We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eileen Sieck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Eileen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?
When I first started out, I didn’t have a way to sell my products figured out. I posted on social media advertising that I was starting to make and sell dog bandanas and to reach out if you were interested. I was amazed at how many people supported me right away. The people that supported me at the beginning have continued to support me every step of the way. Without my sales at the beginning, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn and grow from my mistakes.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started Canine Cotton Co. in May 2020 when I was at home because school buildings were shut down due to COVID-19. As a teacher, I wanted to find something that could keep me busy. My fiancé and I had just brought home our first dog, so I thought I could try and sew some bandanas for him. Before I knew it, I was sewing dog bandanas for friends and family. That is when I got the idea to start Canine Cotton Co.
I love to work with customers to create custom orders. If there is a bandana vision a client has, I always do my best to create it. My favorite collections are always the Fall and Christmas Collections. I get so excited to pick out new fabric every year knowing my customers will be excited too.
I am most proud of how I have grown over the last two years. I’ve built a following on social media, created my own website from scratch, and designed two different styles of bandanas in sizes extra small through extra large all on my own, while also teaching full-time. I am still learning how to balance the two, but each time a new bandana collection launches, I get excited for customer reactions. The best part is seeing the cute pictures that get sent to me after they receive their order. It makes the hard work worth it.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Lucky for me, during the initial lockdowns of COVID, dog instagrams because a huge thing. I posted almost daily to try and gain a following. I utilized ambassadors to share my posts and products in exchange for a discount code to use. My advice to anyone starting out is to not be afraid of the low engagement you will receive, especially at the beginning. There is no right or wrong way to post your products, just keep engaging with other accounts and stay active.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
I love to attend local vendor fairs, pop-ups, and shows to help grow my clientele. I love to meet new people, tell them about my products, and hand them my card. I feel so much joy from getting an in-person sale knowing the person who purchased my product made a connection with me and will hopefully spread the word about my small business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caninecottonco.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/caninecottonco
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/caninecottonco