life (28:17)Her number one piece of advice for product creators (29:24)

USEFUL RESOURCES:
Chester & Cooke Website
Chester & Cooke Etsy
Chester & Cooke Facebook
Chester & Cooke Instagram
Chester & Cooke Pinterest
Chester & Cooke Youtube
Maddy Shine

LET’S CONNECT
Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators
Find me on Instagram
Work with me 
Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support
Mentioned in this episode:
Get on the waitlist for my Group Product Creation Programme
Join the waitlist to be first to hear when you can join Create a Product to Sell and get a free 1:1 call with me when you sign up!...

My guest today is Elle Williamson of The Ecommerce Assistant. Elle helps people build and grow their online businesses with the power of Shopify + Klaviyo to sell more online. Ella has made it her mission to teach everything she knows about ecommerce to founder-led businesses looking to thrive online.
Elle was originally a guest earlier this year on episode 162 where she talked about how to make the most of Shopify. I've invited her back to talk about Klaviyo, an email marketing system, which works really well with Shopify. Elle shares what Klaviyo can do, why she is such a big fan of it, and top tips to get the most out of it. We also talk about email marketing in general - why it's important, best practices, ways to nurture your list and what to do if it is far too long since you emailed them!
Whether you decide to use Klaviyo or not (and there is a free option) there is lots here for you to take and try in your own business to boost your sales. 
Listen in to hear Elle share:
An introduction to herself and her business (01:29)Why email marketing is important (02:21)How often you should be emailing from bare minimum to maximum (06:41)Getting past mindset blocks (07:58)How to nurture your email list, and what this means (09:10)How to start emailing your list again when you haven’t been in touch for a long time (13:35)What Klaviyo is and why Elle recommends it (17:23)Klaviyo’s integration with Shopify (18:20)The difference between the paid and free versions (19:51)The data insights you can get - including how much money each email has made (21:35)Ecommerce features that Klaviyo has (22:50)Top tips for optimising your email marketing for whichever platform you use (27:30)Ways to grow your email list (32:34)What AB tests are and how to do them (34:48)Her number one piece of advice for using email marketing effectively (38:01)
USEFUL RESOURCES:
The Ecommerce Assistant Website
The Ecommerce Assistant Instagram
Elle Williamson Linked In
Elle’s Klaviyo Services
Klaviyo
Shopify
Podcast 162: How to get the most out of Shopify with Elle Williamson - The Ecommerce Assistant


LET’S CONNECT
Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators
Find me on Instagram
Work with me 
Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: a href="https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support" rel="noopener noreferrer"...