Fashionably Kelli

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, by Kelli Jagger

In business, girlboss

Start Your Successful Business TODAY in 5 Easy Steps (as a student)

Young adults worldwide have been integrating themselves into the professional world with their new companies or brands. Teenagers have been taking notes as this rising empire of young CEOs becomes the new norm.

My company

KJ Fashions and Designs is a company that I created when I was twelve. Since I was obviously too young to understand the true meaning of

creating your own company, I made a website and started blogging. Today, my company is operational as a personal stylist and social media consulting business. What that means is that I act as a personal stylist and a personal coach to help rising social media influencers and/or business entrepreneurs. I interact with new customers of all ages as well as network with other small businesses. I get the opportunity to use my two passions, business and fashion, and do a job that genuinely excites me every day.

How you can get started TODAY

1. Name

You cannot start a company without a name. This is the biggest part of creating a business. You have to come up with a name that identifies the company by three things: target audience, product/service being sold, and company image. This is the first thing customers will see about your business so it should be representative of what you are selling, the demographic you are selling to, and how you want to be perceived. Take your time with it and choose a name that truly captures your brand.

Don’t forget to check your provincial laws in regard to registering your company and company name!

2. Branding

A company needs a brand or else it just won’t look professional and you will struggle to find what makes your company unique. You need to have consistency amongst all social media platforms and in your business which means having the same font choices, colours, environment, and type of pictures (logos, do you want models or not, etc.). These should all reflect on the type of customers you want to attract. Also, choose a unique message you want your company to stand for. For example, if it is a clothing store, focus on body positivity or using recyclable materials in your clothes. Having this creates something different about your brand that makes it stand out from all the others. All of these branding aspects add a high level of sophistication, professionalism, and overall appeal to your company.

Pro Tip: Use Canva to create your website graphics! This is an amazing, easy-to-use, and free program where you can create all different types of digital graphics for your company. I highly recommend it! You can choose a colour palette and the site will only use that set standard on your graphics.

3. Make a website

How is anyone going to find what you are selling if you don’t have a website? Everything is online is this current age and that is how people find businesses. Many website designers come with a free plan like wix.com or Weebly so it is student-budget friendly. These are both very easy to use for starting entrepreneurs and come with many great features to get your website going. Make sure to include all the information about your products/services, your company’s vision, a contact section, and any links you may have (email, social media, blog, etc.).

4. Make social media accounts

Social media has become one of the biggest outlets for promotion and communication. Therefore, having your company on social media is essential! This is where you can talk to future clients, answer questions, and most importantly, promote your company. The best accounts to have are Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Do some research on the business features of each platform to maximize the free tools that each one offers.

*download our FREE social media printable at kjfashionsanddesigns.weebly.com*

5. Solidify customers

Promote, network, and communicate! Use your platforms to speak with potential clients or reach out to customers that you want to shop at your business. Reaching out is essential because you have to attract customers when your company is small, they won’t necessarily be coming to you that easily! Even try cold-calling different brands (messaging business leaders who you don’t know and asking them questions about their company) that you want to work with to raise more awareness of your brand. Collaborations with similar, smaller companies who are trying to do the same thing as you create new friendly relationships in your field and reaches out to new potential customers.

It is very easy to do this all on a student budget, as I have done myself. All it takes is time, commitment, and hard-work: those are the secrets to creating a successful start-up.

Why start your own business?

Starting your own business or brand involves copious amounts of work; however, it all pays off in the end. Not only do you learn essential business and organizational skills, but you also get incredible opportunities to network with professionals all around the world. Many young business owners run their business part-time which gives you the opportunity to gain experience while working with other business leaders and still growing your brand. Having your own business can lead to many new opportunities that are exciting and advantageous to you as a young adult and developing business leader. Personally, I have gained confidence and an intense love for what I do. I have had the opportunity to connect with all types of small businesses worldwide and speak with other female entrepreneurs that inspired and encouraged me to continue growing my business.

Need help networking? Join Facebook groups! There are lots out there that focus on entrepreneurs being inspired to grow their business and definitely helps with developing more of a following. I am part of a few and they are really positive and encouraging!

Still need help with your business and are ready for a small but very beneficial investment? For all my readers, KJ Fashions and Designs is offering 15% off all of our services by using the promo code KJ15. Check out our website at kjfashionsanddesigns.weebly.com for more!

As final parting words, building a brand or company can be scary, but as an independent and driven individual, I’ve really grown from the experience and would never regret any part of the process. If you have a dream or a vision, why wait? Just go for it, you won’t regret it.