Having fun...

I'm really excited... today is my first day of production. I drove all the way to St-Jérôme this morning (1h drive) to give all my 5000 yards of fabrics (!!) so the production place can start doing the bags. It was a hectic week running around getting all the material but I'm really having fun doing it. I know it is business but people are really nice and helpful. I'm not afraid to ask around for the best suppliers for zippers, elastics, fabric and people are always pointing in a direction. I love talking with people that have been in the business for years. They are really passionate about it even if the garment industry is a pretty though one especially since everything is now made in China or India.

I also love looking around for the best deal in order to reduce my costs. It feels like a scavenger hunt to me. Every time I find a cheaper supplier I feel like getting a reward. I know this will translate into a better deal for my customers and more business for me ;-)

Leaving my job to start my own business was the best thing for me at this point in my life. Not only it was the perfect timing but I feel that with my education and work experiences, I have the maturity, the skills and competencies to make this happen. Most of all, I'm having fun doing it. To me, a job should not necessarily be a big party but should definitely be stimulating. This one certainly is...

talk to you later
gen

Jupiter Freedom armbag?

Hi again, I got so many emails and comments about my armbags, thank you very much for your feedback and support ;-) Alot of you were asking more details about the products so here it is...
3 words to describe the Jupiter Freedom products: versatility, exclusivity and responsability.

Versatility:
The armbag is a stylish pouch that fits your cell, keys, cards/money, lipstick. Like the name suggests, you wear on your arm when doing hands-free activities like going to the beach (think vacations!!!). When you buy the Jupiter Freedom armbag, you also get a matching card holder, a water resistant ipod nano pouch to attach on the front of the bag and a silky matching travel bag to carry it when not in use. Also, you can purchase a jewelry accessory that you can attach to the bag to jazz it up when going out. This allow a mix and match of styles and colors.

Exclusivity:
All armbags are made in a limited edition of 100 per model. No mass production here... I hate when I buy a bag and I see people walking around with the same one... When you get your bag, you will see which of the 100 you got.

Responsability:
The Jupiter Freedom armbags are NOT made in China. As most of you know, I absolutely love Asia but will keep it for my travelling... In fact, they are made in Quebec by a socially responsible organisation that provides support and training in industrial sewing to people in need. No sweatshop here! Basically, by buying my products you support your community and local economy.
Also, our products will never be made of animal textile such as leather, fur or suede (Marc, you'll be happy!!)

As for the price, it will be $60 (tax incl.) for the armbag, card holder, ipod case and travel pouch. Not bad when it costs $39 to by just a cheap ipod armband at Best Buy... Plus it make you feel good to support an ethically responsible product ;-)

Hope it gave you a better insight of my values and how it will reflect in our products ;-)
Cheers
gen

P.S. I'm 5 days from prod and I cannot stand in place... So much to do so little time...

10 days to production...

Hola, thanks for your feedback on my last post. It is hard to realize that I'm going into production in 10 days after 8 months of back and forth for the prototypes! It is alot of ups and downs but I didn't find too hard to make it happen (I might have just jinxed it!). There is alot to do but you need to keep your eyes on the ball (thanks to Tarik's advice), prioritize and be creative with solutions when problems or unexpected outcomes occur. One thing that I keep reminding myself is to have fun doing it.

I'm excited to show you my first collection of 4 different armbags which will be all in black tone - midnight city, midnight stars, midnight garden and midnight breeze (click on the picture to see more details). All armbags will be done in a limited edition (max. 100) so if you like one I suggest you get it as soon as it comes out end of October. Obviously, this is a fall/winter collection and colors will be brighter in spring/summer. Again, your feedback is appreciated (don't be afraid to tell me what you don't like - I won't take it personnal ;-))

The only thing I find unfortunate is that I will launch a "summer" product in November... The positive side of it is that I will have time to run the logistic before my peak time. Also, Christmas is around the corner so it would be a great gift for someone who goes to the gym, like to dance in clubs (Denise??), have a dog to walk (who walks a dog with a purse...), have kids to carry/play with or for someone that is just always on the go... Not the best time to launch this product but not the worse either.

Thanks for your positive messages, it helps for the motivation

Cheers,

gen