Shownotes
BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS
- Focus on your dream, your vision, your why. It will keep you going when things get hard.
- If things don’t happen as planned, keep going! Pivot and go in a different direction.
- Building an audience helps spark people’s interest in you and your product. It establishes great relationships with clients.
- Always have Plan B in place when Plan A doesn’t work. Test things out what works and what doesn’t.
- Tune in to get all the biz building insights!
How To Build Your Online Presence
- Every handmade product is one of a kind and has a story. Share yours to set yourself and your products apart.
- Post pictures and stories about your products and ask questions on social media (even if you haven't started your business yet) to build excitement and relationships with future customers.
- Have products ready to purchase when you launch your website to encourage immediate sales.
- Test out the entire sales process - shopping carts, shipping, labels - everything before you get your first customer.
- Educate your customers on how to use and care for your products so there are no reasons for them not to buy.
- Have the answers to sales questions customers will ask right there on your website.
- Add a card into your product package inviting customers to share and stay connected on social. It's a great way to grow your business.
- Consider providing samples to social media influencers to get great promotions and amazing product pictures you won't find anywhere else. But make sure you have a contract.
- Get lots more tips by listening to the whole episode!
Ana's Contact Links
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedinJoin Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community
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Transcripts
Gift biz unwrapped episode 283.
Speaker:Then I realized,
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:If I want to sell a hammock,
Speaker:I have to teach people how to hang a hammock.
Speaker:Cause otherwise they're going to go crazy Attention.
Speaker:Gifters bakers,
Speaker:crafters, and makers pursuing your dream can be fun.
Speaker:Whether you have an established business or looking to start one.
Speaker:Now you are in the right place.
Speaker:This is gift to biz unwrapped,
Speaker:helping you turn your skill into a flourishing business.
Speaker:Join us for an episode,
Speaker:packed full of invaluable guidance,
Speaker:resources, and the support you need to grow.
Speaker:Your gift biz.
Speaker:Here is your host gift biz gal,
Speaker:Sue moon Heights.
Speaker:Hi there,
Speaker:Sue here and thanks so much for joining in with me
Speaker:today. We're into fall right now already.
Speaker:Can you believe it?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:it's one of my favorite times of the year with the
Speaker:leaves changing here in Chicago and the crisp fresh air and
Speaker:everything turns to apples and pumpkins and cinnamon Yom,
Speaker:but we still have this virus hanging around.
Speaker:And so I want to do a little check in with
Speaker:you because let's face it.
Speaker:We need to be done with this already.
Speaker:So if you need a pick me up by way of
Speaker:comradery with other makers,
Speaker:I want to remind you that there's a ready,
Speaker:made community waiting for you.
Speaker:In my Facebook group called gift biz breeze,
Speaker:we would all welcome you to join us with open yet
Speaker:for the time being distanced arms,
Speaker:just go to Facebook search for gift biz,
Speaker:breeze, and request to join.
Speaker:You can hear more about what gift biz breeze is all
Speaker:about at the end of the show.
Speaker:Meanwhile, lots of goodies in store for you today.
Speaker:We're going to be talking with Anna.
Speaker:Who's just been in business for a couple of years,
Speaker:but is definitely making a statement in her industry.
Speaker:She shares her initial steps for getting started key action that
Speaker:she took in the beginning.
Speaker:They gave her a roadmap for how to proceed and some
Speaker:excellent, fresh social media tips that may be new to you.
Speaker:Make sure to stay to the end,
Speaker:to hear all about that.
Speaker:Plus bonus,
Speaker:I give you a little admission myself about something I didn't
Speaker:realize when I started my first business,
Speaker:all of that coming your way right now Today,
Speaker:I am so excited to bring you Ana Bolanos of limbo
Speaker:imports. Ana was born and raised in El Salvador and had
Speaker:always been fascinated by artisan made goods and craftsmanship.
Speaker:She came to the United States when she was 18 and
Speaker:had always dreamt of owning her own business.
Speaker:One that could make an impact so true to this vision
Speaker:on a partnered with a team of artisans to co-design hammock
Speaker:chairs in a way that preserves my an ancestry yet adds
Speaker:a modern twist.
Speaker:Each fair trade hammock is one of a kind and allows
Speaker:Ana to celebrate history and her home country's tradition.
Speaker:They're functional pieces that are also beautiful and provide relaxation.
Speaker:Ana, welcome to the gift biz on red podcasts.
Speaker:Hi, thank you,
Speaker:Sue. I'm so excited to be here joining you on your
Speaker:podcast. I'm really excited too.
Speaker:So I think I've told you,
Speaker:because I comment in your feed all the time about how
Speaker:beautiful your product is,
Speaker:and I've never really heard your story.
Speaker:So I can't wait to dive in and talk about it.
Speaker:Yes. I'm excited to,
Speaker:to share it with you and everybody yay.
Speaker:But as you know,
Speaker:because I know you're an avid listener,
Speaker:I'm going to start off with a traditional question and that
Speaker:is the motivational candle.
Speaker:So if you were to describe a candle that really speaks
Speaker:to you,
Speaker:what color would it be and what would be a quote
Speaker:or some type of sane on that candle?
Speaker:For sure,
Speaker:Sue, my candle would be light blue.
Speaker:Like the ocean,
Speaker:the ocean,
Speaker:the beach is my happy place.
Speaker:As a little kid growing up,
Speaker:we used to go to the beach all the time in
Speaker:which is a place that gives me a lot of joy
Speaker:and peace.
Speaker:And so the quote on my candle will definitely be something
Speaker:that is very positive.
Speaker:It would be follow your dreams.
Speaker:They know the way it's something that I live by as
Speaker:an entrepreneur,
Speaker:I feel like I always need to be very positive.
Speaker:I need to set goals and be consistent in order to
Speaker:make them a reality.
Speaker:I believe that dreams can come true.
Speaker:And if you work hard,
Speaker:but you can accomplish them.
Speaker:So I try to stay true to that and be as
Speaker:positive as I can going forward.
Speaker:You feel that that positivity is what helped you continue going?
Speaker:Like when there might have been times that were frustrating,
Speaker:which hopefully we'll get into some of those here,
Speaker:but was it just your positive mental attitude and the vision
Speaker:that helped you get through?
Speaker:Yes, because as an entrepreneur,
Speaker:I know that every day I'm going to be dealing with
Speaker:difficulties every day.
Speaker:I need to make a decision or deal with a problem.
Speaker:That's part of owning a business.
Speaker:But if I know my goal and I think about what
Speaker:my dream is and my vision,
Speaker:that's going to keep me going.
Speaker:I always had that clear in my mind and try to
Speaker:push forward.
