Posts Tagged ‘custom made business’

Rina Shah, the spunky lady behind Rinaldi Designs created one of India’s leading fashion accessories brands when she launched Rinaldi Design in 1997.   Her repertoire includes everything from seasonal footwear for men and women looking for casual wear and cocktail designs.  Matching accessories like belts, handbags and coordinated sets of bags, belts and footwear to suit every occasion. 

With new lines of men’s and women’s footwear launching every season, Rinaldi’s products are the perfect accessories that create casual charm or drama whatever the wearer is looking for. Eye catching tapestry, leather trimmings or embellished with 3D embroidery in stones and pearls, Rina’s offerings use Resham-work (silk thread embroidery), Swarovski Crystals to create unique collections that emanate style that is bold and confident.

Stylish, elegant and comfortable, Rinaldi Design products are crafted by the finest artisans, made from the finest leather and in the best manufacturing facilities. 

Rinaldi’s USP is the ability to play with color, design and embroidery and marry it with material like brocades, combined with oriental prints to create unparalleled designs.  Also known for her elegant bridal collection which is beautiful and functional Rina Shah is a creative designer who continues to deliver customer delight through her creations.

Rinaldi Design

29, Adhyaru Industrial Estate,Ground Floor,Sun Mill Compound,Lower Parel

Mumbai – 400 013 (Maharashtra) India

Phone(s) : +91-22-24934492
Mobile :
Fax : +91-22-24918223

Challenges abound for the small business owner, especially when his or her business is producing custom, handmade, or specialized products.  In some ways it would seem that these entrepreneurs have an advantage over more conventional business — their product is more unique, for example, which you would think would attract more customers — but it is very difficult to be successful going against the grain.

Sweating the Little Things from Start to Finish

That’s why, if you are a customized-product business owner, you have to find ways to impress your customer at every level.  Don’t miss any chance to wow them.  For the most part, you probably already do this: your product is a high-caliber one; you don’t charge shipping; you find ways to impress customers with the little things.

One area that is commonly neglected, however, and one that can also greatly affect the experience of a product, is packaging.  Creative packaging is like icing on the cake, and could be thing that your customers remember most, if it is well-designed and creative. 

Selling the Drama

Consider the last grand example of architecture you visited.  A large part of the thrill of viewing famous structures is the approach to it.  The greatest architects masterfully designed the approach to the building for maximum emotional impact, so that by the time you finally reach it, you have caught glimpses, seen suggestions of the magnitude, and so forth, making the full experience of the structure that much better.

You want to create a similar experience for you customers with your packaging.  Think of the joy you feel when opening something you just bought.  That feeling is almost as good as finally using the product itself.  Apple has set a great standard for product packaging, and has made the act of opening a case dramatic, exciting, and rewarding. 

The Complete Package

Whatever your product is, try to brainstorm several ways of presenting it that are unique and would be memorable to your customers.  Study other great packaging systems and take notes on what works and why. 

Think about what makes your product special, what you want to showcase about it, and try to reflect or highlight that quality in the packing.  If, for example, you sell dog collars, consider a box for the collar that looks like a doghouse; or if you if you make jewelry, design a packaging system that can double as a jewelry case or put a mirror underneath the jewelry that reflects the incoming light when the box is opened, to create a sort of magical atmosphere for the customer.

Whatever you provide, don’t just settle for a plain brown box or bubble mailer.  Give you customers an experience and they will return the favor by spreading the word and giving you new and maybe repeat business. 

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.

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Why do we love some people?  You might say because they are nice, loving, thoughtful, helpful and the like but I would say it’s mainly because those people make you feel good.  The “feel good” factor underlies every long lasting relationship that we have be it with our family, friends or colleagues.  It’s the same with brands.  As customers we love brands that make us feel good.

