Ivy Hartman: Only 3 % of women owned businesses actually hit the million dollar mark. Well today our guest hit the million dollar mark in their first year. We brought on co-founders and owners of these purses, Lisa Henderson and Sandra Masters as our guest on SBTV.com today. Ladies, welcome to SBTV.com.
Lisa Henderson: Thank you.
Sandra Masters: Thank you.
Ivy Hartman: Alright, tell us what you tribute your success to?
Lisa Henderson: I think that the direct sales model that we’ve chose to sell our purses really made us the most successful.
Ivy Hartman: Well talk about that, we can see your purses here but where did the idea come from and why direct sales when you were launching your business?
Lisa Henderson: Well we have had some experience in direct salesman’s task between the three of us. And whether owning a business or participating as a representative in the direct sales industry and so we knew that it was something that wasn’t out there yet. We had a niche; no one was doing custom purses in the direct sales industry. And no one’s still is, 5 years later, nationwide, doing what we do. So I think that’s made us so successful.
Ivy Hartman: Lisa did mention the three of us, there are three musketeers, and we are missing one of them and another one of your partners.
Sandra Masters: That’s correct. She’s in Birmingham, Alabama.
Ivy Hartman: Good and well, how do you divide the rules then? Is it a team effort like the 3 musketeers let’s instead of divide and conquer let’s all…
Sandra Masters: We work really well together; you know we awfully like to be involved in every aspect of the company. But yet we each have our own individual creativity as well in the company. I oversee the operations, Lisa’s in Marketing and PR and Susan’s in design and sales.
Ivy Hartman: Well let’s talk about design and sales even though she’s not here. Lisa you mentioned these purses are designed, custom designed purses and that’s of a kind in the first market in general. Not to mention direct sales. Okay talk about how you came up with the ideas and let’s talk about the different products you offer.
Lisa Henderson: Well we knew that five years ago customized purses were really hot. You know, back then it was the Grow Green Ribbons and some different you know attributes to the purses and now it’s gone into the leathers and we do a lot of foal leathers in our line and so as you can see here we’ve got a range of colors. Right now in this season, its fun to be really colorful and combine some pattern leathers with some fabrics and you can do some really fun things with the bag.
Ivy Hartman: Sandra, everything from the fabric to the, I mean just the metal…
Sandra Masters: The hardware.
Ivy Hartman: The hardware thing. The hardware on our purses is chosen by you guys.
Sandra Masters: That co-right. We like to say design your soul, design your life and that’s what you have the unique opportunity with these purses to do. It’s to pick the style of bags to pick the fabric, the hardware, the handle and even a monogram if you choose.
Ivy Hartman: Okay, so that’s what your consumers get out of it. Let’s talk about your direct sales reps. I mean they’re, Lisa you mentioned, that’s part of your huge success, is that you guys didn’t buy a store front, you didn’t just do e-commerce although you’ve won the Horizon Award for your e-commerce website. You’re doing this through grassroots efforts with to your direct sales marketing team. 5
Lisa Henderson: Well you know we’ve figured that 85 % of shoppers are women. So what better than to give them an opportunity to also make commissions off of what they’re buying? And purses are the number one accessory that you can buy and so we knew that with that 85 % of the women are shoppers and 85 % of direct sales people are women. So it was pretty much home what run from the beginning.
Ivy Hartman: That is a marriage of successes there.
Sandra, talk about the different designs we have and how do you, I mean stays in a linked designer’s change their designs.
Sandra Masters: Absolutely. We actually have two seasons as well, we do our winter and our fall collection. And then we have a summer spring collection. And each season we try to bring in, incorporate a new design. We are very hot and vastly with all the designs and the colors that come out for each season, whether it be the spring color, the green, the pattern, the foes. So we have the luggage collection, we have a baby collection so we have that bag to travel. We have a great diaper bag for the new first time mom and then we have the sassy fun purses to go along with it.
Ivy Hartman: And I trust these ladies, they teach our mothers, also so you know what function ability mean.