Speaker:That's a good point.
Speaker:And I'll share,
Speaker:I'll be a little bit honest here.
Speaker:I'm almost embarrassed to say this,
Speaker:but I'm going to anyway when I started my businesses,
Speaker:well, the first one,
Speaker:particularly when I was learning all about business,
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:I'd been in corporate forever,
Speaker:but not my own business.
Speaker:I thought,
Speaker:you know what,
Speaker:I'm going to make this business so smooth in terms of
Speaker:running, how things work and the systems and all of that,
Speaker:there won't be any problems,
Speaker:like what a fallacy is that right?
Speaker:And then a problem would come up and I'd solve it
Speaker:and I'd be like,
Speaker:okay, everything's good.
Speaker:And then another problem would come up.
Speaker:And it took me quite a while to realize what you
Speaker:were just saying,
Speaker:that there are always going to be things that come up,
Speaker:just recognize it and deal with it.
Speaker:And actually I was much calmer when I realized that that's
Speaker:just going to be part of the gig.
Speaker:It's the way it goes.
Speaker:Exactly. Exactly.
Speaker:We just have to understand that that is part of owning
Speaker:a business and doing something new that nobody has ever done
Speaker:before or giving it a different perspective because we don't want
Speaker:to copy what's out there.
Speaker:Right. We want to be original.
Speaker:And so that means we're also gonna fail at some things.
Speaker:And then we just have to pivot and try to go
Speaker:in a different direction.
Speaker:Agreed. And also,
Speaker:I would say some things aren't new to others,
Speaker:but they're new to us and that's okay too.
Speaker:You can't know everything.
Speaker:So you learn,
Speaker:you meet those challenges.
Speaker:You have a positive attitude,
Speaker:like you're saying Ana,
Speaker:and then you move forward,
Speaker:then you go on.
Speaker:Yes, I agree.
Speaker:Wonderful. So take it from the top for us.
Speaker:So you come to the States and you're young yet and
Speaker:share with us then how everything progressed to limbo imports.
Speaker:Okay. Really for you to be able to understand why I
Speaker:started my business,
Speaker:you would need to learn about my history and my past.
Speaker:Basically I was born in El Salvador and all Salvador is
Speaker:a smallest country in central America.
Speaker:So it is a very tiny country.
Speaker:It went through civil war and there's a lot of poverty.
Speaker:There's a lot of crime,
Speaker:but growing up,
Speaker:Sue, honestly,
Speaker:I don't remember any of this.
Speaker:I just remember good things about my country.
Speaker:People are very warm and welcoming.
Speaker:We have beautiful beaches.
Speaker:We have beautiful lakes and the landscape is amazing and the
Speaker:food is delicious as well.
Speaker:So I have very,
Speaker:very fond memories of my country.
Speaker:I left when I was 18 because I was coming to
Speaker:university and I was going to pursue a degree.
Speaker:My parents had also done the same.
Speaker:Both of them had been able to get college degrees from
Speaker:universities here in the U S.
Speaker:And so I was given that opportunity by my parents.
Speaker:So my idea was to come here for four years,
Speaker:get a degree and then go back home,
Speaker:maybe work and multinational company or something like that.
Speaker:But then after my four years,
Speaker:then I started dating my now husband.
Speaker:And he was also studying here abroad in the U S
Speaker:he was in the technology industry.
Speaker:So for us,
Speaker:it was just a no brainer.
Speaker:It just really made a lot of sense for us to
Speaker:stay here in the U S just because he could learn
Speaker:more. And going back to a third world country would mean
Speaker:that he wouldn't be able to progress or expand his opportunities
Speaker:as much as he would here in the U S so
Speaker:that's basically why I ended up staying here.
Speaker:So what was your degree in then?
Speaker:So I actually have a business degree,
Speaker:basically what I do now is an international marketing,
Speaker:right? So when I did that back in the late nineties,
Speaker:it was very,
Speaker:very different.
Speaker:So I'm really telling you email was the thing that was
Speaker:just starting.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:we were just basically using different things that are probably not
Speaker:relevant anymore.
Speaker:So I do feel like I have a very solid background
Speaker:because I have that business degree,
Speaker:but also I stayed home with my children for many years,
Speaker:almost 12 years.
Speaker:Right. So right after I moved into the U S we
Speaker:stayed here with my husband and then I stayed home simply
Speaker:because my family and his family,
Speaker:everybody was in El Salvador.
Speaker:So it just made sense for me as well,
Speaker:to stay home with my children.
Speaker:Cause we have three boys now they're grown,
Speaker:they're teens.
Speaker:One is in college already,
Speaker:but it just made sense at that moment for me to
Speaker:spend more time with them and care for them.
Speaker:And so our idea was really to go back.
Speaker:We always want it to go back.
Speaker:We always loved El Salvador.
Speaker:And so as time progress and our children started growing,
Speaker:we realized that we were very lucky to be here in
Speaker:the United States,
Speaker:right. That there's a lot of opportunities.
Speaker:And our children started making friends.
Speaker:Then we'd really just made the decision to stay here.
Speaker:My children they're bilingual.
Speaker:I really,
Speaker:really try hard to make sure that they speak as much
Speaker:Spanish as they can.
Speaker:And then we always have been traveling back.
Speaker:My family comes,
Speaker:they visit.
Speaker:And I always,
Speaker:always every year go and been traveling back,
Speaker:going to El Salvador and to nearby central American countries and
Speaker:trying to connect with my roots and enjoying things that I
Speaker:grew up with.
Speaker:Okay. All right.
Speaker:So, and I get that when you have children and they
Speaker:start getting older,
Speaker:making friends get established in a school,
Speaker:the roots start developing.
Speaker:So what plans were when you two were a couple and
Speaker:newly married,
Speaker:clearly can change when kids enter the picture.
Speaker:That totally makes sense.
Speaker:So we're along the way.
Speaker:Did you decide,
Speaker:all right,
Speaker:now's the time the boys are getting older?
Speaker:Now's the time I want to start a business,
Speaker:take us there because I think there are a lot of
Speaker:people who are listening,
Speaker:who are still in that thinking stage and haven't decided to
Speaker:actually do something yet.
Speaker:So I'd be really curious what the deciding point was for
Speaker:you to actually do something.
Speaker:Yeah. So when I started seeing Sue that my children were
Speaker:growing and they didn't need me as much,
Speaker:the reason why I went to college was because I wanted
Speaker:to make an impact.
Speaker:Somehow I wanted to work.
Speaker:I really enjoy being productive.
Speaker:And so I actually started working in a different field with
Speaker:medical interpreting and just part time and then transitioned into another
Speaker:opportunity that was given to me.
