Judi Henderson-Townsend
Judi Henderson-Townsend
Friendly Competition
“My competitors are strategic partners. I sell only used mannequins. I don’t have 10 identical mannequins. I refer these calls to my competitors who sell new mannequins and they send calls about rentals to me.”
Contests as Teachable Moments
“Contests are great tools. What they require is almost like doing your business plan, so it forces a lot of questions and soul searching. You can evaluate your business in a different way even if you don’t win. I enter at least two contests every year and usually win one.”
Sizing Up the Business Today
“At first, I ran the operation from my home. My basement and backyard were filled with mannequins! Now we have a 1,700-square-foot warehouse and offices in L.A. and New York. I have one full-time employee, one part-timer and eight independent contractors: a bookkeeper, web developer, IT specialist, attorney, business coach and warehouse assistants in LA and New York.”
The Future of ‘Madness’
“Our goal is to be the first national liquidator. We’re not there yet. We need a presence in the south and midwest. Eventually, I want stores to pay us to haul away mannequins like they haul away trash. With the move today towards banning plastic bags, there will come a time when you can’t throw mannequins away.”
Not Mad Money
“Our goal is to be a million-dollar business. By 2010, we see ourselves very close to that target. Revenue and profitability aren’t always the same. There’s a saying that profitability is an opinion but cash is a fact. Sometimes small can be beautiful. Managed growth is our key.”
Recommended Reading
“I can think of three books that have been beneficial to me. Use What You’ve Got by Barbara Corcoran is not just a biography of how she started her real-estate empire from her apartment but includes step-by-step strategies that apply to any business. Running your own business is rewarding but also requires a lot of guts to get through the tough times and this book illustrates this very clearly.
“Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock is fantastic book about how women are not as effective in negotiating as men are and how we can change that. Even though I have been in sales a long time and consider myself a good negotiator, after reading this book I realized how many opportunities I did not take full advantage of because I either did not think they were negotiable or I did not set my goals high enough.
“Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morganstern helped me realize that part of the reason I always felt overwhelmed in my business is not because I lacked talent or skills but because of my poor time-management skills. It helped me overcome the idea that I had to do everything instead of delegating or diminishing the scope of my involvement.”
Advice to Launchers
“Know there’s value to going outside of your comfort zone. When you go out and seek people and organizations outside your normal world, you discover opportunities and resources that wouldn’t have otherwise crossed your path.”
This Featured Lady was profiled by Andrea Adleman, a Los Angeles freelance journalist.
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 [...]
