How to Leverage Your

Talent to Create a Lasting

Fashion Business
by Boaz David
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Introduction
It was a drizzly cold New York day.
To see the models walking the catwalk adorned with
With exactly a thousand dollars and a single phone Boaz’s creations!
number in my pocket, I stepped off a cramped flight
and into the city’s fashion industry. Did I make it?

Over twenty years have gone by, and I’m still here. In Yes, I did.
love with a business that combines creativity,
ingenuity and a dash of pizazz that keeps me coming And along the way I’ve learned a lot about the
in every morning with a smile on my face. realities of this industry and how it works.

For my entire life I've always been

creating and doing things with clothes
- that’s why I got into this industry.

For my entire life I've always been creating and doing So, if you’re reading this because you are feeling “the
things with clothes - that’s why I got into this industry. urge” to start your own fashion brand and travel down
this road, you’re in the right place!
I have used fashion to express my uniqueness and
individuality, and as a teenager I started The purpose of this book is to guide you towards an
altering the new clothes that I bought (much to my objective very few designers achieve - merging
parent’s chagrin). I’ll never forget the look on my creativity with profitability.
Mom’s face when I “fixed up” the new suit she bought
me for a family wedding! Not only do I want you to enjoy the feeling of seeing
your creations become reality, but also to build a
Later on I started to make my own outfits from scratch sustainable business along the way.
and realized that I have a creative knack for this.
Ready?
It was so much fun and I couldn’t get enough of the
kudos I got from my friends. That inevitably led me to Let’s get started.
go to fashion school and my journey around the
world with a thousand bucks I’d scrounged from odd
jobs and the phone number of a friend of a friend
who worked in the garment district.

The only thing missing was a stop on Ellis Island!

My goal?
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To have my own fashion brand.

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Table of

Contents

01 02 03
Define your niche Define your USP Create a Financial
Plan

04 05 06
Costing and Design with Control your
pricing your Production in Development
product correctly Mind Budget

07 08 09 10
The There’s No Design the Relationships,
Importance of Need to Re- Production Relationships,
Keeping a Invent the Process Relationships
Fashion Wheel
Calendar

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01. Define your niche

Do you want your products to be featured at the yourself in the market. Once you have that done
bottom of a messy, unfolded heap at the back of you should have a very clear vision of all of the
the discount section of a Macy’s in Tulsa, other parts of your business like design, marketing,
Oklahoma? how and where to produce, how and where to sell
etc.
If not, you must adequately define your niche.
Only this way will you be able to design a product
In order to stand out you need to clearly define that is a perfect match (all around) for your target
what you are offering and to whom. niche.

Far too many designers skip this critical step or

don’t pay enough attention to it.

They think that their creativity and their product

should appeal to everyone.

And they’re flat out wrong.

This is the number one, most deadly mistake a new

designer can make.

Please understand this: launching a fashion brand

Please, do not get this wrong.
is launching a business.

Every brand speaks to a specific audience.

As a small business focus is your best friend, and
by focus I mean who are you focusing on!
If you try to bite off more than you can chew, the
only possible outcome is a very nasty mess.
Focusing on a specific niche will let you
concentrate your resources and efforts on one
group, rather than spreading yourself too thin. It
will make your product easier to design, develop
and produce. It will make your marketing more
specific and will make the customer have a very
clear idea of who you are and what you offer. That
way, if they are the right customer they will buy!

To find your niche you will need to do a very

thorough market research, study the competition
and decide on how you’re going to position

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02. Define your USP

(Unique Sales Proposition)
You would like for your potential customers to take action, right?

You’d be pleased if they take out their wallets and purchase your products.

However, before that can happen, you must help them answer a simple fundamental question - WHY?

WHY should someone buy your product?

“Your USP is what will make your

brand stand out in this crowded
industry and is the reason why a
customer will buy your product
instead of the competition’s."

Even better - why should a specific person buy your product?