Speaker:And it was more of an importing business.
Speaker:And so when I was there for a few years,
Speaker:I kind of go back into the business scene and really
Speaker:started noticing that that was my passion,
Speaker:right. That I really wanted to start something of my own.
Speaker:And so that's how I kind of just started thinking about
Speaker:the options that I had.
Speaker:And when I started thinking said,
Speaker:well, I've always,
Speaker:always been fascinated by hammocks.
Speaker:And that's something that I grew up with.
Speaker:And I remember going on vacation back on spring break,
Speaker:we were at the beach and we were walking around and
Speaker:looking at this beautiful homes and they just had chairs.
Speaker:And I just kept thinking,
Speaker:what if they had a beautiful hammock chair?
Speaker:They are a beautiful hammock.
Speaker:Wouldn't that look beautiful?
Speaker:And that just gave me the idea.
Speaker:And I said,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:people here are missing out on beautiful hammocks.
Speaker:Like if I could only bring him into the U S
Speaker:and show them how beautiful the hammocks are.
Speaker:It's so true on a,
Speaker:these hammocks.
Speaker:Aren't the hammocks that you think of,
Speaker:like anyone who's not seen limbo imports,
Speaker:they are in all different colors.
Speaker:The nodding is beautiful.
Speaker:There are chairs that can hang from,
Speaker:I guess the ceiling.
Speaker:It has to have some good,
Speaker:strong leverage to hang,
Speaker:but that's an aside,
Speaker:but these truly are different than what people think of.
Speaker:If you just think of hammocks and have never been exposed
Speaker:to what you're doing.
Speaker:So they're beautiful.
Speaker:Okay. So you have this idea then what did you do
Speaker:first? Like you mentioned,
Speaker:Sue, I mean,
Speaker:hammocks have been around for centuries.
Speaker:I did not invent hammocks.
Speaker:Of course the Mayans invented them centuries ago.
Speaker:Right. So there's the traditional hammock.
Speaker:There's all different kinds of hammocks.
Speaker:If you go down to central America,
Speaker:you'll find that it is very common for people to have
Speaker:hammocks in their homes and everything.
Speaker:So I was like,
Speaker:okay, I love hammocks,
Speaker:but I have to be able to adapt them to the
Speaker:U S market.
Speaker:So then I went and started doing a lot of research.
Speaker:I said,
Speaker:okay, let me see what's out there.
Speaker:And then that's how I got started basically.
Speaker:And realized that there was a niche that had not been
Speaker:addressed maybe.
Speaker:Right. Because what I realized is that people,
Speaker:yes, they want to relax,
Speaker:but they also want to bring something beautiful into their homes.
Speaker:Right. So not only do you want to have something hanging
Speaker:there that it's gonna give you hours of relaxation or just
Speaker:a place where you can lay and chill,
Speaker:but you can also be confident that it's going to look
Speaker:beautiful and then it's going to add to the beauty of
Speaker:your home.
Speaker:So that's exactly what I set off to do,
Speaker:right. So I went back since I've been traveling back all
Speaker:the time,
Speaker:and I already had a friend who had been working with
Speaker:a team of artisans.
Speaker:So that's where my business model is actually something that just
Speaker:made it so simple and easier for me,
Speaker:because I did not have to teach the artisans how to
Speaker:make him they've already been making them for years.
Speaker:So what I did was we sat down,
Speaker:we created prototypes and basically we created about six designs.
Speaker:And I definitely knew what I wanted.
Speaker:I had a vision.
Speaker:We, it was just a matter of getting the prototypes made.
Speaker:And so that's what we did.
Speaker:So are they made in El Salvador?
Speaker:Yes. A hundred percent made an El Salvador,
Speaker:everything from the wood spreader,
Speaker:the strings,
Speaker:the cotton canvas and everything is made in El Salvador by
Speaker:the artists in SU I do have to tell you,
Speaker:in all honesty,
Speaker:I am not a crafty person.
Speaker:I'm sorry to let you down,
Speaker:but I am creative in a different way.
Speaker:You're not letting me down.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:I can't even read my own handwriting sometimes finding you,
Speaker:but I am creative in a different way.
Speaker:And so that's why I love your podcast so much.
Speaker:So honestly,
Speaker:because when I started to listen to the podcast,
Speaker:it just gave me ideas and it made me connect to
Speaker:that creative side.
Speaker:The handmade business is so unique and I really needed to
Speaker:be in touch with that part of me where I could
Speaker:actually transmit that to the customer.
Speaker:Right. Because a handmade product is so one of a kind,
Speaker:it's not just to say that,
Speaker:but it is true,
Speaker:right? It's special because it's made by hand and there's a
Speaker:story behind each handmade product.
Speaker:Absolutely. And that's really interesting too,
Speaker:because I think there are,
Speaker:are two different types of people who love handmade products and
Speaker:decide to have it as a business.
Speaker:One is the person who starts off being the artist,
Speaker:they're making the product and they're then needing to share it
Speaker:with the world.
Speaker:So they need more of that business knowledge.
Speaker:You come from the other direction,
Speaker:you have the business knowledge,
Speaker:you have the love for the products.
Speaker:And so you found someone else who had the expertise.
Speaker:I E the,
Speaker:all the artisans in El Salvador to give their expertise about
Speaker:how to design it and make it into what you had
Speaker:already envisioned.
Speaker:Exactly. That is so cool.
Speaker:Okay. So I'm really excited about this,
Speaker:cause I didn't even know that part.
Speaker:Okay. So what did you do in terms of forming a
Speaker:concrete plan?
Speaker:You had your prototype,
Speaker:you figured out what the product was going to look like,
Speaker:maybe the colors and all that at that point to perhaps.
Speaker:So the thing is that what's beautiful in Latin America or
Speaker:central America or any country is not,
Speaker:what's beautiful here.
Speaker:Right? So being here in the U S for so many
Speaker:years, kind of gave me that feel,
Speaker:I understand what's trending.
Speaker:I go out,
Speaker:I shop,
Speaker:I see what people are,
Speaker:are following or liking,
Speaker:or just in general,
Speaker:how people are decorating their homes.
Speaker:So that really gave me a solid idea of how I
Speaker:could modify or create our collection.
Speaker:So we just sketched those designs.
Speaker:I brought in some prototypes at this point and I'll prototype
Speaker:it, samples.
Speaker:Everything that we do is online.
Speaker:So everything is e-commerce at this point.
Speaker:And I started trying to see what would happen and,
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:Like I was just so,
Speaker:so excited to see all the positive feedback and people starting
Speaker:to ask for different things and asking questions.
Speaker:And I just immediately saw how people were just getting excited
Speaker:and liking the product.
