010 | Slow, strategic team building with Erin Ozer, Knot & Bow

Erin Ozer is the owner of Knot & Bow. Erin got her start on Etsy in 2010 and has had tremendous, but organic growth, over the last seven years. Her stationery, gift wrap and party goods can be found in more than 1500 retail shops around the world, including Paper Source, Anthropologie, Container Store, and Hallmark just to name a few. On this episode Erin talks about her humble beginnings, manufacturing challenges she experienced, and how she slowly but strategically added members to her team.

ON TODAY’S EPISODE:

Building a business while staying home with the kids and with $200
Starting on Etsy
Adding new products to the line
Utilizing customer feedback in product development
Manufacturing challenges as Knot & Bow grew
Picking & choosing which products to move forward with
Expanding to wholesale
Selling to Terrain — her first wholesale order!
Selling wholesale before doing trade shows
Working with Sales Reps
Hiring her first employee & growing her team
Hiring Process & having an operations manual
Knot & Bow retail shop & selling retail vs selling wholesale
What’s next for Knot & Bow

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KEY TAKE-AWAYS

“It is always a challenge to bring new product to the market and be innovative in some way but you also have a budget and spatial constraints to take into account”– Erin Ozer

“Housing 1000 greeting cards is one thing. Housing 1000 plates is a totally different thing.”– Erin Ozer

“The numbers can get really, really big with custom manufacturing sometimes and it can be tough when you’re really small.”– Erin Ozer

“The wholesale side of our business grew pretty dramatically when we first signed with reps.”– Erin Ozer

CONNECT WITH ERIN OZER

Website: Knot & Bow | Facebook: @knotandbow | Twitter: @knotandbow

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct