Sunday, October 3, 2010

Online Entrepeneurship.... help!

Amidst last week's excitement of lightning striking our backyard, Eter having a part-time job (which we hope will last a while) fall in his lap, and our FREE 6 month anniversary trip to Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel....

I've been busy making some prototypes for a new product I hope to start selling, online (Etsy.com, maybe ebay, maybe our own website), by word of mouth, and possible at some kind of boutique things in AZ that Amy just told me about.

It's re-usable gift couture (?), which saves time, the environment, and your great aunt's hands by getting rid of the old style ribbon and replacing it with (something like) this easy-on/easy-off number:

There are three sizes here. All of them are first tries, and I'll post them individually so you can see them better. The ribbon is elastic, so there is no tying when wrapping or tugging when opening. And it can be used over and over.

I think this one is the most successful so far. It's a DVD inside, so that's the size. It also works for book size and any smaller box in that general range. I wrapped it with a grocery bag--easily recycled. Do you think it needs to be blinged up? Like bejeweled? I like it kind of simple like this. I guess there could be both options.

This would be the smallest version, and only really works if it goes on straight (vs diagonal). You can't see the ribbon in this picture but it is a light green. This is just a box I already had, but I could get different colored boxes in this size pretty easily and sell it with the box. I've also thought about doing a kind of coordinating set of three with different sizes.


Try to imagine this one with some cute wrapping paper. I'm actually considering selling boxes where the top is covered in fabric--making it reusable and eliminating wrapping paper. But I need to check on how reasonable shipping rates are for these bigger boxes. I don't think they could fold with the fabric glued on.
This is my first attempt at Christmas, which will hopefully be the big push and jumpstart. I also need to get some good green ribbon. I've got the light one, and a dark one that is more bluish-teal. It looked weird, so I went with the brown again here.

Anyway, what do you guys think?

I also need to come up with a name. At least for Etsy, but it would be nice if it could just stay the same. And Eter is working on a logo/background.

Here are some names so far, and please suggest more if you think of any:

Sally's Flower Box Shop
Flower Box Gifters
Gift Box Couture
The Green Ribbon (meaning eco-friendly)

Or any mixture of such?

I need to channel this family's creativity, please! TATUM!!!

8 comments:

Jeff Giles said...

Greener Wrapping
Recycled Wrapping


I've never seen people do wrapping like that. Is it commonly done and I just don't know about it.

I like the benefit of it being reusable but if you give it to someone as part of a present do you then have to ask for it back so you can use it again?

Amy said...

I LOVE IT!! No jeffy you don't ask for it back. They get to re-use it!

Sally said...

I've never seen wrapping like this either, but I don't know why not. And that's the point.

Now, the giving away part is definitely a drawback. But if you give to your own family, it's not as much. And if I market it as adding value to the gift, like the ribbon is part of the gift, I think people would still go for it. ? Not poor people like me necessarily, but there are people who spend a lot of money on things like this.

I would sell them from somewhere between $5-10, probably, depending on size, and then more if I include a box.

Mom said...

They look great--could easily start a trend. I may have to order some myself!

On the brown one... I love the idea of reusing grocery bags. What about just a single row of sparkly glue dots or sequins along the non-flower side?

Thoughts:
Greenwrapperie (like creperie?)
Sally's Greenwraps

Kate said...

First impression: SUPER CUTE!!!
They are much cuter than I thought they would be and I thought I was picturing them pretty cute. I will comment again tomorrow when I have time to read your post and I'll help think of names. Great idea Sal :) You should try to make some Christmas looking ones.

Kate said...

Oh sorry I just saw the Christmas one. It's cute! jingle bells?

Sal's wrappin pals? (JK)

Kate said...

Today I thought of the name "Wrap Simple"

Kate said...

I like "The Green Ribbon" also.