Speaker:When did limbo import start officially?
Speaker:So I haven't been in the market for a long time,
Speaker:actually, Sue my business started November of 2018.
Speaker:So it hasn't even been two years yet.
Speaker:And then you said you started right online.
Speaker:Tell us a little bit more behind that,
Speaker:because I think this will be really interesting for people who
Speaker:are just thinking,
Speaker:like we were talking about before haven't taken action yet.
Speaker:Maybe they can follow through with something that you did.
Speaker:Because the thing that I really like hearing about what you've
Speaker:done is you saw immediate interest from the market,
Speaker:but how did you get the product in front of the
Speaker:market? So,
Speaker:because it's so easy nowadays,
Speaker:there are so many platforms,
Speaker:Facebook, Instagram,
Speaker:there are so many ways to sell either on your website
Speaker:or Etsy or Amazon handmade.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:those platforms are there and it's so much easier nowadays because
Speaker:you can just set up a product there and see what
Speaker:happens and people will start reacting to it.
Speaker:But social media,
Speaker:I actually started my Instagram account earlier on,
Speaker:even before I had my product.
Speaker:Like, I think I started in February.
Speaker:My business didn't get started until November,
Speaker:but I started to post pictures and people were start commenting
Speaker:and asking.
Speaker:So right from there,
Speaker:I already had an audience.
Speaker:So you started with Instagram,
Speaker:not Facebook,
Speaker:then you built up the audience.
Speaker:So you started having people following you and interested in the
Speaker:pot act or interested in you before you really even started
Speaker:selling. Yeah.
Speaker:Yes, exactly.
Speaker:Because otherwise it's going to take forever if you were working
Speaker:on the product and if you're waiting for the product to
Speaker:arrive and develop it and make all the changes that's going
Speaker:to take forever and actually customers are interested in that,
Speaker:right? So you might want to share and be like,
Speaker:what color do you like the best?
Speaker:This one or this one,
Speaker:even as you're creating the products,
Speaker:people are,
Speaker:want to find out about the behind the scenes of the
Speaker:creation. Are all your images still up on your Instagram account?
Speaker:Those really early ones.
Speaker:Yes. So you can go back and see them.
Speaker:They're actually,
Speaker:some of them are not even mine.
Speaker:I found them on the internet because I really didn't have
Speaker:my styles or my designs yet.
Speaker:So I just started posting a little and started to see
Speaker:what people were saying or what they were liking.
Speaker:And then that definitely gave me a clear idea of where
Speaker:I needed to head what market I was going to be
Speaker:serving. Honestly,
Speaker:when I jumped into this,
Speaker:I wasn't exactly sure who my market would be.
Speaker:But as I progressed,
Speaker:I started seeing who wanted my products.
Speaker:So my products,
Speaker:I was able to niche down specifically to my ideal customer
Speaker:And who is that?
Speaker:So the ideal customer is someone who first of all,
Speaker:loves to decorate their home because our hammocks are beautiful.
Speaker:But at the same time,
Speaker:they also care about self care.
Speaker:They want to rest.
Speaker:They want to take time to read a good book or
Speaker:chat on the phone,
Speaker:but lay down.
Speaker:And it's a mix basically of anybody who is into decor,
Speaker:but also into taking time for themselves.
Speaker:Okay. So that also helps you then being so clear on
Speaker:who your ideal customer is.
Speaker:I'm thinking that helps you with Messaging.
Speaker:So when you're putting up a photo of a hammock,
Speaker:you can talk about the benefits of relaxation or meditation or
Speaker:the beauty of having the hammock within a room and the
Speaker:qualities, the atmosphere that it brings to the room,
Speaker:things like that.
Speaker:Exactly. We focus a lot on the,
Speaker:not the product itself,
Speaker:but the benefit it's going to bring and how it's going
Speaker:to transform your home and the feeling it will create as
Speaker:you use it.
Speaker:One of the other things that's very important for the customer
Speaker:we serve is how it's made it.
Speaker:Actually, I believe that most of my customers value the craftsmanship
Speaker:behind the products and the tradition and just the details itself
Speaker:of how the hammocks are made and where they're made.
Speaker:Yes. Before I forget,
Speaker:I have to ask this question.
Speaker:I want to go back to that.
Speaker:You were posting before you were actually even selling,
Speaker:were you messaging in a way that people understood that at
Speaker:some point they would be available for purchase?
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:So much great information still coming your way right after this
Speaker:short break.
Speaker:Yes. It's possible.
Speaker:Increase your sales without adding a single customer.
Speaker:How you ask by offering personalization with your products,
Speaker:wrap a cake box with a ribbon saying happy 30th birthday,
Speaker:Annie, or at a special message and date to wedding or
Speaker:party favors for an extra meaningful touch.
Speaker:Where else can you get customization with a creatively spelled name
Speaker:or find packaging?
Speaker:That includes a saying whose meaning is known to a select
Speaker:to not only are customers willing to pay for these special
Speaker:touches. They'll tell their friends and word will spread about your
Speaker:company and products.
Speaker:You can create personalized ribbons and labels in seconds,
Speaker:make just one or thousands without waiting weeks or having to
Speaker:spend money to order yards and yards print words in any
Speaker:language or font,
Speaker:add logos,
Speaker:images, even photos,
Speaker:perfect for branding or adding ingredient and flavor labels to for
Speaker:more information,
Speaker:go to the ribbon print company.com.
Speaker:Yes, but I wasn't exactly sure where I was taking the
Speaker:business, but I was,
Speaker:my intention was to start the business.
Speaker:I need to go back and take a look at that.
Speaker:Cause it's kind of funny,
Speaker:but that's my story.
Speaker:That's how I really got started.
Speaker:So it's honestly,
Speaker:it was coming from an authentic place.
Speaker:I've never tried to copy anyone.
Speaker:Honestly. I feel that customers can totally feel that.
Speaker:I don't think there's anybody like me and not that I'm
Speaker:anything special,
Speaker:but I'm Latina.
Speaker:I'm an immigrant.
Speaker:I am from El Salvador and I've been given all this
Speaker:opportunities. So I have to be able to use it and
Speaker:put it into just to give back somehow.
Speaker:So I think that's completely,
Speaker:you can visualize that on my posts and on my pictures
Speaker:and everything.
Speaker:I try to be as transparent as I can with that.
Speaker:Well, first off you are special.
Speaker:So starting with that,
Speaker:but also I like what you're talking about because you were
Speaker:kind of warming up the audience and almost building this anticipation
Speaker:for when the product would be available.
Speaker:Now I get that.
Speaker:You didn't know for sure what it was going to look
Speaker:like yet.
