This week I tried to focus on ramping up production. I worked on getting more leather cut out and getting the fabric organized and cut to size to be sewn. We have given a few prototypes to friends and family and the word is starting to spread. My wife was at a baby shower this week and a total stranger came up to her and asked about the headbands- she just had a grand baby girl and wants to come buy some this week. Word of mouth is going to be huge for this... especially amongst all the Relief Society women. :) We also need to perhaps work on another design for the bow ties. I want to experiment with a few different looks so they are a little more substantial. I got some pictures of the packaging prototypes you can see below- we are still working on some type of cellophane envelope to slide them into once they are on the card. 

This week we worked on packaging options. We tried to come up with something unique and something that would show the product well. We came up with a prototype that can display three of the leather bow headbands and some that will work for leather bow ties. We would like to get some type of plastic covering or bag to put them in. The cloth headbands were a little harder to come up with. The previous prototype didn't work for these.... It just seemed too busy. So we went with a tie on tag option for this. That will allow the customer to touch them and feel the soft fabric.... And even try them on their babe. The branding and packaging are so important. We want something that will look professional and appealing to customers.

We have made good progress this week. We decided to expand our options and also provide leather bow ties for boys too. This will expand our clientele and moms not only can buy headbands for their girls, but also bow ties for their boys. We finally got our logo nailed down. There were many proofs and it got exhausting trying to decide what look we wanted. We went with something that had a bit a juvenile feel to it and I feel like our audience will respond well to that branding. We chose colors that would be gender neutral- to reach moms of not only girls but boys as well. We are working on building inventory and perfecting the process. We hope by the end of the week to have some samples mailed out to friends and family so they can start spreading the world on social media. We are experimenting with some fabric scraps we have already had and makings some headbands with those as well. Once we make enough profit we would like to expand beyond accessories and offer bibs, blankets, and swaddle blankets also. We are going to press forward this week with branding and packaging and hopefully have some customers in the immediate future.

KOKO MADE

Well, I am getting hard at work on my business. Last week i wouldn't tell exactly what it was i was going to be doing but i am now ready to tell. I will be making Hair bows for baby girls. It is really easy to do. As i've previously said, my wife is miss creative and she has showed me how to make the bows. They seriously take no time at all and cost nothing. All it requires is Scissors, Leather, Elastic, and some glue. I was able to get all of these materials at the Fashion District in LA. My cousin makes hand designed custom wedding invitations and when i told her my assignment she was willing to make me a proper label so we can have a name. The label looks awesome. I'll Post it soon. Another one of my cousins works for linkedin and he is a IT guy. I haven't talked to him yet but I'm going to ask him to make us a website. We don't need a fancy website, just something that people can buys bows off of.
This week in my Business Class we were required to read articles and watch videos that will help us with our businesses. Some of the articles and videos talked about branding a business, creating a name, and creating business models. One particular article that really has stuck with me is from President Gordon B. Hinkley at the dedication of the President Hinkley Building at BYU. In this talk he says "

"Now, don't ever do a cheap or a tawdry or a mean or an evil thing, my dear young friends. You don't have to engage in these things. The world is on a slippery slide, it is going downhill and it is going fast. And you are as a beacon on a hill young people of rectitude and virtue and decency and goodness. Remain that way. Do not destroy your effectiveness. Do not become involved in any kind of behavior which would destroy you, injure you, hurt you, debilitate you in any way whatever. You don't have to do those things. You can stand above them. You must stand above them! "

There are alot of companies in the world today who are very successful. What this talk teaches me is to remain honest and humble. Do not try to cheat your company to try and make it successful; it will only hurt the company. i believe that as we do good in our companies that god  will help our company to grow. My father in law employs a lot of struggling people and his work struggles because of this. My father in law always tells me that God will keep the company up and going because he's helping take care of his children. 

Stay tuned next week to see some pics of Bows and our Brand name and logo.

This is the first post on my first blog. At the request of my business teacher we are required to create a business in one semester and that business must profit 100 dollars.  I started brainstorming several ideas but every idea seemed like it would just cost too much money. Karli(my wife) had been bugging me for months asking me if she could start a baby accessory business so when i showed her my assignment and told her I had to create a business that generates $100 she was jumping up and down hoping i would ask for her help. With my business skills and the creative skills of my wife we are going to start taping into the baby accessory business where "baby momas" are already spending millions of dollars to beautify their newborns. So... thanks to this assignment we finally had some real motivation to get us out of our seats and to get us moving to action. Right now i wont reveal exactly what we'll be making but i will say it is a cheap and inexpensive and the demand is high. Stay tuned to hear just exactly which baby accessories we'll be making and also all the ups and downs we'll be running into.
Best,
Joe Ford