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Designer Uses Personal Touch to Get Handbags in Stores

By DIANA RANSOM, SMSMALLBIZ.COM
Posted: 2009-06-23 10:24:30
Filed Under: Small Business, Business Ideas, Management, Marketing

Bloomingdale's
AP

smSmallBiz.com

Small-business owners, what are you doing to stand out from the crowd? Each week, smSmallBiz.com focuses on an entrepreneur who has lessons to share that we think will resonate with other small-business owners.

Mollie Culligan, the owner of fashion label the Jack Rabbit Collection, answers our questions:

What are you doing to stand out from the crowd?
Landing on the shelves of Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel doesn't just happen. Retailers respond to our one-on-one approach. We are one of the only firms of our kind that does not have a public relations firm. Our story comes from our mouths -- and people seem to like the conversation.

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    What's the best part about running your own business?
    I am constantly learning, growing and changing.

    What's the biggest challenge of running your own business?
    I'm good at designing, leading and implementing strategies. However, as a business owner, becoming an expert in other decidedly less-sexy roles, including bookkeeper, tech wiz and sometimes even electrician, has been difficult.

    What's the biggest hurdle you've overcome?
    Early on, I thought: If I just work harder and longer, then I'll succeed. However, at that pace I quickly felt drained. To avoid getting burned out entirely, now I go home at night and have a life. I try to have fun and live a balanced life or else I'll have nothing to give to my business.

    What's the biggest mistake you've made?
    Not drawing the line between employee and friend. As a younger woman, I didn't set clear enough boundaries with employees and other working relationships.

    What's the best business advice you can offer?
    Everything is possible; you just have to see it first. When I started out, I couldn't even picture having my own desk. Now I have a fashion label, a studio and hundreds of top accounts.

    2009-06-22 14:01:10
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    Recent Comments

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    1 - 10 of 45
    45 comments

    aprettybudderfly 10:03:38 PM Oct 04 2009

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    Would you please take these ridiculous bags off my aol screen. Every f'n time I sign on I have to see these stupid waste of trees! Enough!

    asechance1109 08:41:44 PM Oct 04 2009

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    I am a small business owner with a high end consignment store on the Upper East Side for 16 years. I think our time has finally come. With the present economy situation, I people still want high end designers like Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton at a fraction of the retail price. We are guilt free and you can still get your Hermes Birkin or Kelly at WWW.ASecondChanceResale.Com.

    no1masons 08:07:30 PM Oct 04 2009

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    God Less her!! I am a Masonry Conractor in upstate N.y. and work my tail off to have nice tools and such. I am dreading the cold winter that limits my work and my bank account. I am willing on traveling to a warmer climate for the winter months here. Does anyone have any idea's?www.osterhoudtmasonry.com

    xprt001 03:12:06 PM Oct 04 2009

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    The easiest and most cost effective way to get your product to the market is selling on ebay.com - Skip the middle man and you instantly have a international marketplace. Hope this helps some of you that feel you have a product that is marketable.

    mk51466 02:51:04 PM Oct 04 2009

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    Sounds like a lot people are sore becuse they did not come up with it.

    junkyardshowroom 02:23:14 PM Oct 04 2009

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    This woman has a terrible reputation in the industry- both for screwing her contractors and not paying hourly employees alike. If there is anything that her story teaches how to go about being a flash in the pan- and not how to create longevity. Check out shopbop.com, neimanmarcus.com, Nordstrom.com... they all have dropped her and Im sure others to follow.

    pleasantonnow 12:44:06 PM Oct 04 2009

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    yeah.. very blase article. Nothing new here. Nothing helpful to small business owners. Just some free PR for her company.Boring Boring Boring.Secret to success..."get a life" Hunny I dont think that was the secret to your success. Who are you kidding?

    yourmemories07 11:56:08 AM Oct 04 2009

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    I would love to know how to market ideas! I have had many ideas and then I don't know who to contact to get them into stores etc. I see that Target has a section of new ideas for babies out there that mom's have invented. How do they get in??? This would be very helpful information to many inventors!!! Thank you!

    buttonsnatural 04:56:12 AM Sep 29 2009

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    Hi All Start your small business of eco friendly handmade buttons from Prashant handicrafts...www.buttonsnatural.zoomshare.com

    frenchfry195 11:25:12 PM Sep 27 2009

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    Hey, I'm small buisness owner, and its hard work , making sure your products are getting out there to the right people so you can get the kind of attention you need to get ahead and move forward instesd of just standing still. Some lose and some stay and fight.I guess I'm a fighter. You can check out my site for yourself and see what I'm fighting for at Mathews Photo Arts.

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