Speaker:You were taking people on the journey with you as you
Speaker:were learning and understanding and seeing,
Speaker:and I don't know that I'm going to go back or
Speaker:anyone's going to go back and Instagram and look.
Speaker:So don't worry about that.
Speaker:Don't spend any time doing that,
Speaker:but I hope there are some things that don't quite align
Speaker:or are exactly what you would do now because it's a
Speaker:progression, but here's a perfect example.
Speaker:You started building a following.
Speaker:So now let's talk about,
Speaker:all right,
Speaker:you've been going on Instagram,
Speaker:you've been doing research for the product.
Speaker:You have some business background.
Speaker:You had worked at an importing business,
Speaker:which is,
Speaker:I think great because it shows that you picked up some
Speaker:skills and knowledge from a totally different career.
Speaker:If you will,
Speaker:that then you could use in your current business.
Speaker:So let's go now to the point where you have products
Speaker:ready to sell.
Speaker:How did that happen?
Speaker:So once I set up my website too,
Speaker:I started seeing the traction and I started seeing what people
Speaker:were gravitating towards.
Speaker:What was the point where you officially said you were in
Speaker:business? Was it when the website went live when you had
Speaker:your first product to sell that people could buy through messenger
Speaker:on Instagram?
Speaker:Or what was your position when you had your first sale?
Speaker:What did you have available?
Speaker:So the way I started selling honestly,
Speaker:was through Instagram and posting information about the new product,
Speaker:say new collection or new product up for sale now.
Speaker:And people would just immediately go into my website and then
Speaker:click on it and start looking.
Speaker:You did have the website up when you quote unquote,
Speaker:officially opened the doors.
Speaker:Yeah. So I wanted to make sure that people would go
Speaker:there and they would find the products I was talking about
Speaker:in the pictures that I was sharing.
Speaker:I wanted people to be able to replicate that at home.
Speaker:So yes,
Speaker:when I started sending people over to my website was when
Speaker:I already had my product set up.
Speaker:Okay. I was just curious.
Speaker:Cause now a lot of people are putting up pictures and
Speaker:then saying,
Speaker:if you're interested,
Speaker:connect with me in the DMS,
Speaker:right. That's another way to do it right now.
Speaker:If you don't have a shop set up yet.
Speaker:And of course we were talking earlier about Facebook shops and
Speaker:what that is going to now start being able to offer
Speaker:everybody. But for you,
Speaker:it was the website.
Speaker:And so you started getting sales.
Speaker:What was it like with that first sale?
Speaker:Oh my Gosh.
Speaker:It was so excited.
Speaker:It's like you've been working so hard towards something and then
Speaker:that first sale comes in.
Speaker:It's very,
Speaker:very exciting,
Speaker:but that completely validated everything that I had been working for,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:it was just like,
Speaker:yes, I knew people were going to love this because I
Speaker:love it.
Speaker:And so it just a great feeling.
Speaker:It really just gives you that push and that motivation to
Speaker:keep going.
Speaker:Was it somebody who friend,
Speaker:family, or was it somebody who'd been following you on social
Speaker:media that you hadn't known before?
Speaker:I have no idea how they got their soup.
Speaker:I'm guessing Google search is amazing as well.
Speaker:When people are trying to find something,
Speaker:they'll go Google ed,
Speaker:they'll go on Instagram.
Speaker:I wish I could tell you how they got there.
Speaker:I don't know,
Speaker:but I'm very thankful they did because that absolutely gave me
Speaker:that excitement and to keep going.
Speaker:And I knew I had something special.
Speaker:The reason I was asking you,
Speaker:I think friends and family as first sales are great because
Speaker:it allows you to test your systems,
Speaker:make sure that shopping carts really working,
Speaker:allow you to produce your shipping labels,
Speaker:the systems running smoothly credit card processors working and like all
Speaker:of that.
Speaker:But when you get the first sale from someone who you
Speaker:don't know,
Speaker:which is what you're describing,
Speaker:it's almost even more exciting because when there's one like that,
Speaker:there are more to follow.
Speaker:So it's exciting that your very first one came in that
Speaker:manner. I love that.
Speaker:Yes. And so I did have to learn to honestly,
Speaker:like at the same time,
Speaker:because I started seeing what people were asking and just like
Speaker:you mentioned,
Speaker:people start getting to my website and I started realizing that
Speaker:they were asking the same question and the same question kept
Speaker:via direct messages.
Speaker:I kept having the same people ask the same question.
Speaker:They were wondering,
Speaker:how do you hang a hammock chair from the ceiling?
Speaker:That's my question.
Speaker:Will you tell us?
Speaker:Yes. And so,
Speaker:and then I realized,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:if I want to sell a hammock,
Speaker:I have to teach people how to hang a hammock because
Speaker:otherwise they're going to go crazy.
Speaker:Not everybody's husbands are super handy.
Speaker:Not every villain knows how to hang hammock or do or
Speaker:build something like that.
Speaker:But actually I decided to figure this out and the way
Speaker:you set it up is really from a wood beam,
Speaker:all ceilings,
Speaker:most homes have wood beams,
Speaker:and then you would just find a stud finder.
Speaker:And then you would locate that beam.
Speaker:Those beans are fairly strong.
Speaker:And then you drill exactly at that point,
Speaker:right on my website,
Speaker:you'll find that we also carry now the hanging kids.
Speaker:We want it to be like a one stop shop.
Speaker:Really? When people like a hammer,
Speaker:they just also can pick up a hanging kit just to
Speaker:make it easy for them.
Speaker:But some people,
Speaker:they still want to go to the hardware store and put
Speaker:it together themselves.
Speaker:So we did create a blog post where we show customers
Speaker:how to do it.
Speaker:Whoa, that's skyrocketed immediately.
Speaker:Sales completely started increasing at that moment because I was also
Speaker:giving them the knowhow on how to set it up.
Speaker:Okay. So you saw a real change when that question was
Speaker:answered. Yes,
Speaker:because I just started getting it so often then,
Speaker:then, then I realized I'm not going to be selling unless
Speaker:I teach people how to use the product.
Speaker:And I'm pretty sure there's a bunch of other things people
Speaker:are curious about,
Speaker:but they don't know how to use it.
Speaker:And once you show them how it just makes a big
Speaker:difference for them.
Speaker:And then they're like,
Speaker:Oh yes,
Speaker:I can totally do this.
Speaker:And I'm a woman.
Speaker:I can set it up easily.
Speaker:So anybody can,
Speaker:is there a weight limit on the hammocks?
Speaker:Our hammocks are very,
Speaker:very strong suit.
