Business Sense: Work Space

I've been really busy this past week. And the biggest sign of that productivity is....

My new sewing machine that I set up in my new workspace!

I'm renting some square feet in a shared workspace from a friend, and I couldn't be happier. It works out great for me since I'm not generating piles of money just yet. I was nervous to rent a place out all by myself and be responsible for all of the rent and lease, etc.

And the machine. The glorious, glorious machine. I did a bunch of internet research combined with my school and professional knowledge of industrial sewing machines, and determined that I needed to buy a Juki 8700. It's the industry standard and most versatile single-needle sewing machine. I can sew silk chiffon and I can sew leather; all I have to do is change out the thickness of the needle. 

I contacted a company in New Jersey called Civit. They were so nice on the phone, but as wholesalers, they referred me to the closest retailer, SewMark, since I was only interested in purchasing one machine.

I got all of my ducks in a row to haggle for the best price on this machine. I don't particularly like to haggle but every now and then it can be a fun way to do things. The prices I found on the internet were between $800 and $850 for used machines, so I was prepared to spend $900 on the machine but hopefully use my charm to get the price down to $800.

Walking into the place, the automatic electronic door sensor rang about eight times while I located the machine I'd want. It was right next to the door and had an inspection tag hanging from a knob near the needle. The salesman greeted me. I started just talking to him telling him what I intended to use the machine for but how I'd like the option to use lighter or heavier materials. He assured me that this was the machine I wanted. Then I asked, "How much?" And I was so ready to talk him down in price.

His response, "$650." I had no idea what to say. It was already $250 less than I had expected to pay, and $150 less than my target price. "Sounds good to me," I responded and handed over my credit card. I had it loaded into the back of the SUV and away I drove, with my beautiful new Juki machine!

Business Sense: Domain Name

After a two week vacation and a trip to Florida to visit Jim's family, I'm back at work on my Scotty bag project.

I had almost forgotten to register a domain name, but then my friend mentioned domain names in a conversation about something completely unrelated, and I panicked. I came straight home, asked a couple of questions of another friend, and registered my domains. Phew!

This process has been made absurdly easy. And although their Super Bowl commercials are highly suspect, I went with GoDaddy.com because that was the site recommended to me.

You just do a simple search on the website to find out if your desired names are already registered, and then you choose a few different options for how long and how protected you want your domains to be.

And voila! (when I was a kid I always thought this expression was "Wa La" and I spelled it as such) I have registered the following domains:

www.scottybags.com
www.scotty-bags.com
www.scottyfashion.com
www.scotty-fashion.com
www.scottysurf.com

There is nothing on any of those pages, so I didn't bother to link them on here, but I will defintely make a big deal out of it when I do launch my site!

Grand total spent: $342.92 for 5 domains for 3 years + 5 email addresses at one of these domains.

Business Sense: Applying for a Trademark

Business Progress Report:

Today I submitted my Initial Application Form for registering the trademark of my company name.

Upon some extremely kind legal advice from a Trademark and Patent lawyer friend of mine, I filed with the “Intent to Use,” which means that I can reserve the trademark until I am able to register it by proving that I have used it in a business transaction.  

The fee was $325, and I have to wait approximately 90 days (I am not sure how much leeway the US Patent and Trademark Office is giving itself, but I’m going to go ahead and assume it will be closer to 120 days) for the examining attorney to even look at it. So, I will be proceeding as planned, and wait until I get final approval from the USPTO to affix labels and tags to all of my bags.

Essentially, the office has to determine if my product will not cause confusion with any other trademarks of the same or similar names (Scotty Fishing Supplies, for example). If they determine that a handbag company won’t be likely confused with fishing gear or golf apparel, then hopefully they will let me register the trademark, and it can be mine to use on handbags to my heart’s content.

So, now, the waiting game begins for the trademark paperwork to be processed.  But in the meantime, I’ll be making progress on the design and manufacturing processes that I’m so excited about.

Business Sense: Forming an LLC Step 2

I finally (after an entire month of anxiously digging through the pile that comes through the mail slot every day) received my Reservation of Name Certification from the Department of State. And now it’s time for the big reveal! My Limited Liability Company will be named:

Scotty Fashion LLC

I intend to shorten it for name recognition to Scotty, and I can’t wait to get started on my project.

So the next step in this lovely waiting game with the Department of State is to file my Articles of Organization. This accompanied by a filing fee for $200 will officially put me in business in the Empire State!

So, Step 2 completed. Now to work on my logo and get some business cards printed. Hopefully my Business Certificate will come back soon so I can feel even more official!

