Likewear founder Lisa Gold finds success in direct sales of licensed products

Lisa Gold has, well, struck gold with Likewear, the licensed clothing company she founded in 2007. What began as a hobby for this New Jersey-based mother of three quickly turned into a part-time job, then a full-time job, and then, as Gold says, "It became an all-the-time job."

I talked with Lisa recently about her business and why she believes she has been successful. At the bottom of this blog she offers tips for other women business owners, but first, some background on Likewear.

Lisa Gold wanted something of her own - a desire that has launched many woman-owned businesses, especially among mothers. Her licensed apparel business started as a hobby.

"I was just playing around," Gold said. "And before I knew it, I had this nice little craft business."

Then she got two phone calls - each from women who were given her products as gifts and who wanted to order more. Lots more. The women wanted to buy her designs wholesale so they could resell them. That was the beginning.

Gold realized that she had something people wanted and so she decided to attend the big "licensing" show in New York. There she negotiated licenses for logos and graphics for all sorts of companies that she would use on her apparel. Then she made the important decision to enter the world of direct selling - similar to the business models of Mary Kay, Tupperware and Cookie Lee. Gold's Likewear became the only licensed apparel company in the direct sales channel and it remains so today.

So what's the finanical structure for creating a licensed product? According to Gold, you can plan on shelling out 10% of your sales to the licensor - the company granting you permission to use their design or logo. And then there is the cut that the rep gets for making the sale.

"The margins are thin," Gold acknowledges. "But we make up for it in volume." Likewear now boasts some 50 reps who are selling its products.

Gold's vision for Likewear goes beyond making money and running her own show.

"I also wanted to provide moms with an easy and profitable business opportunity," she says.

The company's website attests to the fact that the name is really the merger of Lisa and her partner in business and in life, her husband Ken. The "Li" in Likewear is for Lisa and the "ke" is for Ken. L-I-K-E wear. I like that.

Here are Gold's tips for other women business owners:
Success Tips for a Home-Based Business

Setting up and maintaining a home-based business isn't an easy task, but it can be a very rewarding experience. I created my home-based business, LikeWear®, with my husband Ken in 2006. LikeWear is the first and only company to focus on selling licensed apparel and accessories via the Direct Sales channel. It's a modern day fusion of a fun, boutique children’s clothing line and a more traditional party plan direct sales company. I’ve learned a lot in the four years I’ve been running a business out of our home, and I know what it takes for someone to create their own home-based business. Here are 6 easy tips to get you started:
- Be organized and treat your business like a business!
It can be very easy to let your home life interfere with your business when it's all taking place under one roof. It is imperative that you set boundaries for yourself and your family. Create your work schedule and share it with everyone in the house. Just because you're at home does not mean that you're available to mediate every situation that arises. Decide on what your working hours will be and stick to them! Remember that it’s just as important not to work when you should be spending time with your family. It’s all about balance.

- Hire an accountant
If you don't already have an accountant - find one. Taxes are completely different for business owners than they are for regular employees. If you are not very familiar with tax laws, then save yourself the headaches and hire a reputable accountant. Your accountant will help you find deductions and make sure you are doing everything right with your taxes.

- Organize your finances
Keep business income and expenses separate from your personal expenses. I suggest setting up a separate bank account and getting a business credit card. Remember to save all of your receipts for business expenses! It’s best to create a good filing system and stick with it. You can never be too organized when it comes to your home-based business. Get organized early on and you will save yourself from frustration later. All of these things will make life easier for you and your accountant come tax time!

- Record important information
If you are in sales, make a database with key customer information. It is easiest to keep your customer information recorded on the computer. You can use Outlook, Excel, or any other database program. Remember to back up your digital files often! I also find it helpful to use a digital calendar to track events, meetings, appointments, follow-ups, etc. Google Calendar is a wonderful resource and will even send you daily text alerts with your appointments for the day!

