Sumita & Anuj Patel... continued

to carry their pieces. Sumita and Anuj began making it a habit to visit stores, drop off their card, show pictures if there was interest, and answer questions the owners had about pricing. They would point out the excellent profit margin that could be realized by outright purchasing the pieces – much better for the store owners than, for example, consigning goods (which was never a model they considered). Owners were interested, and the two followed up within 24 hours with pictures and pricing, often making the sale. The key, they made clear to me, was being prepared and following up immediately, ‘striking while the iron was hot’ is what has driven their sales.

They also became vendors on Faire, a marketplace for retailers.

Faire’s goal is to expose the smaller all over the world. This platform allows cost-effectively reach buyers they Considering what to offer on the within pieces had to the enough on it this to I would the it. If on didn’t they not digging a hole for themselves become wholesalers. (If wholesaling you, watch this whole conversation ‘play video link’ earlier in the paragraph.)

They continue to do the bulk of their with direct customers. However, the side is growing and will continue to business mix in the future.

When asked what they might want as a future project, both Sumita said they were intrigued by moving offering signs. While it isn’t on the custom item, it may be where they And while they both still have their of the question that, at some point, dedicated to Home Bound Customs life behind.

Perhaps the primary thing Sumita and laser makers world is their collaboration their business. As noted earlier, Sumita media, and at some point, she began smaller entrepreneur to buyers from allows the smaller business to they couldn’t find on their own. site was a project within itself. The pieces chosen had to be efficient produce and the margins high enough to bear a 25% fee to Faire on their sales. Sumita explained this way, “When choosing what offer, I considered whether would give a 25% discount on the piece if I would still sell the answer was yes, it went on the product listing. If not, it didn’t “make the cut.” In this way, they were in order to wholesaling interests conversation using the paragraph.) their business the wholesale to shift their want to tackle and Anuj moving into the table now as it is an entirely they will expand into one day. their corporate jobs, it isn’t out point, one of them may become Customs and leave the corporate and Anuj are known for in the collaboration with influencers to build Sumita is very in tune with social began noticing how influencers were showcasing products. What she saw as an advantage was that, unlike most of the products shown, theirs was customizable, which gave them an edge. After careful research, she chose a few she felt were particularly aligned with their business, reached out, and then followed through. Fairly quickly, they had some takers, and things began to pop. Often after an influencer would post about a product, they would receive lots of orders. In fact, one Father’s Day, the extended families were called in to lend their helping hands in order to complete the overwhelming number of orders they had received!

Sumita is rock solid on how essential a social media plan is. She shares, “It’s very intimidating but very necessary.” It had, and still has, a significant impact on their business. Thank goodness they have chosen to create a class and share their expertise! Sumita and Anuj have been so successful with this tactic that they teach their strategy for working with influencers. It is a terrific class (yes, I took it) and a heck of a deal! Make sure you check it out!

As always, I wanted to know what inspires them and what advice they have received and implemented. Sumita shared that she is inspired by bringing people together and has experienced that on this laser journey. She loves being part of this community, meeting and partnering with other makers, and creating treasured pieces for her clients.

For Anuj, he loves the innovation – taking an idea and figuring out how to make it work. Watching an idea manifest keeps him motivated to bring on the next project.

In the business advice world, Sumita has been quite taken with the saying, “You don’t build a business; you build people. Good people equals good business.” For her, this applies not only to employees but also to those they serve and partner with. For Anuj, he stresses the ability to step away when needed. “Take time to reset, breathe.” Together they are a dynamic team with a strong sense of who they are and where they’re going.