Joode Turns One!!
It was in October 2021 I pressed go on launching Joode and in a blur of highs and lows, I find myself in October 2022.
My list of to-dos were HUGE. My motivation ebbed, flowed, stalled and sometimes vanished. You work so hard in the lead up of launching a business, you just assume that once it's LIVE then the people will come. Now I already know this to be 100% not true, yet I know in my heart I wished for it be true. Getting customers to the website is non existent unless you pay a bucketload in Google Ads and facebook ads. I think it's fair to say this business needs to grow slowly and organically. I feel I did the best I could possibly do in giveaways, collaborations, gifting, partnerships and marketing.
Looking back at the year I am so proud of every single out of my comfort zone thing I did. I've never done a trade show or market. Everything I have done this year has been almost completely knew to me. I have learnt so so much and have an excellent idea of my Year Two game plan and it looks a lot different to Year one!
Year one - I advertised, trade showed and market stalled.
Year two - Looks like markets, no trade shows and launching Kids socks. My marketing budget is low - so it has to be organic social advertising, not paid. Every penny I have made has gone back into new designs and more socks!
I of course have a lot of hindsight now. Trade shows were not the best for me being so new, but yet I learnt so much and gained so much experience and advice it's hard to say they wasn't worth it. Mind Body & Spirit taught me you have to be where your people are. Finders Keepers taught me the thrill of finding my customer and meeting so many who loved my socks.
Gifting has been an interesting experience. Influencers don't seem to bring in sales, but they do bring awareness and new doors do open.
Ads in Magazines don't bring in sales, but it's that touch point, that relationship, that partnership that opens doors.
Giveaways haven't brought in sales but they've had such a far away reach, something I couldn't do without a budget spend on ads. And the thrill of the winners emailing their thanks is worth it 1000 times over.
One year in I am in no way a master or an oracle in product business. But i've dusted off my naive ears and jumped into year two with a little more awareness of how this game called business is played. And I am here for it.
If you're in the market for some socks - I have a pretty fabulous selection right HERE
