| Did you know you can put your private label on | | | | even does all the promotions and advertising, |
| anything from candies to coffees to clothing? | | | | thousands of dollars worth a month. |
| And you can do it for a lot less money than you | | | | I named the company, not after my cartoons but |
| think. | | | | after my maternal grandmother who loved |
| Long before the Internet Calvin Klein knew it, | | | | coffee, "Ruth London's Exquisite Coffees" by |
| Ralph Lauren, even Famous Amos knew it, as did | | | | Londons Times Cartoons. I did that for several |
| so many others. Think of all the brand names you | | | | reasons. Nomatter how big such an entity gets, |
| buy. Have you ever wondered how they did it? | | | | people like buying from a person, even if that |
| Most of us think of ourselves as "the underdog" | | | | person is now deceased, yes I sell them in her |
| when it comes to private labeling; the Calvin Klein's | | | | memory, she was my favorite grandmother; plus |
| of the world had millions backing them. That may | | | | people see the name of my cartoons on the |
| or may not have been the case, but, since the | | | | products. |
| Internet was created, it really doesn't even | | | | Another incentive to purchase the product, and it |
| matter any more. | | | | is a big one, is that I decided to offer engraving |
| You know what you do best. If it is art, you have | | | | on the cups with the senders company name and |
| a feasible product to put on the label of, say | | | | URL for only $2 instead of the $10-20 that it |
| gourmet coffee or candy or cookies. In most | | | | often costs. This makes for a most unique and |
| cases, these companies farm out the | | | | personal corporate gift for several reasons. The |
| manufacturing of their products. Sure, they have | | | | first is, one has to ask oneself, what is one of the |
| quality control, and make certain the products are | | | | first thing someone sees when they wake up in |
| manufactured according to their "recipe" but they | | | | the morning (besides the irritating alarm clock)? |
| don't sit in a big factory and watch the wheels | | | | Their favorite coffee cup. And trust me, with the |
| turn. Most of them sit in luxurious corner offices, | | | | right artwork or cartoon, it soon becomes a |
| simply coming up with creative ideas for new or | | | | favorite. |
| better products and marketing strategies. | | | | So when they are looking at their favorite coffee |
| Think they are any different than you or me? | | | | cup with a cartoon that makes them laugh, they |
| Think again. | | | | are also looking at your company name and URL. |
| When I entered the world of e-commerce, all I | | | | They are generally in a good mood while seeing |
| had to offer were cartoons, a lot of them. But I | | | | your gift. So you are giving both a gift and "a |
| had to decide on what products to put them. I | | | | good attitude" towards buying from you, first |
| was no "trust fund baby" so I had to think | | | | thing in the morning. It prioritizes things. Sounds a |
| smarter, better, faster than those who were. | | | | bit Machiavellian but it is not. It is simple basic |
| I found some tee shirt manufacturers who would | | | | business that makes sense. |
| make and drop ship my tees with my images on | | | | So the Internet, in many ways, has leveled the |
| them. The profits were not great, but it got them | | | | playing field. The time to brand yourself is now. |
| out on the market. Cafepress was the name of | | | | How do you know when you are branded? What |
| the company. It still thrives but I don't use them | | | | I do every now and again is a "Google Vanity |
| anymore for a variety of reasons. They work | | | | Search", that is, I type in my own name or name |
| well for many people so I certainly won't try to | | | | of my company after many blogs and articles and |
| gear you away from them. They also now offer | | | | see where it has propagated. To my surprise it |
| an affiliate program so that others can sell your | | | | can be from China to Switzerland. |
| clothing and gifts (yes it is a lot more than just | | | | Rick Londonwear is bigger in Australia than in the |
| tees now and the commission structure has gone | | | | U.S. And catching up in the U.K. Ruth London's |
| up...like most the other such firms, you get to | | | | Exquisite Coffees, though huge in America, it big in |
| name your own markup and they set a base | | | | Italy and Japan. |
| price). | | | | So once you find a product you want to brand, |
| So I found another company called Printfection | | | | and keep in mind you don't have to be an artist, |
| that offers digitally produced items. No affiliate | | | | there is plenty of royalty-free art on the web and |
| program yet, and not the huge variety of | | | | logo artists who can create a most unique logo |
| Cafepress, but the quality was what I was after. | | | | for under $100, you are in business. Simply make |
| I would rather sell a thousand quality tees, | | | | a barter deal or buy the minimal amount of |
| jerseys, sweats coasters, aprons, etc. than | | | | product if you are unable to barter and go to |
| 10,000 of the same in which the image fades, or | | | | work promoting it. Build a website. Get affiliates. |
| fabric tears etc. I have gone through that | | | | Go to work. |
| experience with a number of firms. It is a live and | | | | Want your own cookie line? Google "private label |
| learn process. I have used about six and | | | | cookie makers" or a similar term. Want candies? |
| Printfection (even with its flaws comes out | | | | Same thing. You get the picture. |
| ahead). | | | | Suddenly you will find, that I was not leading you |
| I also decided to start the world's first cartoon | | | | astray. Yes it takes time and none of us may |
| gourmet coffee line which I sell at my mega | | | | ever become another Calvin Klein or Yves St. |
| store | | | | Laurent. But I have also started my own line of |
| It has five blends of farm-fresh packaged whole | | | | cartoon private label designer wear that includes |
| coffee beans, an oversize cartoon coffee mug, | | | | much more than t-shirts. You never know. I do |
| four cartoon coasters and the gratuitous biscotti. | | | | not look at the results. I market them one day at |
| How did I do it? The way I did it is not | | | | a time, sometimes one hour at a time, and write |
| necessarily THE way to do it, but I can tell you it | | | | articles like this when I have the time so that |
| did not cost me a penny to do it. It was a barter. | | | | others can see, they can do it too, with just a |
| I gave permission to a manufacturer of such gift | | | | little work and motivation. Don't believe me? Give |
| boxes (we do not use baskets as they tend to | | | | it a try. |
| bend in shipping), and split the commission. He | | | | |