Sandra Masters: Absolutely.
Ivy Hartman: In a diaper bag, not to mention luggage and purses.
Sandra Masters: That’s right, all of our products is made in the USA and it’s a high, great, incredible quality for the mom, for the traveler or even just to carry your fashion sassy purse.
Ivy Hartman: Okay, what’s your favorite?
Lisa Anderson: The Portfolio.
Ivy Hartman: Okay, show me the Portfolio.
Lisa Anderson: And this is my favorite because of course we’re working women. And this is great for your computer, your laptop and all of your folders that you need to carry.
Ivy Hartman: And what you can’t see is that it’s lined very softly and it does, it divides it out for you so—
Lisa Anderson: There are many pockets in there, you can put CDs and pens and notepads.
Ivy Hartman: The things like it too, the theme to keep it simple.
Sandra Masters: Absolutely.
Ivy Hartman: I don’t need more pocket to try to find what I’m missing.
Sandra Masters: You know desertion.
Ivy Hartman: That’s great.
Lisa Anderson: It’s the perfect size for a working woman. And you know, what woman doesn’t want to go out and be fashionable while their going to a business meeting?
Ivy Hartman: Everyone. That’s part of our focus.
Lisa Anderson: Exactly.
Sandra Masters: We have a great accessory line that goes along with it. We have the cell phone carrier, we have different things, business card holders and stuff that you can actually place into your bag.
Ivy Hartman: This one’s interesting to me. This looks like it’s to travel line, and…
Lisa Anderson: Doesn’t that feel wonderful?
Ivy Hartman: It does, its fleur, right.
Sandra Masters: Right, it’s a micro fiber.
Ivy Hartman: So then, this is a Jewelry roll self pouch.
Lisa Anderson: Yes, that’s Jewelry Roll.
Ivy Hartman: So you’ve got a full line of luggage.
Lisa Anderson: From garment bag, to duffle, to jewelry roll to cosmetic bags.
Ivy Hartman: Cosmetics. Yes, you can’t leave home without it. They don’t make it easy to travel with those anymore though.
Sandra Masters: We actually line all of our cosmetic bags with plastic liner as well as that clear plastic liner so that any spillage or makeup that you have that mixed out your cover.
Ivy Hartman: Wow. Do you have a favorites Sandra?
Sandra Masters: Actually I do. I’m a second mom again with the new baby so I like the back pack. I can still fit my portfolio, my brief case slip in inside there and I can slip a few diapers and a bottle inside there as well.
Ivy Hartman: The unique thing is that women can pick their design.
Sandra Masters: Absolutely.
Ivy Hartman: Is there something else about the designs that we should know that sets you apart from other person in your factors or sales? Is it because you can pick your colors and…
Sandra Masters: You basically get to pick anything here that you like. We offer like I said, it’s probably 24 different designs, we our 40 something different fabric, so you’re designing what you like and what fits your personality.
Lisa Anderson: And I would say that the foal leathers set us apart from the other companies out there because we offer not only the fabrics but the foal leathers that you can bind together.
Sandra Masters: Alright.
Ivy Hartman: So foal leather is an example of this which almost looks like it’s an Alligator bag and then what about this? It’s almost like suede.
Sandra Masters: Those are our micro fiber collection. This is a very strong, durable product that we love to incorporate just for like that said that woman on the go. Very spot clean, it’s great, we actually keep it on our luggage collection all year long. It’s very durable.
Ivy Hartman: Ladies, thank you for being here at SBTV.com.
Lisa Anderson: Thank you.
Sandra Masters: Thank you.
Ivy Hartman: Oh yes, okay so now if we want to go shopping, now that they’ve seen the segment, send us to your website.
Lisa Anderson: www.BSPurses.com.
Ivy Hartman: It stands for Bees Purses.
Lisa Anderson: You won’t forget your way.
Ivy Hartman: Thank you Lisa, thank you Sandra for being here. You’re right on SBTV.com where small business is our only business.
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