Your USP is what will make your brand stand out in this crowded industry and is the reason why a customer
will buy your product instead of the competition's.

Every brand (or as a matter a fact every business in any industry) has a USP.

This can be one or more of the following: your price, your service, your fit, the selection of products,
personal customization, social message or any other kind of solution to a problem that a
customer is looking to solve.

Some examples for a USP are: Theory, the contemporary fashion brand started out by focusing on offering
great fitted and comfortable stretch pants for the working woman. Since then they have developed into a
global brand, but still are known for their pants.

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Bonobos, the men’s clothing brand started with one product, a pair of pants with a curved waistband, a
medium rise and a tailored thigh that fit better and eliminated “khaki diaper butt. It offered a solution for
guys who didn’t like the existing khaki pants that were in the market. The brand grew from there to be a full
clothing line.

From outside the industry, consider T-Mobile, “the uncarrier.” They identified the frustration that most
consumers feel when dealing with their cell phone company and set out to eliminate these friction points.
They simplified plans. They eliminated roaming fees. They separated the cost of the phone from the cost of
service. While doing so, they have clearly positioned themselves in a highly competitive market.

All of these companies had ONE unique proposition for their customer. It was very clear for them what the
product should be, which helped define their business model and made the message very clear for the
potential customer.

So, before you take another step, sit down and think about your target customer. What problems is he or
she facing? What is the clear proposition that you’re going to make? How is this proposition unique to what
you do?

In the end, everything will be simpler if you can clearly define WHY your customer needs to purchase your
products.

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03. Create a Financial Plan

Let’s make one point painfully clear.

Numbers play an integral role in a business’ survival.

I have personally witnessed many fashion companies that have

failed even though they were commercial successes.

How is this possible?

Easy. Poor financial planning.

You see, making the sale is important but far from sufficient.

Screw up the nuts and bolts of your business and you will go
under - no matter how popular your products may be.

That’s why having a financial plan is so important.

Whether you decide to a create a complete business plan or not,

make sure to at least have a solid financial plan. 9 out of 10
fashion brand fail, and the main reason is poor financial planning!

Most designers focus on the creative side, it is their strength, it’s

what they know how to do best. It’s fun, sexy and drives personal
satisfaction.

However, far too frequently designers are scared of the financial

side of their businesses.

But unless you want this to be a hobby you MUST treat it like a
business.

And as a business the bottom line is important and the numbers

do matter.

The fashion industry is a unique industry in that each business

develops and produces products from scratch. As a fashion
entrepreneur you are responsible for sponsoring the complete
cycle of making the product by yourself long before you get paid
for it.

This cycle can take on average 6-9 months (in your first season
probably 12), which means that you need to sponsor the business
out of pocket for all this time. It is a very long period and can get

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to be very, very expensive, not to mention that you never know
what and how much you will actually sell.

The reason why 90% of new fashion brands fail is because they
didn’t do their homework and were not prepared financially for
the long haul before going to market.

Your financial plan should cover your start-up costs, cost sheets
for your products, your break-even point, and most importantly a
cash flow overview for at least 2 years.

You must estimate the expenses you’re going to have and

prepare accordingly.

Want to know what’s far worse than seeing your first season flop?

It’s going under before you even get to put the product on the
market.

Nothing is worse for me than talking to a talented designer who

set out on an adventure too early, without preparation and ended
up saddled with debt and a tarnished reputation.

Please, please save yourself this drama.

Reach out to a proven expert and prepare a solid financial plan.

Now that you’ve read this advice you no longer have an excuse. If
you look the other way and pretend this doesn’t apply to you,
then it’s on you and you can’t say you weren’t warned.

I know these are harsh words, but they must be said.