Speaker:We have a regular adult size that can hold up to
Speaker:300 pounds.
Speaker:And then we also based on the needs of our customers,
Speaker:basically because I started also seeing an interest for like smaller
Speaker:hammocks. We created a junior version of our regular size hammock
Speaker:because a lot of the parents there were going into our
Speaker:website, one at the hammocks for their daughters or their children's
Speaker:rooms. And so then we created a smaller version that one
Speaker:will hold 250 pounds.
Speaker:So it's slightly smaller,
Speaker:but it's just this beautiful.
Speaker:Got it.
Speaker:And how do you clean it?
Speaker:So we'll go hammocks.
Speaker:We make SU also is very important for me to share
Speaker:this with you and listeners.
Speaker:There are a hundred percent cotton.
Speaker:I really,
Speaker:really want them to be comfortable and as sustainable and as
Speaker:ecofriendly as possible.
Speaker:So I definitely stay away from any polyester error,
Speaker:anything like that.
Speaker:I really feel that it's just more breathable.
Speaker:It's more comfortable and it just respects the environment at the
Speaker:same time.
Speaker:Everything's biodegradable,
Speaker:but the way to clean it is you basically just put
Speaker:it in a little bit of Woolite or just a soft
Speaker:detergent and you just use a little brush and water and
Speaker:they're super resistant,
Speaker:very, very resistant.
Speaker:Keep in mind Sue that the team that we're working with,
Speaker:our artisans they've been doing this for years.
Speaker:They're very,
Speaker:very good at what they do.
Speaker:The quality is something that is important for us.
Speaker:Our target market is one that really values quality.
Speaker:And so I am very careful with everything and all the
Speaker:little details that go into making the hammocks and our team
Speaker:there. They're very good at making sure that they will deliver
Speaker:the products that we're expecting or because the U S market
Speaker:is special.
Speaker:And we want to treat our customers with the best products
Speaker:available. Right?
Speaker:How long does a hammock last?
Speaker:Well, our hammock SU can last for up to five years.
Speaker:We have a one year warranty just because that's the norm,
Speaker:but quality wise,
Speaker:they're so,
Speaker:so resistant.
Speaker:And if you take care of them,
Speaker:they can last for even longer.
Speaker:I always recommend that you keep them indoors when you're not
Speaker:using them.
Speaker:Most people will set them up indoors.
Speaker:If you keep an endorsed,
Speaker:like on a covered porch or inside of your home,
Speaker:they can last for years.
Speaker:Okay. So I was actually doing a demonstration on Ana.
Speaker:I've been so tempted to buy one of these for so
Speaker:long. So these are my questions about a hammock,
Speaker:but I wanted to just do that by way of example.
Speaker:And I'm talking to you guys give this listeners,
Speaker:did you hear what I was doing?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:these were all selling questions really that I was asking Ana.
Speaker:And did you hear how she,
Speaker:like she had answers.
Speaker:She had details.
Speaker:All of that information could be turned into posts,
Speaker:social media posts.
Speaker:I don't know if you already have them there Ana,
Speaker:but blog articles,
Speaker:all different types of things.
Speaker:And so I wanted to do that by way of a
Speaker:demonstration for everybody.
Speaker:Have somebody ask you questions about your products?
Speaker:What are the things that people wouldn't know you might say?
Speaker:Well, Dom,
Speaker:like my product is obvious.
Speaker:I knit scarves,
Speaker:but what are some other fashionable ways to where you're the
Speaker:scarf? How would you clean it?
Speaker:All different types of things you could do.
Speaker:So ask other people what the questions would be of your
Speaker:product. And you might just land on something.
Speaker:I love the fact Ana that you're talking about.
Speaker:People didn't know how to hang it because that's my number
Speaker:one question.
Speaker:It's like,
Speaker:Oh, this is going to fall out of the ceiling and
Speaker:it's not gonna work for me.
Speaker:And that probably until you put that up,
Speaker:probably inhibited people from buying,
Speaker:right. And then for you to see immediate action and response,
Speaker:meaning sales,
Speaker:after you had answered that question online for people is a
Speaker:great lesson for all of us.
Speaker:Yeah. So absolutely people were more encouraged.
Speaker:They could actually see themselves hanging it.
Speaker:And eventually I want to create more videos,
Speaker:create better images and all that,
Speaker:but that's work in progress.
Speaker:Like I said,
Speaker:I haven't really been in business for not even two years
Speaker:yet. So I'm so excited to all the different possibilities and
Speaker:the potential that we have with the product.
Speaker:Give yourself time.
Speaker:What up to this point has happened?
Speaker:That's been frustrating for you or something that was challenging that
Speaker:you could share with our listeners.
Speaker:Sure. You know,
Speaker:Sue, when you're importing a product,
Speaker:there's a lot of things that can go wrong.
Speaker:But for the most part is a seamless process.
Speaker:If you have all the right steps in place.
Speaker:So importing might take time simply because there's a lot of
Speaker:documents that will,
Speaker:you will need to have upfront.
Speaker:And so not only are you going to be dealing with
Speaker:exporting from one country,
Speaker:but also importing here.
Speaker:So there's sometimes delays with importing and definitely have to refer
Speaker:to this pandemic because it definitely impacted us greatly because the
Speaker:airports in El Salvador were shut down.
Speaker:Actually they're still shut down to this day.
Speaker:It's been a very long time.
Speaker:And so those delays are something that impacts because we want
Speaker:it to have our inventory here for the summertime,
Speaker:which is our high season.
Speaker:And that didn't happen.
Speaker:So I was able to overcome this by letting people preorder.
Speaker:So I had to go for plan B and it worked,
Speaker:I was very surprised because people were buying my products and
Speaker:they knew that there were not going to be delivered the
Speaker:day that they order them.
Speaker:So your preorder list where then people kind of first in
Speaker:line to get the product,
Speaker:once you had it in stock.
Speaker:Yes. So people would actually order that they would order the
Speaker:product and we would just send them a message saying there
Speaker:is a delay,
Speaker:but your product will ship shortly.
Speaker:So our sales did not go down.
Speaker:Sue. I'm very happy to say that.
Speaker:And one or two,
Speaker:maybe a little bit more,
Speaker:but some canceled simply because they needed it for graduation present
Speaker:or for a birthday.
Speaker:And based on the dates,
Speaker:they just had to cancel.
Speaker:But 95% of our summer sales were preorders.
Speaker:So, and people were just,
Speaker:they knew that they wanted our hammocks.
Speaker:They were willing to wait.
Speaker:And I am so,
Speaker:so thankful for that,
Speaker:honestly, because I wasn't going to cancel those orders.
Speaker:The artisans were already making them their income dependent on this.