Made in USA: Hanky Panky

Since my last post focused on underwear that I didn’t like at all, I thought I’d do a positive post for my favorite underwear company: Hanky Panky.

http://www.hankypanky.com/

I had already had this company recommended to me from more than one person as the most comfortable underwear ever to cover a woman’s nether-regions, so I already had a suspicion that I’d like them.

After converting most of my underwear collection to various styles from Hanky Panky. I discovered on their labels that they are Made in USA. Then reading the “About Us” section on their website, I found out that all of their products have been made in the United States since 1977.  And not only are the garments manufactured in the US, the raw materials all come from here too. You  know that’s an amazing feat if you’ve ever tried to source fabrics and trims before.

The About Us section on their website is actually a really interesting read:

http://www.hankypanky.com/about-hanky-panky.asp

Anyway, their prices are good and are completely justified by the quality. You’ll never be able to get Victoria’s Secret prices from any domestic underwear company, but you also won’t get the human rights violations Victoria’s Secret has to constantly defend themselves against.

Shopping: Strapless Bra

I recently attended an exceptionally beautiful wedding in Delray Beach, Florida. Getting in the ocean in a bikini on February 18^th was quite the treat. Second to the wedding itself, it was the highlight of my 3-day excursion.

I’m usually much more Boy Scout-like in my packing, but on this trip (and my apologies for bringing up a racy topic on this blog), I happened to need to purchase a strapless bra. Any woman who has ever needed one of these contraptions can attest to how terrible they are. I do not possess supernatural powers of any kind, so I knew I’d be destined to pull at my underwear all night while the strapless bra keeps slipping to my waist during Bel Biv Devoe classics. How can you relax and have a good time with those types of worries?

The morning of the wedding, I set out on this shopping excursion. I should admit here that I LOATHE shopping. I LOVE acquiring new things, and I certainly love having money to pay for said things, but the physical act of trying things on for a long period of time is enough to make me scream. With this hatred comes a very efficient and refined shopping style. I’m in and out so fast that it amazes even the most stereotypical browbeaten man accompanying his wife to the mall (I don’t think this actually exists in real life, it’s just a convenient archetype to reference).

After stopping in 3 stores along the main strip of Delray Beach, I realized that the clientele is usually a bit older than me, and strapless bras just aren’t available. Finally we end up in a cute and hip boutique. I ask the saleslady for help and she presents a strapless bra that doesn’t really suit my needs (it is not dance floor functional), but it will have to do if we are to get to the beach today, and I will just have to be vigilant all night for the slipping. It’s a nylon bandeau made by a company called Coobie. The Internet seems to give this bra good reviews; I, however, do not.  

While waiting for the flimsy strip of fabric, I started looking around the store and notice a few Made in USA tags. I am of course reminded of my earlier mission, so I grab a few cute things in my size, and I end up with the following purchases:

Bailey 44 Tank Top in grey: $59.00

Citizens of Humanity Thompson Jean in Dark Indigo $168.00

So 2 out of 3 of my purchases were made in the US. And I would’ve gladly shopped around for a better strapless bra, but I was in a desperate and time-sensitive situation.

Fashion Week from Home

For the first time in six years (in fact, twice a year, so 12 fashion seasons. It’s kind of like “dog years,” one fashion year = 2 years), I am sitting in my kitchen watching a live broadcast of the fashion show of the company for which I formerly worked. I’m usually cruising in to the show after being at the studio late the night before, or even coming straight from the studio knowing which looks and which fabrics will be showcased on the runway. It’s quite exciting to once again be a fashion spectator. I’m hoping that just observing without participating can help revive my affection for fashion that has been lying dormant in the aftermath of my extreme burnout.

A few designers that have PR departments clued into the modern world have begun live-streaming their fashion shows. It’s really amazing to me what a perfect example of our newly Populist world this is. Without being in the room, we can see the time leading up to the show. We can see the set up, and we can see PR folks working their asses off making sure that all the VIPs are in the correct front-row seats, next to the correct A-listers.

I love that everything is becoming demystified. There are whole TV channels dedicated to fixing up your house yourself and cooking gourmet meals without any formal training at the Cordon Bleu. There are shows about fashion PR, celebrity lifestyles, and fashion design. These industries exist on an ivory tower where the public never knows what goes on behind closed doors. But these Populist television programs and live webcasts allow some teenager in Alabama to experience a little bit of an exclusive world that takes years, tears, and if not blood certainly bruises to infiltrate.

I have a couple of gripes about reality TV, but the demystification of industries that exist almost entirely on ivory towers is not one of those complaints.