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04. Costing and pricing your

product correctly
A major step in your business is in your wholesale prices for the
pricing your fashion products retailers to make their mark up - When talking with startup
right to make sure you are otherwise they will not buy your fashion designers, I recommend
turning a profit. product and 2. if you decide to they create 2 versions of costs
sell both direct to customer and for each product, one
Often this can be tricky wholesale, then the retail prices version that will reflect a low
especially as a start-up. on both should be similar. In minimum for production and
other words, you can’t sell your the other to reflect higher
Your production volume will products on your website volume.
most likely be low which will cheaper than what the retailers
drive your production costs up, will retail it for. Otherwise they For example, a cost for
yet you will need to stay within a producing 50 units and a cost
specific price point to remain for producing 150 units.
competitive in your market.
This way you will have a realistic
How do you go about it? view of what your margins will
be when producing a small
To begin with you will need to number of units (which will most
decide about your business and likely be the case when starting
selling model: are you going to out), and how it improves once
sell direct to customer only, will not buy your product. you are producing higher
wholesale only or both? volume.
Once your sales model has
been determined, my
suggestion would be to create
an estimated cost sheet prior to
designing the product.

Why?

Because this will give you an

idea of what kind of costs you
This decision will determine will be able to afford and will The question then is which of
your mark-up. For example if help you then choose what type these two scenarios should you
you decide to sell wholesale of materials and design details base your pricing on?
you will need to make sure that you afford to incorporate into
1. you are giving enough room your product.

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MONTHLY ISSUE #04 // MARCH 2020
In reality your first few seasons are going to be about setting up your
business, opening doors, testing out your concept, building a buzz for
your brand, gathering feedback etc.

It is not about making money.

Read that statement again.

In your first couple of seasons it’s really not about making money.

To be frank with you don't expect to make any money during your first
2-3 years.

Therefore, based on my personal experience, the best course of action

is to price your product based on a higher (yet reasonable) production
volume while making sure that when producing lower volumes you are
still above water and not loosing money. Try to make a slight profit
although not as much as you’d like.

To help you figure this part out look at the gross margins part on your
cost sheets.

Gross margins measure the profit of your fashion product in %.

It tracks your business growth and indicates the profitability of your

product / business.

For example: when selling wholesale your goal is to have anywhere

between 50-60% margins (it depends on the product, market, volume
etc.) but in reality when starting out in your first seasons you will most
likely have only about 30-40%.

Again, your objective when pricing your product is to have enough

margins when you start but make sure that when your production
volumes grow the margins are where you need them to be.

Finally, be sure that your retail prices are in line with your market and
competition.

If you price yourself out of the market then either you need to
reconsider your niche or your designs.

Remember, a fashion business that is inherently unprofitable is just an

expensive hobby!

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05. Design with Production
in Mind
In the end you have to put a product in your customers’ hands.

Your fashion brand must create, from nothing, a complete product that satisfies your customer’s needs and
desires.

As a manufacturer of a new product from scratch you have many components to consider and coordinate
for production. In addition, as a small business you have limited resources

That means that when it comes to production you need to keep things clear, smooth and easy.

The most common mistake I see with young designers is that they design their products without
considering how it will be produced in bulk!

Making a sample is great but if you can't get the same result in production, or if it becomes too costly or
time consuming to get it done, then the product is not right!
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Most designers focus on how to get their samples to look perfect, and they just assume that in production
the factory will figure it out....

Want to know the truth?

“Figuring it out" at that point might put you out of business!

What many designers don't know is that the key for smooth, easy and quality production is to design with
production in mind.

You must think about and plan for production while the product is being designed.

Here are a few examples to consider:

* Fabric and trim choices - choose materials that will fit your price point, test them to make sure they
are sewn easily and nicely. Use fabrics that are right for the product and the fit and use them the way they
are supposed to be used rather than forcing them to do something they are not meant to. When choosing
to mix different fabrics on one product make sure they can be easily sewn together.