While brand loyalty is becoming scarce and tastes and preferences become even more transient the writing is on the wall…You should focus on building a “feel good” brand.  Here are 7 reasons why…

Brands are guided by certain underlying principles and these are essentially the reasons why business owners should work towards building “feel good” brands:

 Dominant Moods and Expectations of the Time

If you look at consumption patterns at any point of time they depend on the dominant moods and expectations of that time.  Take for instance a festive occasion like Christmas when all purchases around that time will resonate with the spirit of the festival.  It is a time for family, gifts, food and laughter so products and services consumed around Christmas will reflect that.

Closer to home, Diwali, the festival of lights witnesses high consumption of sweets and traditional sweetmeat shops have come out with a range of sweets that are sugar free thereby creating  “feel good” brands that help you eat sweets without the guilt of indulging. 

Lifestyles When Prosperity Grows

When incomes rise, prosperity grows, consumption patterns undergo a sea change and the preference for brands that help people show that they are “moving up” in life.  This is probably why recent research studies have shown greater preference for brands among people from small towns in India. 

A good number of these people shop online for big brands at www.fashionandyou.com and the like and when asked why they said, they could afford brands that make them look good, feel good and help them align their buying motives with product features. 

An effective appeal to the consumer through advertising is one which recognizes the consumer psyche while helping them strike a balance between what they want and what the brand offers them.  Ask yourself whether your brand is recognizing lifestyle changes and keeping up with them. 

Quality Assurance during Inflation

An inflationary trend shows a sharp rise in income which is not accompanied by an increase in the supply of goods and services.  A brand that assures people of quality will sell even if prices rise because it still offers value which is far beyond money. 

Bottom lines Matter When Tough Times Loom

The depth of your product line is its strength especially when tough times loom large.  The best example of this is that of gold jewellery, prices of which have spiraled at a global level.

 In a country like India where gold is a preferred investment and a big part of the socio-economic fabric of life, jewellers who have  realized the importance of creating light weight jewellery, selling exquisite designs in diamonds and coming up with one gram gold jewellery have stood the test of time.

They have customers queuing up to buy jewellery even today when prices are soaring simply because they have a good bottom line of products. 

Variety is the Spice of Life

Novelty has great allure for all human beings which is probably why we reach out to wear a new outfit vis-à-vis the older outfits in our wardrobes and the same applies with products. 

Giving customers something new that makes their lives simpler or interesting always works.  An example of this is India’s fascination with kitschy and quirky products.  This has heralded a business opportunity for businesses like Chumbak and Tappu ki Dukaan which give Indian buyers the chance to bring a slice of kitsch in to their homes. 

Reinvention is the key to survival in business and if you want to score brownie points with your customers and set the cash counters ringing then click here to know more about how and why you can reinvent your business offerings and strategies. 

Personalization is the Key

The customer today does not want just a T-shirt; he wants “his” T-shirt.  Brands that allow for personalization are greatly preferred by customers who seek to flaunt their individualistic style and make a mark with their appearance and lifestyles.

It needn’t be a long drawn out process that you might think it will be.  A friend of mine who bakes cupcakes is very much in demand because she allows buyers to suggest their own toppings and decorations.  A simple product like a little cupcake encrusted with your name, your favorite flavor of icing and topped off with a piece of fresh fruit  becomes just what you want it to be because she allows you to make all the choices. 

For more ideas about personalized products and services click here. 

Your Brand is Not What You Think It Is

To sign off on this blog post, I would say most business owners fail to realize one small but very important detail, “Your brand is not what you think it is”.   Your brand is what other people think it is.  This is why you have to begin by thinking about the core values that you what your brand to stand for and then move on to thinking about it from a third person perspective.

For instance a customized tailoring store might regard itself as standing for personalization at the price the customer is looking for and willing to pay.  But customers may regard this store as one which will help them make personal style statements without compromising on quality. 

Our relationships with products and services are built on the same premise as that with people around us…the ability to make us “feel good”.  Are you building a “feel good” brand?

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