Build the perfect product.

When starting a business, it’s easy to be obsessed about the product and leave marketing as an afterthought. I guess it depends on your motive for starting in the first place. If it’s to bring to life this incredible idea, solution or creation, it’s easy to want to focus on that.

I had an idea to create beautiful Ankara baby clothes. As you can tell from reading my Musings about the process, it’s taking me longer than I anticipated to get there. I’ve had long periods of waiting, I’ve produced many design iterations and colourways. However, about six months ago, the way I’ve been thinking about the process changed a little.

Maybe there’s no such thing as a perfect product?

An acquaintance of mine (all round wonderful human and founder of Kidbo – check them out!) challenged me to start working on my marketing..now. Ok, I know what you’re thinking, surely this is obvious?! Even as a communications professional, you would think I would know it was obvious. The thing is when you’re on this journey of even working out how you’re going to get a pair of Ankara baby leggings made, marketing sort of falls to the bottom of the to do list. Also, how do you market something that doesn’t exist…and terrifyingly…may never exist!?!

This has been one of my biggest challenges over the past six months and continues to challenge me today. I am trying to spend 50% of my time on marketing activities. I’ve learned it’s a mistake to think I can build these incredible Ankara inspired baby clothes and then I can go out and find a tonne of customers. I’ve also realised that no matter how much effort I put into making these baby clothes perfect in my eyes – there’ll be a lot I’ll learn from customers. Product ‘perfection’ is likely to be a moving goalpost.

Building a community.

I’ve flipped the way I’m thinking about things. I’m trying to build a community and gather momentum before I have a product to launch (Lord…let there be a product to launch!).

What is this community?

People who are keen to see a product like this launch. I have never found Ankara baby clothes made in soft fabric in a range of colours as beautiful as the ones I’m creating.
Those who want to follow the journey of building a business in a sector you know nothing about while navigating major life changes.
Lovers of colour and the power it holds.
Parents of little people who are interested the world of innovative products being created to serve them.

So keep your eyes peeled for an increased push in marketing efforts. Oh, and tell a friend, or a few. The idea is that I use this period of product development as a time to also test marketing strategies. I want to know which strategies have the best pay back before a full scale launch. It will take time, some money and a lot of creativity (in the absence of an existing product range). However, theory would suggest it will pay off in the long run.