* Garment construction and finishing - Think about how the product will be cut and sewn, run the process in
your head and make sure it can be done easily in
bulk. Eliminate the amount of hand work, choose
stitches and finishing that are right for the fabrics
and the price point. If using special stitches make
sure the machinery is accessible to you. If you are
not sure about the details consult your pattern
maker and sewing contractor. They are experts and
will help you avoid costly mistakes.

* Design details - choose to spend on either fabrics

or labor - not both. When using expensive fabrics
keep the silhouette and the design details simple
to offset the cost, and when your style requires
more fabric or more labor choose a cheaper fabric.
This way, the overall cost of your product will
probably be easier to control.

* Materials - Try to keep your selection of fabrics and trims narrow, especially when starting out. This will
help you save unnecessary costs and time during production. Remember, less is more!

* Narrow and deep - In your first seasons choose to keep your product selection narrow (less styles) and
deep (offering more than one color), rather than offering more styles. This will save you the expenses of
both development and production. Don’t forget that your first season is to gauge the market acceptance of
your products. Obviously, not every product will be a roaring success, but your goal is to receive the
feedback you need to make your next season even better.
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06. Control your

Development Budget
Can you save money by getting a good deal on as they did in all the previous months. Why? Mainly
paperclips? due to implosive decisions resulting from last
minute changes.
Sure, of course you can.
To avoid that follow these simple steps:
However, I doubt that it will have a significant 1. Create a development budget prior to
impact on your business success! starting (and add to it a healthy financial cushion to
give yourself some room to operate)
That’s why you need to be especially careful with 2. Develop your styles in smaller steps, start with
controlling the costs of developing your first a few main items first this way you will get a
season. As a fashion startup this will undoubtedly better idea about the fit and the design direction

“You need to be especially careful with controlling

the costs of developing your first season.”

be your largest investment and that’s why it must so if you need to change any of those it is still
be your most carefully budgeted. doable.
3. Once you’ve gotten the basics down,
During this process it becomes very tempting then expand out your collection.
to keep changing designs and details, adding
more styles etc. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap By working in an organized and structured manner,
of adding “one more thing” or making “one last you will hopefully avoid unhappy surprises.
change”. This is especially true as you approach
your market launch. Nothing is more stressful than seeing your up
against a hard deadline and your pieces just aren’t
Believe me, I’ve lived this too many times. fitting together.

The problem is that these changes and additions The closer you get to your launch the more you
(especially when are made last minute) can should be dedicated to sales, marketing and
become quite expensive. Without realizing it, they creating buzz. If you’re slaving away making
can get out of hand and add up very quickly. changes to the designs that’s not going to be
possible.
I have seen many brands who in the last week or
two of their development process spent as much
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07. The Importance of

Keeping a Fashion Calendar
Time flies when you’re having their calendars or are setting
fun. their calendars up incorrectly. By working backwards from
the end date, you will stay
And it flies supersonic when Quite simply, how you organize organized and keep realistic
you’re caught with your pants your time before and in goals for sample making and
down! between these industry dates production.
can make or break your
One of the biggest pitfalls for business. Please be sure to leave yourself
designers is staying on some wiggle room.
schedule and making their
deliveries on time. Let me share with you a secret.

It’s a struggle to design, Things will go wrong.

produce, ship and sell on time,
especially for designers who are That’s the nature of business
learning how the fashion and even more so in an industry
calendar works. The industry this complicated.
has standard dates that are It’s easy to get caught up in the
predetermined for designers to design process, forget about You must allow for unexpected
follow as guidelines -- learn Chinese New Year and mill circumstances or you’ll go crazy.
them or prepare for dealing closings, or find out that the trim
with too much stress: you want is out of stock and I recommend you buy a nice big
needs 6 weeks for delivery. wall calendar and you hang ALL
Fabric shows – when the Argh! 12 MONTHS up on a wall.
season’s fabrics become
available This is where a TIA – Time in This way you can easily visualize
Trade/Sales shows – when the Action— calendar plays a critical the upcoming deadlines you’re
current season collection is role. facing. As each month goes by
presented to stores take down the calendar and put
Store delivery dates – when You can build your calendar by up the same month for next
stores accept orders marking key industry dates and year.
then working backwards from
Designers who end up with late your final due date keeping This way, you’ll never be caught
product either DO NOT stick to these guidelines in mind. by surprise!
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08. There’s No Need to

Re-Invent the Wheel
Wow! You made it!

