078 | Taylor Elliott, Taylor Elliott Designs on working with a fulfillment house and sales reps

Taylor Elliott is the founder of Taylor Elliott Designs, a fun desk accessory and gift company. Taylor started this company as a side hustle while working a full-time job, but through a lot of hard work and persistence, she has grown this into a thriving gift company whose products are sold in more than 450 stores nationwide.

On today's episode, Taylor talks about why she decided to use a fulfillment house to store and ship her products, what questions she asked when she was choosing a partner and what her priorities were for outsourcing this piece of her business. She also talks about how she's brought on 40 sales reps and how working with them and attending markets with her reps has enhanced her business.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• The products Taylor Elliott Designs offer
• How Taylor originally started her business as a side hustle while working a full-time job
• How her product offerings have evolved over the years
• What systems she has in place to streamline both the retail and wholesale arms of her business
• Why she decided to outsource her shipping to a fulfillment house
• How she found the fulfillment house she is currently working with
• The questions she asked during the process of finding a fulfillment house
• How pricing works for a third party warehouse
• The time that she saves by outsourcing her shipping
• How she found the 40 sales reps that she is working with
• How going to market with her sales reps has enhanced her business and her reach to new wholesale accounts
• The upfront cost of working with 40 sales reps and how she determined it was worth it
• How she nurtures relationships with her sales reps & the tools she provides them with
• Taylor's advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business
• What's next for Taylor Elliott Designs

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"I started with my laptop and an inkjet printer from college, and I started making customized stationery on Etsy." - Taylor Elliott

"It was a nights and weekends hustled for quite a while until it wasn't, and it became my full-time job." - Taylor Elliott

"I've tried very hard to keep true to me and what I love, and I've tried to stay true to the bright colors and very upbeat and motivational products." - Taylor Elliott

" I really try to work smarter and not harder, and one of the ways that have streamlined my process is by outsourcing all of my shipping to a third party fulfillment house." - Taylor Elliott

"It was also very important to me that they handled my products with care. My brand is very girly and it's very fun, we package a lot of our products in hot pink bubble mailers." - Taylor Elliott

"In general, the more simple the pricing is, the more I liked the warehouses. If it was just easy and clear to understand." - Taylor Elliott

"I think as a small business, that's one of the things that help set me apart from much larger businesses is that we're able to be so efficient and so quick." - Taylor Elliott

"We calculated it right after we transitioned to the fulfillment house and it saves me about 25 hours a week." - Taylor Elliott

"I really feel like by outsourcing fulfillment that that has really allowed me to work on the business and not as much in the business." - Taylor Elliott

"I love how Instagram, it's a great market for selling things, but it's also a great way to connect with other people in the industry whether it's buyers, or reps, or even just colleagues." - Katie Hunt

"Market is an amazing exposure especially like these gift markets, there are so much foot traffic. During markets, wholesalers are looking to buy, they're looking for new brands to bring into their store, they're looking for new products." - Taylor Elliott

"Attending market and working with rep groups has helped me grow my wholesale business so much." - Taylor Elliott

"Don't go into debt buying the fancy stuff, you don't need it." - Taylor Elliott

"You have to keep showing up. Consistency is one of the most important things in starting a business." - Taylor Elliott

"Very rarely does opportunity come knocking, but you have to go out and make that opportunity for yourself." - Taylor Elliott

CONNECT WITH TAYLOR ELLIOTT

Website: http://www.taylorelliottdesigns.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorelliottdesigns/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorelliottdesigns/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tedesigns/

LINKS

The E Myth by Michael Gerber

What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential!

Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference.

Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally.

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We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp

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ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!