A BOOM’S ON THE WAY- NAVIGATING THE FOUNDING OF AN E-COMMERCE SITE
We just read a fantastic piece about the trials and tribulations of starting and funding an e-commerce site. Business of Fashion has done a fantastic job of pointing out that e-commerce is bound to boom any day now, while also highlighting the catch-22 that e-commerce companies often find themselves stuck with; needing funding to have a breadth of merchandise and a wide-reaching platform, but needing that breadth and reach in order to find funding. Here at AFINGO and at our sister site ShopToko we know all too well the careful planning it takes to launch any sort of web-based venture and are so pleased to see BoF exploring it.
In the first bubble of e-commerce, at the turn of the 21st century, a few vastly funded failures scared off many venture firms, “But on closer inspection, e-commerce has also faced additional complexities and capital inefficiencies that, for years, continued to push investors away.” This article explains those complexities and is a must read for anyone who plans to embark on the road of e-commerce.
OUR CEO ON THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS
Our esteemed CEO, Liza Deyrmenjian, is once again spreading the word on how to embark on entrepreneurial pursuits and navigating the world of manufacturing. She spoke on Women Entrepreneurs Radio recently, discussing everything from consumer views of manufacturing to the online wholesale venture ShopToko to the value of social media, and so much more. To listen to the interview click here.
Obama on the Runway
Okay, so President Obama will not be walking down a runway anytime soon. Imagine that. But designs supporting Obama will be as the re-election gets closer.
Getting ready for President Obama’s re-election, designers such as Diane Furstenburg, Rag & Bone, and Tracy Reese will support by getting involved in Runway to Win, a fashion campaign that was once known as Runway to Change when Obama was initially on the polls.
Just as a usual campaign would go about, this fashion collaboration will do just the same but on tee-shirts and handbags. The gear is thought to be similar to the Runway to Change campaign, simple and straight to the point. The items will be sold on the website runwaytowin.com.
As I stated above, most of the fashion world will support the reelection but not all. LVMH thought twice before getting involved and betraying the Republican voters.
Marc Jacobs, on the other hand, decided to go against LVMH’s decision and follow along with Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour’s, path.
Anna Wintour has been standing behind Obama since Runway to Change in 2008 and it’s hard to believe a person as ambitious as she would falter in getting designers in on the movement.
An Obama fundraiser will be hosted by Anna Wintour herself and Scarlett Johansson in February so stay tuned for that.
