A PRODUCTION UPDATE
Still smiling, even though the whole fashion industry is a hard one to be in.
The fashion industry as a whole is a mess right now. Forever 21 is closing their doors, and leading luxury brands like Gucci are seeing over a 20% drop in revenue. Let me share what's going on with Elegantees though!
A BOTTLENECK WILL COME
We're producing about the same per month as we usually do, but in smaller quantities per style. This means we're finishing our orders earlier and moving onto the next collection faster. The good news with this is we're more ahead of schedule. The bad news is at some point, we're going to be too far ahead.
As a CEO, I have to figure this out. We need to get our quantity sold up in the upcoming quarter. We're planning our annual dresses promo next week, which is usually a huge success, but we need more than a temporary boost.
We need to fix our marketing strategy to have a daily and ongoing return. Then when the bottleneck in the sewing center does come, hopefully our demand will be up to match the output we need for stable jobs in Nepal.
TEAM EXPANSION
I can't possibly do this on my own. To implement all the ways we could collaborate, it requires lots of hands volunteering with me.
As you know, I've been trying to work with college interns to expand our marketing footprint. Sadly, it isn't working. As I've been talking with them, the problem is not with them, but with the structure. A remote work setting isn't ideal for entry-level associates. We need to be in-person for a team setting and a focused effort. However, we don't have the office space yet to have this type of structure, so we can't yet depend on interns to move the needle.
For getting our quantities back up, the time has to be now though!
It's going to take getting creative with collaborating, and the hands to make it happen. The tasks at hand include coordinating with creators on Tiktok, to getting products featured on Pinterest, and approaching our B2B relationships with a fresh approach and a true win-win.
I'm needing volunteers to steer the ships. Amazingly enough, I'm chatting with a couple of capable ladies from our customer community who may work. I am excited to try this and see what Q2 will have in store!
