155 | Using a Fulfillment Warehouse with Jomana Siddiqui, Pences Design Studio

How amazing does it sound to have someone else take over your packing and shipping needs? Think about it… How many hours a day (or even a week) could that save you?

Having a fulfillment warehouse that takes care of this for you could lend you time in your busy schedule. It might even be able to save you money in the long run. In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking about that with Paper Camp Alum, Jomana Siddiqui.

Jomana is the creative behind 3, yes you heard that right, 3 different businesses. She runs a graphic design business called Pences Design Studio, a retail business named modernEID all while authoring a lifestyle blog.

We get into what her experience was with working with a manufacturing company in China. Plus, the hiccup she faced after working with them. She shares how using a fulfillment center changed her business for the better. Jomana also discusses how connections and being in the right place at the right time can help land partnerships with brands you dream of working with.

ON TODAY’S EPISODE:

How Jomana got started with her three different businesses
How she balances the time she spends on each of her companies
Using content batching to get work completed
Her manufacturing process and how it’s evolved over time
How working with a fulfillment center was a huge turning point in her business
Jomana’s worries about using a fulfillment center
Her experience of working with a manufacturing company in China
The process she went through to find new manufacturers
How her partnerships with Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Walmart came about
What she wishes she’d have known when starting her businesses
What’s next for Jomana’s brands

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KEY TAKE AWAYS

“It was still one of those struggles that as I tried to scale up, I would just keep running into other obstacles.” - Jomana Siddiqui

“I looked at it as it was worth the investment. It's definitely worth the investment. If you're a business that operates with a product and the logistics of that product for you are a big hangup, it's definitely worth doing.” - Jomana Siddiqui

“Everyone I've talked to that's moved to fulfillment has said it changed their life. So I'm not saying it's for everybody, but if your business is at a point where you're shipping regularly, and to your point, it does create a pain point for your company, then it is something you should look into.” - Katie Hunt

“That's pretty much my entire mission, is to be unique and different.” - Jomana Siddiqui

“I basically had to make a decision of what is more important to me? Is it that I can sell these items cheap or that I can sell items that are uniquely me and are not going to be stolen by the manufacturer?” - Jomana Siddiqui

“It wasn't necessarily finding somebody who was already making what I needed. It was finding somebody who could tailor their operation to what I needed.” - Jomana Siddiqui

“I'm not just saying that it's because I'm on your podcast, I would not have been able to go to the New York Stationery Show if I did not attend Paper Camp. I would not have known what to do, how to do it, literally nothing.” - Jomana Siddiqui

“We will figure out a way to get through this. It's not going to be ideal and it's probably not going to be pretty at times.” - Katie Hunt

MEET JOMANA:

Jomana is a graphic designer and owner of Pences Design Studio and the retail website modernEID.com where she designs stationery, party goods, home products, logos and prints goods for events.

She also authors the lifestyle blog, A Happy Blog (www.ahappyblog.com), posting on all things for a creative lifestyle: food, DIY & crafts, parties, beauty and fashion. She also creates social media content for other brands and small businesses.

CONNECT WITH JOMANA SIDDIQUI

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