Judi Henderson-Townsend
Judi Henderson-Townsend
Seizing the Opportunity
“I had gone through an entrepreneur training program and learned all aspects of running a business. I had a different business in mind, then the mannequins came up. The class gave me the confidence that the mannequins could be viable. Fortunately, I only had one week to make a decision. Otherwise I might have talked myself way out of it.”
Aggressive Marketing
“When I bought the mannequins, the business owner didn’t leave me his client list. This made me more aggressive in my initial marketing. I looked to the web to reach customers I never would have thought of marketing to. I learned that my website was a moving target and needed lots of updating. I added a blog, shopping cart and tuned my site for search engine optimization.”
Savvy Spin
“We look at Martha Stewart as an example. She is a savvy marketer. We weren’t the first to sell used mannequins. We put a different spin on it. We marketed heavily and used the internet to help get the word out.”
Swag(gering) Ahead
“We were creative about our marketing. We’d send out promotional tools like boxcutters with the company name to department stores’ visual merchandisers. So many people told us that every time they pick up the boxcutter, they think of us. We’ve used this bottom-up approach quite effectively, starting with lower-level people to get into high-end department stores. We also personally make our own Christmas cards with mannequins on the cover.”
Sustaining a Creative Business
“Even if you’re starting a business based on passion, you need to go through all the normal procedures. For creative types this doesn’t always come naturally. The trick is to stick with your skill set and hire people for the things you don’t know how to do.”
Entrepreneurial Dreamer to Business Realist
“There’s a time when you switch from entrepreneur to small-business owner. As an entrepreneur you’re in an inspirational phase. But when you have employees and overhead and you move your business out of your home, you’re a business owner. At this point you set systems in place so the business can run without you. You create a lasting legacy.”
Mental Shift
“I think I’ve shifted. Part of it is also a mental shift. We once thought we were a mom-and-pop enterprise. Now we’ve shifted to more of a business system.”
Colleagues and Business Coaches
“I always found it very valuable to connect with other small-business owners. As an entrepreneur it’s important to have support. And/or, you might hire a business coach to help you because you don’t know what you don’t know. A coach can give you discipline you may not have.”
Continuing Education
“I’m a lifelong student. I love the learning process. It’s easy for me and it’s great networking, so I’m always going to free and inexpensive seminars.”
Great story!
Wow! I would have never thought about a mannequin business. Very creative!
Thank you so much for sharing & inspiring others, like myself.
Basmatie Littles
Karma Kidz
http://www.ItsKarmaBaby.com
Very interesting, very creative. Thank you for sharing and wishing continued success.
Renee Eanes
Party Parletix Events
what a great idea, no more than a great idea:
more than being in the right place at the right time
u saw an opportunity and seized it
i am trying to be that fearless
cheers
julz
Thank you! I also LOVE the learning process and I embrace stepping out of my comfort zone. Thank you for sharing with me, an entrepreneur….soon to be Business Woman.
Thank you Judi. Yet another success story from Ladies Who Launch and their featured Ladies! Good job, good instincts and GOOD LUCK.
I think I will make a trip to the local bookstore and check out those three you have listed.
One question. You mentioned entering contests evey year. I assume you are talking about your business. Could you give me (us) some advise on where to find them? I am especially interested in Canadian contests buecause most US contests are not open to Canadian Business.
Thank you again for sharing your story and your advise.
Brenda Stone
(aka Duchess O’Blunt)
http://thetwistedsisterhood.blogspot.com/
I agree get the information but you can’t sit on the fence, decisions have to be made and opportunities need to be recognized and seized. Also ANY business can be successful if you can recognize your strengths and weaknesses and seek support from those who’s strengths balance out your weaknesses. Thanks for the book suggestions they sound great! Congrats on your success now and future.
Krista Armstrong
Kariza Canada
Kariza Designs Distribution in Canada
strong.karm@gmail.com
I can identify with your determination and drive. I also built and continue to build my business through grass root methods. Entrepreneur’s are driven and focused. Good Book Choices!! Much success to you and your family.
Tracy Wright
CEO
Executees, Inc.
http://executees.net
What a phenomenal story. This is true to the cliche’ “One man’s trash is another’s treasure.” This takes creativity to another level. Thanks for sharing.
Roxanne Richardson
Sweet Tooth Fairy Giftbaskets
http://www.sweettoothfairygiftbaskets.com
What a great read! I am very inspired by your energy to do what it takes to make it to the top. I continue to that within my own business and promise myself daily that the minute I’m comfortable that I need to do something new and better!!
Keep up the good work and I hope blessing fall on your business like wild fire!
-Julia Gentry, Ideal Homes
Thank you all for the comments that you have posted on this profile about my business. Some of you have inquired about how to find out about business contests. Here are my suggestions. Set up a “google alert” for the keywords: business contest, contests for entrepreneurs or something similiar. Also if the industry you are in has a trade association, see if they sponsor a contest. Not all contests are about a cash prize, some are for visibility and/or credibility like when I received an award from the Environmental Protection Agency. Also the LWL site frequently posts contests – I found about about the one that Oprah/The White House project sponsored on the LWL site (I think it was under events section.
Wow! This article came right on time for me. I just started my business a few months ago. While everything started out pretty good for a new business, I have hit a bump this month. After reading this article, I have re-newed steam. I am inspired. Congrats to Judi Henderson-Townsend & thanks for sharing.
[...] on Yelp while searching for something else entirely and then again in an email newsletter from Ladies Who Launch, which featured Mannequin Madness and its owner Judi [...]