- Get Online
Access to e-mail and the internet is essential for business today. Make sure you have a reliable internet connection (preferably one with good bandwidth.) Create, or hire someone to make, a website for your company. There is no excuse for not having a web presence in today’s world. Along with your website, you should join some of the more popular social networks if you are not already a member. Get familiar with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and start interacting with your friends. Once you are comfortable on each of these platforms, start inviting your customers to join you and begin interacting with them. You may also want to consider starting a blog. It’s a great way to not only drive traffic to your website, and create a personal connection with your customers; but it can also be a way to document the evolution of your business.

- Stay Positive
Remember that your home-based business is an actual business. And like all businesses, your business will experience good times and bad times. It is important to stay focused on your goals and to remain positive. You are not the first person to go through the trials and tribulations of starting a business and you definitely won’t be the last. There are a lot of resources and communities online for people like us. You are not alone!

There’s obviously much more involved than just this to get a new business going and keeping it going. However, it’s important to build on solid framework and these quick tips are a good starting point for any home-based business. On a personal note, I have learned exactly how busy my life as a wife, mother and entrepreneur can be. I have also realized that I am capable of more than I ever thought I could be. I’ve learned that life goes fast – even faster when you live a full and busy existence. And I have had to readjust my thinking and my preconceived ideas of what it means to be happy and at “peace.” While I can’t say I always subscribe to this, below is a quote that resonates so much with me at this time in my life:

“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

The best thing I have learned along the way is to recognize all that has been accomplished as opposed to what hasn’t gotten done – or has yet to happen. Good luck with your home-based business and feel free to keep in touch with me about the process on Twitter: @LikeWearChick.

** I personally invite you to subscribe to this blog by clicking on the "subscribe link," upper right. And check out our news hub for women-owned businesses at WOBmedia.com.

The Rape-axe condom, invented by a woman

For thousands of years women have been victimized by rape, and nowhere more than in South Africa, which is noted for having the highest rape rate in the world, according to the Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems. The reports says that more than one in every 1,000 people will be raped in that region.

Dr. Sonnet Ehlers, not coincidentally from South Africa, is about to change all that. This week Ehlers announced her invention: the Rape-Axe, a condom that literally sinks its teeth into the penis of a rapist. (See the video of how the Rape-axe condom works.) The device, which is virtually impossible to remove, protects the victim from pregnancy, causes the rapist great discomfort and marks him as a perpetrator of rape. (Remember the Scarlet Letter?) And it's as easy to use as a tampon. Ehlers has said in interviews that the idea was spurred by a rape victim's words: "I wish I had teeth down there."

In a savvy marketing move, Ehlers officially announced her new product in conjunction with the World Cup of Soccer, where, according to the New York Daily News, she gave away some 30,000 of the Rape-Axe condoms and enjoyed a bonanza of free press. What a great tie-in... No. 1 in rape, the world's attention is, at this moment, on South Africa for the World Cup, and Ehlers slipped her product into the media mix. Now we'll watch to see if it has teeth.

A suggestion for Ehlers if she's reading this blog: Better update your Website soon. You've got global media attention, but your site doesn't live up to expectations. Need to know the status of the product's availability; is it "approved" by all the channels that approve such products; what is the cost of the product, etc.?

Oh yeah, and then there's the whole debate about the angry wife, or the man-hating woman, who sets a guy up for what could be one of the most painful and embarrassing experiences of his life. In fact, a man could just as easily become the victim.

Maria Shriver's Women's Conference

The California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women has morphed into The Women's Conference 2010 this year. Formerly an annual event at which California's governor would make an appearance preceding a day of discussion on women's issues, the conference has turned into a celebrity-studded multi-day celebration of women and the power they have to influence. Re-branded by California first lady Maria Shriver, the three-day conference, scheduled for October, is the most significant gathering of women in the nation.



