In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Hitting the Big Time: Are You Ready for Retail?

Many small businesses and startups are conceived to bring new and unique products to market. Entrepreneurs often start by selling their products via local boutiques and company websites. However, to reach a wider audience and achieve greater success, you will need the bigger, broader sales channels and supply chain acumen of retail and e-commerce marketplaces to help you grow. Here’s what it takes to make that leap: 

Establish credibility with major retailers

Before you can sell your product through a national retailer, you must sell it to them. In addition to pitching your product, you’ll have to pitch your company – and prove your ability to meet their requirements. Scale is an obvious point: do you have the production capacity to meet the retailer’s needs? If demand takes off, will you be able to meet it? 

You also need to demonstrate your company’s credibility in a marketplace that utterly depends upon customer satisfaction – timely delivery, sufficient supply, reliable quality, and product authenticity. The gatekeepers will carefully vet new products and suppliers, so it’s important to work within an infrastructure that supports the retailer’s systems and reputation. 

One key qualifier large retailers look for is the implementation of a standardized, …

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In: Dropshipping|Last Updated:
Clothing Photography: How to Take Pictures of Clothes

When it comes to ecommerce, your product photos are one of the most important elements to determine if a “window shopper” will convert into a customer. Clothing photography is no exception.

But you might be thinking, “How on Earth can I afford to keep up with the clothing giants?” There’s good news: you don’t have to spend a fortune on professional gear. You can create gorgeous clothing photography with a modest budget and a desire to learn the tricks of the trade.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how you can take professional-looking apparel photography on a budget, including the equipment you’ll need, the steps to take, and some tips along the way.

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Clothing photography equipment

The equipment you use will depend on your budget. You can buy more expensive gear if you want special lights or displays. Or you can keep costs by buying a few of the items below. 

Here’s some of the basic clothing photography equipment you’ll want to get:

Camera 

If you think you need the most expensive camera to take good apparel photos, think again—new clothing retailers manage shoots with just a smartphone…

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In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
What To Look for in Your UPS and FedEx Contract

UPS and FedEx contracts are complex and confusing. That’s by design. The details of your carrier contract can make a huge difference in your total shipping costs. For most businesses, shipping is one of the biggest expenses. It’s also one of the most challenging to predict and control since the parcel and freight shipping world is an ever-changing landscape with carriers able to add fees and change your costs at will. With shipping rates at an all-time high, too many are unknowingly being overcharged by their carrier. 

The secrets behind shipping costs

We’ll uncover a few hard truths about shipping with UPS and FedEx. The reality is the UPS/FedEx duopoly dominates parcel shipping. There are other players in the game like regional carriers, the USPS, and postal consolidators, but the “big two” still dominate the market share for parcel deliveries in the United States (excluding Amazon’s in-house deliveries). 

The "Big Two" Parcel Carriers

Without competition, there’s no transparency. And without transparency into your shipping data, you lack the visibility and insight necessary to make cost-saving shipping decisions. 

There are a few reasons why UPS and FedEx customers are overcharged:

FedEx and UPS can increase their rates without notice (peak surcharges) It’s challenging to understand what…
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In: Dropshipping|Last Updated:
25 Best Travel Jobs to Make Money Traveling the World

Where have you always wanted to go? 

Perhaps Egypt? How about Peru? Or maybe Paris? Wherever it is, jobs that allow you to travel can take you there.

But which travel jobs are best for you?

If you’re wondering how to travel and work abroad, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll explore 25 jobs for people who like to travel.

But first, let’s take a quick look at four types of travel jobs.

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4 types of travel jobs

There are many different ways to travel while working. All of the travel jobs listed in this article fall into one of the following categories:

Digital nomad jobs Jobs that pay to travel Expats working and traveling abroad Backpacker jobs

Some types of travel jobs require a high level of expertise, and some aren’t as flexible as others. However, they all give you the means to cover some (or all) of your travel expenses.

So, what’s the difference, and which one’s best for you?

1. Digital nomad jobs

Digital nomads are people who travel while working online. As a result, digital nomad jobs provide an enormous amount of flexibility …

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In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
10 Tips for Emerging Brands to Navigate Distribution Success
Fiona Lee and Larissa Russell

You’ve scaled your production, cultivated your unique branding, and grown your presence in the Consumer Packaged Goods world. Now, you’re ready to boost your sales, visibility, and reach through nationwide distribution. Where do you begin? How do you find the right distributor?

There are a few key factors to keep in mind as you kick-start a launch into retailers nationwide. The experiences we’ve had growing our Pod Foods platform have taught us a number of lessons that we’re thrilled to share with others who are looking to grow their own emerging brands. Consider the following ten factors to ensure a strong, enjoyable, and cost-effective partnership with your distributor:

1) Prioritize transparency               

It is critical to select the right distributor for your expanding business and to determine a transparent and reliable platform that will work as hard as you do to get your products placed. Prioritize the distributor that delivers the most insightful look into your company’s sales, inventory, shipments, and analytics, as these metrics help support your retailer relationships.

Additionally, keep in mind that efficiency is paramount in this industry. Emerging brands rarely have surplus cash to waste on supply chain inefficiencies, so make your distribution partner aware of …

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In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Making Sense of Scents: A Look at the Fragrance Industry

The scent of roses takes me back to my childhood garden, while frying bacon transports me to my grandmother’s kitchen.

Of the five senses, smell is our sense most closely tied to memory. More perfumiers are catering to that, with personalized fragrances and a new generation of perfumes targeted at today’s shoppers.

Scents remain popular with consumers. According to a 2021 Mintel report, Fragrance Trends in Beauty, 51% of American respondents wear perfume even when they’re not leaving the house, and 62% use fragrance to boost their mood.

Personalized perfume

Some perfumiers are offering quizzes to help customers select scents. Most of Pinrose’s customers opt to take the company’s online quiz, says Nancy Shalek, CEO. It was developed with scientists and the company regularly analyzes quiz results to ensure customers like what it predicts for them and often updates the quiz to keep it relevant based on consumer feedback.

Katrina Sellers launched Jules & Vetiver because she was tired of seeing mass-market perfumes “marketed the same way they have been for decades: with fancy, expensive-to-produce custom bottles, celebrity endorsements, flashy ads. It’s focused on selling an image, and almost no attention is paid to what’s in the bottle.”

Jules & Vetiver

But customer …

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