Speaker:And so for me,
Speaker:that's important to make sure that those artisans are also paid
Speaker:and that they can provide for their families.
Speaker:And that all that is support.
Speaker:Okay. I asked that question really because the majority of people
Speaker:here aren't importing from overseas,
Speaker:but they're getting parts that for what they make from overseas.
Speaker:So it's not necessarily the completed product,
Speaker:but it's one little class or whatever the different components are.
Speaker:So this could be an idea for you.
Speaker:I think one of the big challenges is when we reach
Speaker:a barrier,
Speaker:it's so easy to just say,
Speaker:okay, this isn't going to work.
Speaker:I can't do it.
Speaker:I'm going to shut down.
Speaker:I'm going to close Covance,
Speaker:done me in,
Speaker:but to find other creative ways of managing a situation at
Speaker:hand, which is what you did,
Speaker:which is what all of us can do.
Speaker:Doesn't mean that when you come to a closed door that
Speaker:you don't find another way to open it up,
Speaker:maybe in a different way.
Speaker:And it might be a way that's even better later.
Speaker:So this idea of taking orders and then fulfilling them first,
Speaker:come first server,
Speaker:ensuring that the orders are actually going to happen when you
Speaker:do get components or in your point on the product,
Speaker:backend is one way of handling that.
Speaker:So I just wanted to bring that up.
Speaker:So actually Sue and then also have good communication with the
Speaker:customer in the meantime,
Speaker:right? Cause you gotta be updating them on the status of
Speaker:their order because then if you don't communicate from the time
Speaker:they place their order to the time you ship,
Speaker:that's when they become anxious.
Speaker:Right. But if you're telling them,
Speaker:Hey, our shipment is coming in next week.
Speaker:It's almost here.
Speaker:Thank you for your patience.
Speaker:They'll be fine because if they really want that product,
Speaker:they'll wait for it.
Speaker:Right. I agree with you there.
Speaker:So who encompasses right now?
Speaker:The people that are part of your group,
Speaker:like your organization chart,
Speaker:if you will,
Speaker:besides state side.
Speaker:So I know you have your artisans over in El Salvador,
Speaker:but who's part of your team here on the U S
Speaker:side. So on the U S side,
Speaker:Sue, we only have a small warehouse where we fulfill our
Speaker:orders. Like we don't have a shop,
Speaker:right. So it's me and I have two people right now
Speaker:working with product fulfillment,
Speaker:shipping out orders.
Speaker:I'm also in a lot shipping orders and then customer service
Speaker:on our end here.
Speaker:Okay. I love that because it shows that you don't have
Speaker:to have a huge team behind you to start and grow
Speaker:and run a business.
Speaker:Who's doing your social media.
Speaker:I am doing my social media right now.
Speaker:Sue, I'm also learning how to do this as well.
Speaker:Because like I said,
Speaker:I do have that marketing background,
Speaker:but everything changed.
Speaker:So I am learning as I go.
Speaker:I'm so thankful that there's so much out there,
Speaker:different courses and different things that you can enroll in.
Speaker:It's very accessible.
Speaker:And honestly,
Speaker:anybody who has never done it,
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:I'm on the same boat.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:it's just really a matter of trying and testing and seeing
Speaker:what works and what doesn't,
Speaker:That's a good point.
Speaker:Testing it out,
Speaker:seeing what works and just because it worked for somebody else
Speaker:doesn't mean it's going to work for you cause you have
Speaker:a different audience.
Speaker:So you've got to test and see what's going to work.
Speaker:So are you taking all your own pictures too?
Speaker:I have a friend.
Speaker:Who's a photographer and she's helping,
Speaker:she does that for me eventually.
Speaker:I can totally see me.
Speaker:I have my vision and eventually I'll try to work a
Speaker:little more on photography now that I'm more clear on who
Speaker:my audience is.
Speaker:So I'm excited to do that going forward.
Speaker:Well, your pictures are beautiful.
Speaker:Oh, thank you.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:Thinking you had to have somebody doing it.
Speaker:Not because you couldn't do it,
Speaker:but they are so beautiful with the hammocks placed in the
Speaker:rooms and the different colors and all of that.
Speaker:It's beautiful.
Speaker:So I have a lot of influencers per se,
Speaker:contacting me.
Speaker:And I've had,
Speaker:I've worked with some of them before for free product.
Speaker:They'll be willing to take pictures and talk about your product.
Speaker:So I definitely recommend that option as well.
Speaker:Some of the photography that I use is generated by giving
Speaker:out a few samples or product to them in return.
Speaker:They'll send me a beautiful pictures that I would never be
Speaker:able to recreate on my own cause they give them their
Speaker:own spin.
Speaker:The cost is just the product itself for me,
Speaker:right? So I've got to make sure you make a contract
Speaker:though. And that both parties understand what's expected for the free
Speaker:product. And then the other opportunity that I've seen,
Speaker:that it's something that I really enjoy is having customers tag
Speaker:us. Once they receive the product and set it up,
Speaker:they'll tag us on social media or send emails and send
Speaker:pictures to us.
Speaker:I love,
Speaker:love that because not only do I use it as content,
Speaker:but I can also use it as social proof for other
Speaker:people to see how others are incorporating the hammocks into their
Speaker:homes. Absolutely.
Speaker:So I have a couple of questions for you.
Speaker:On the influencer side,
Speaker:you say that they came to you and approached you.
Speaker:Did you ever approach any influencers yourself CISE started?
Speaker:Yes. So I did work with two in one of them
Speaker:was wonderful.
Speaker:She was amazing.
Speaker:And she gave a lot of content to this day.
Speaker:She still sends me pictures.
Speaker:She'll redecorate her home for every season and she'll send me
Speaker:pictures. The other one that I looked for it with,
Speaker:she just gave me a couple of pictures and I never
Speaker:heard back from her again.
Speaker:But it's a matter of learning.
Speaker:You have to feel connected to the person that you're going
Speaker:to work with and make sure that you both understand at
Speaker:that time,
Speaker:I didn't even know there was a possibility of a creating
Speaker:a contract,
Speaker:but you should write it down.
Speaker:So there's no misunderstanding of what's expected and the timeline that
Speaker:should be followed.
Speaker:Right. So it's the details like I'm going to send you
Speaker:the hammock.
Speaker:You're going to send me two,
Speaker:three photos,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:whatever the situation is,
Speaker:right. It's that type of a contract.
Speaker:Exactly. So it's a win win,
Speaker:honestly. Okay.
Speaker:And then one question also on the customer tagging,
Speaker:do you have some type of motivation for them to do
Speaker:that for you?
Speaker:Or is it just coming naturally?