Last year, more than 11,000 women descended on the Long Beach Convention Center and tickets sold out within hours of becoming available. If you plan to attend, mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 23, when tickets go on sale. According to a press release I received today: Full day tickets for conference's Main Event on Tuesday, October 26 can be purchased for $250 (Loge View), $185 (Balcony View) and $150 (Partial View Balcony). In addition, a limited number of tables situated on the arena floor will sell for $3,900 for a table of 12. Tickets to Night at The Village on Monday, October 25 will sell for $40. An individual ticket to A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation on Monday, October 25 can be purchased for $165. Individual tickets for the special Minerva Awards presentation ceremony during the Afternoon Session of The Women's Conference Main Event on October 27 will sell for $50.

The recovery and you

You. You know who you are. If you were one of those burned by the Great Recession, it's time to get over it. The Chapman Forecast, among others, are reporting consumer confidence is on the rise and new payroll jobs are on the horizon. The recovery is imminent and you can take advantage of it if you just get over yourself.

If you were laid off during the hard times - perhaps even by a colleague who was lucky enough to have been able to remain employed - it's time to accept some responsibility for what happened to you and stop pointing the finger at everyone else. In tough times, business owners have to make tough choices. They look to retain the employees that are team players; those that get on board with the mission of management. The last thing management needs when they are struggling to survive is a team member who drags down the entire company with a poor attitude. It's kind of like that lifeboat scenario... You need to unload the one person that could sink the boat, for the sake of the rest of those on board.

Don't want it to happen again? It's easy to say, "It was the recession..." or worse, blame it on office politics. But in reality, ask yourself: Who is really in charge of my career and my future? It's you and no one else.

The recovery is right around the corner. You can make the most of it if you take a hard look in the mirror and reassess what really happened. Then get over it. Otherwise, the Great Recession will loom long in your life while everyone else is enjoying the good times. And there will be no one to blame it on but yourself.

What happens post 'Oprah?'

We all dream of being on 'Oprah.' An appearance on the media maven's show virtually guarantees success for an author, a business person with a product, or anyone with anything they want the world to know about. But are you ready for the onslaught that follows?  Here's the story of one woman business owner who shared the stage with Oprah:

{Intimacy}, the newest store at the South Coast Plaza retail center in Costa Mesa, CA, opened this week. The national European lingerie chain joins a collection of upscale stores that include Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co. and Chanel. It's fitting (no pun intended - you'll understand the pun in a moment) that {Intimacy} is located where shoppers expect, and are willing to pay for, more. The store boasts bras ranging from "A" cups to "K" cups - something U.S. bra retailers don't generally offer.

Full disclosure: I had a personal, eye-opening fitting yesterday myself and received one lovely unmentionable set as a gift from the retailer. It was well worth the time spent (and the money - I did a little shopping, too) to learn about correct fit. 

So, yesterday I sat down with one of the most enthusiastic women business owners I've ever met, Susan Nethero, founder of {Intimacy}. Nethero says her highly trained staff puts customer service before the sale. Other stores make the claim, but this team of bra fit experts (there's the "fitting"pun) mean what they say. It's standard procedure to schedule personal 30-minute bra fitting appointments for women who will drive hours for the consultation and correctly fitting bra. This unique expertise landed Nethero on 'Oprah,' and her life changed forever.

According to Nethero, her guest appearance on 'Oprah' in 2005 catapulted her business. More than a million and a half people called or came in to her stores to shop within a few months of her national TV debut.

"We call it the big show. It was the first time women heard that bra fit was a big issue," says Nethero, chief bra fit stylist (that's on her business card next to 'founder.')

She's not kidding about 'big.'

"When we were on the 'Oprah' show - and remember it was years that we were in business before the 'Oprah' show - and we always thought it would be the best thing in the world - and I tried to reach out to her a number of times," Nethero said. "What was so exciting about it from our standpoint was that it was the first time women understood they could have bras that fit them, and they could have comfort and style at the same time." Clearly the message was delivered.

"We had 1.6 million people came to us in the next few months after the show aired," Nethero said. "We had people waiting for bra fittings for four to six hours." While you'd think more customers would be a good thing, it caused some problems, albeit the kind of problems we'd all like to have. Nethero continued, "We said, 'Oh my gosh we can't do this.' This is not fair or right. We started taking their cell phone numbers and we would call them when they were free, or, we started making paper appointments. We knew we needed an online reservation system. It just took time to develop. We did develop it in about 6 months."

Nethero said, "Our business completely changed overnight. [Business] Tripled, you know, within the next year. People came to us with ideas to help us grow our business, but because it was a service-driven business we did not want to just open doors anywhere."

So she regrouped. The popularity of the show prompted another call from Winfrey who wanted Nethero to come back.

"We did open another store right after 'Oprah,'" Nethero said. "because she wanted us to come back in the fall ... I talked to her on the phone and I promised her that I would figure out how to fit everyone in the studio audience. The next day we got on a plane and came to Chicago to open a store."

Nethero's advice to other women business owners: The product is important, but you have to give the customer real value. Give them something that enhances their lives and makes them better, she said. If you can do that, AND effectively manage the business aspect of the endeavor, you'll find success.

Polishing your brand, making your mark

Women business owners know that protecting their company's brand ID is critical. One of the best examples of this is the slow, but calculated, growth Sondra and Allyson Ames of Wonderland Bakery have enjoyed - all because they guarded their brand like it was gold. And now it is.

Another group of committed women, however, are putting the emphasis on YOU. YOU are your brand, they claim. Whether you represent a company as part of the management team, you're an independent contractor, or you own your own business, YOU are as important as WHAT you do. At least that's the thinking behind Make Your Mark, the June 24th conference for women in business slated to take place at the incomparable Andrei's restaurant in Irvine, CA.

The event in the brainchild of Yolanda Sepulveda and company. Sepulveda is the director of FUZE Community Design. She and her team have pulled together an impressive lineup of speakers including Keynote Speaker Rachel Bondi, a bestselling author and entrepreneur and former director at FORTUNE 100 companies such as Microsoft and AT&T.
Also on tap: Kim Barnouin, co-author of the "Skinny Bitch" book series, Frances Cole Jones, author of "The Wow Factor" and Carla Mathis an AICI certified Image Master. I have the honor of serving as emcee.
You can see who has already registered here. And click here to learn more and register yourself.

Ringcentral.com's call back?

If you read my previous post about Ringcentral.com's radio ad on KFI AM 640, you know I didn't like it. Not for the reasons you'd expect (read the post), but because they totally missed the boat by not talking to women business owners. They used the sexy character Eve to appeal to men, but they did so in a region where women business owners are thriving. Here in Orange County, CA, the local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners is among the largest and most active in the nation.

So, this morning, as I was driving to work, I heard a new Ringcentral.com ad. It paired both a man and a woman who were talking intelligently about the advantages of the phone service for small businesses. No more "I'm easy to turn on" teasing by the fictitious Eve.

Kudos to Ringcentral.com if they actually read my blog and made the adjustment. That's smart business. If you're a Ringcentral.com exec, I would love to know if the extra visitors to my page the day of the post were from you!

If your business isn't growing, um... it could be your fault

If your business has reached a plateau and you just can't seem to get it to the next level, it could be you that is limiting your own success. Sharon Hadary is the former executive director of the Center for Women's Business Research. During an interview with her several years ago for a story I was writing, she said that the biggest reason that women don't get their share of venture capital funding is that they don't create businesses to sell (the primary reason an investor would be interested), they create businesses to support a lifestyle.

Hadary is now writing for the Wall Street Journal and is an adjunct professor at the Univesity of Maryland University College. In a blog she posted recently, she explains in more detail the phenomenon that has resulted in women owning and running businesses that, in general, are smaller than those of men.

Hadary says most of the "how to" business programs for women are centered on startups and fewer on expansion. She also says that most women leave their corporate jobs because they want to run both their business and their family - a distraction, albeit a worthy one.

Her blog post is worth the read. See if you can see yourself in her words.