Speaker:I actually have a couple of things that I do.
Speaker:So I put it on my stories often.
Speaker:I'm like,
Speaker:Hey, share your pictures.
Speaker:We want to see what you're doing,
Speaker:how you're relaxing share,
Speaker:share. So I do that maybe once a week,
Speaker:I'll post it on stories.
Speaker:But what I think is the most effective is that in
Speaker:my packaging inside,
Speaker:I have a little insert.
Speaker:It's a little card,
Speaker:but it's different.
Speaker:I have a card with all the product information and like
Speaker:a thank you note,
Speaker:but separate from that,
Speaker:there's a little like a business card kind of little note
Speaker:saying, Hey,
Speaker:let's stay connected,
Speaker:follow us.
Speaker:Or actually I don't even say follow cause I don't like
Speaker:people following us.
Speaker:I honestly feel like they want to be part of a
Speaker:community. So join our community.
Speaker:That's my invitation,
Speaker:honestly, because I really like connecting with my customers.
Speaker:I love learning how their hammocks transform their homes.
Speaker:So it comes from an authentic place where I really want
Speaker:to stay connected with them.
Speaker:Not only cause they can be customers in the future,
Speaker:but they're also going to be sharing content and letting other
Speaker:people know about us.
Speaker:So going back to that too,
Speaker:it's just a little card separate from everything else that goes
Speaker:inside of the box and it says let's stay connected.
Speaker:Follow this ad limbo imports on Instagram and they'll go,
Speaker:many of them will do it.
be part of the hammock owner community or want to be
Speaker:hammock owner or the people who are just following you organically.
Speaker:And don't get that little card yet.
Speaker:So you don't incentivize like tag us on social media and
Speaker:you'll be entered into a monthly drawing sweepstakes or something like
Speaker:that. You don't do any of that.
Speaker:It's all organic.
Speaker:I don't give out free products like that.
Speaker:I honestly just tell them,
Speaker:Hey, join our community.
Speaker:What happens is that when people receive their products,
Speaker:many of us love getting mail.
Speaker:I know we order a lot of stuff online.
Speaker:And so once the customer gets it,
Speaker:they're so excited.
Speaker:And if you have that little card,
Speaker:it just reminds them,
Speaker:Hey, share posts at that moment.
Speaker:Sometimes they just need that little reminder and then they'll actually
Speaker:start doing it and keep in mind as well that my
Speaker:target market is one that is very comfortable doing it.
Speaker:Right? So it also depends on who your customer is.
Speaker:I am fortunate that type of customer we serve is already
Speaker:on social media Is already on and knows how to use
Speaker:it. Exactly.
Speaker:Okay. So let's take a look into the future.
Speaker:Ana, what do you envision?
Speaker:Let's just go five years down the road,
Speaker:things change so fast and look at where you've come in
Speaker:two years already.
Speaker:It's crazy,
Speaker:but what are you seeing as the business grows?
Speaker:So when I started this business,
Speaker:I just didn't just want to create a business that makes
Speaker:money or anything like that.
Speaker:I really wanted to impact the lives of artisans in El
Speaker:Salvador. I am very fond of everything,
Speaker:my culture and my history.
Speaker:And I'm proud of where I come from.
Speaker:And if I am able to grow this business,
Speaker:that means I'm going to be able to offer more employment
Speaker:opportunities for the artisans.
Speaker:And so that's what I want to achieve.
Speaker:And hopefully in five years,
Speaker:be able to sell more so that I can provide more
Speaker:employment and empowering opportunities for them.
Speaker:Beautiful. Where can all of our listeners come and see more
Speaker:about you?
Speaker:Where would you send them?
Speaker:Definitely our website,
Speaker:limbo imports.com
Speaker:and then on social and Instagram at limbo On a thank
Speaker:you so much.
Speaker:Your story is amazing.
Speaker:I love your vision for the future of continuing to help
Speaker:people back in El Salvador and your product is absolutely stunning.
Speaker:I'm so excited to watch you continue to grow and grow.
Speaker:And I so appreciate your sharing the story here on the
Speaker:podcast. Thank you,
Speaker:Sue. I am so grateful to have been able to join
Speaker:you. I've been listening to your podcast for a while and
Speaker:super excited.
Speaker:Well, we're all going to go over and look at your
Speaker:hammocks and learn how to hang them.
Speaker:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker:I'll see you guys there.
Speaker:Yeah. Take care.
Speaker:Limbo imports will definitely be one to watch as Ana continues
Speaker:to grow her business.
Speaker:If I had to highlight one point,
Speaker:we covered as the biggest takeaway,
Speaker:I think it would be the immediate sales bump on a
Speaker:saw when she identified a barrier to the sale,
Speaker:meaning instructing people,
Speaker:how to hang a hammock.
Speaker:So extending that to you.
Speaker:What is the one thing that seems to be preventing the
Speaker:sale? Is it that your price is higher than others?
Speaker:Don't knock the price down and lose margin.
Speaker:I'm not saying that at all,
Speaker:but explain the value of why your products are worth the
Speaker:higher price or does your product have health benefits that are
Speaker:immediately obvious to you,
Speaker:but not necessarily to your customer by pointing these out,
Speaker:you show why people should be purchasing from you versus someone
Speaker:else. Now there are multiple variations on this theme,
Speaker:but I would really like you to take some time today
Speaker:and think about what that could mean for you next week,
Speaker:I'm taking you back to your childhood in a way that's
Speaker:a teaser.
Speaker:And you're just going to have to tune in to understand
Speaker:what I mean.
Speaker:Thank you as always for being here.
Speaker:And if you'd like to show support for the podcast,
Speaker:please leave a rating and review.
Speaker:That means so much and helps the show get seen by
Speaker:more makers.
Speaker:It's a great way to pay it forward and now be
Speaker:safe and well,
Speaker:and I'll catch you again next week on the gift biz
Speaker:unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:Bye for now.
Speaker:I want to make sure you're familiar with my free Facebook
Speaker:group called gift biz breeze.
Speaker:It's a place where we all gather and our community to
Speaker:support each other.
Speaker:Got a really fun post in there.
Speaker:That's my favorite of the week.
Speaker:I have to say where I invite all of you to
Speaker:share what you're doing to show pictures of your product,
Speaker:to show what you're working on for the week to get
Speaker:reaction from other people and just for fun,
Speaker:because we all get to see the wonderful products that everybody
Speaker:in the community is making my favorite post every single week,
Speaker:without doubt.
Speaker:Wait, what,
Speaker:aren't you part of the group already,
Speaker:if not make sure to jump over to Facebook and search
Speaker:for the group gift biz breeze don't delay.