You launched your first season… and survived!

Now, take a big breath and avoid the huge trap that you’re about to fall into.

So many new brands and designers try to redesign their entire collection from scratch every season.

Look, this is a sure recipe for quickly burning through

all of your financial backing.

There is absolutely no need for a brand to spend the

time and money on completely new styles every
season.

In fact, your goal is going to be to find these one (or

hopefully more) items that will be your bread and
butter for years to come.

These are the items that will build your brand and will
have your customers coming back to get more of
every season! Why disappoint them?

Let’s think about two separate groups of customers:

those that purchased from you last season and those
that haven’t yet purchased.

A customer who likes your product enough to have

made a purchase will almost certainly tell a friend
about it. This is not only the best marketing you can
get, but it’s free! Also, next time they go shopping they
will make sure to look at your line first.

That’s why if you radically change your line, you’re risking losing both them and their friends. More so, since
developing a new product is very costly and time consuming, when you repeat certain styles you are able to
financially cash in on your development investment over a longer time period.
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One other advantage is in production, your sewing factory would love to get recuts of the same product, it
makes their life and yours easier since they know how to make it already and the quality will just get better.

Now let’s think about the customers who didn’t discover your brand.

Do you really think EVERYONE saw your products?

Of course not.

That means there are still tons of potential customers out there
waiting to cross paths with you.

If you already know a product works, then why deprive them of

this opportunity?

Many designers often tell me, "I don't want to be boring and
offer the same things every season."

My answer to that is that you shouldn't offer all the same styles
every season. Instead, when you have one or more styles that
are selling well and customers are repeating take notice that
you’ve struck gold!

Some brands take years to find a winning product, so you want

to keep those on the line, while you can slightly reinvent them
and repackage them by offering them in different colors, fabrics from previous seasons, update slight
design details to match the latest trend etc.

The idea is to compliment these bread and butter items with some new styles so the collection as a whole
still looks fresh and up to date.

Listen.
Look at every big brand and I promise you that you will see that it was built around 1 or 2 items.

The above brands I mentioned are great examples: Theory with their women's pants and Bonobos with their
men's pants, but even bigger brands do the same. Consider Ralph Lauren with it's $85 polo shirt. This is the
most associated product with the brand and the best selling product out of it's nearly $7.5 billion annual
sales.

Believe me, when you’re making billions in sales you’ll have the resources to experiment and mix things up
even more.

Meanwhile, concentrate on getting your fundamentals down pat.

This will also keep you focused on your chosen niche.

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09. Design the Production

Process
Producing a fashion product is a complex process.

Whether you are making a tee shirt or an evening gown, there are many steps and components that will
need to come together to create an awesome product that can than be produced in bulk in the most
effective and affordable way.

“Start with two key facts: when you

need to deliver your products and how
much they should cost.”

I have been developing and producing new fashion products of all kinds for over 20 years and I can firmly
say that it is not a process that you can improvise as you go.

In order to do this right you will need to plan ahead and design the product cycle ahead of time --especially
when producing domestically.

The whole process needs to be done in reverse.

Start with two key facts: when you need to deliver your products and how much they should cost.

These data points will help you decide what components you should use, where they should come from and
where they can be produced. Are you going overseas, down the block or a few miles away?

Next, you’ll need to consider logistics.

Here you will need to map out the order of the different production steps and plan how each of the
components will get from one stage to the next in the most effective way. You’ll need to coordinate the time
line between each stage and make sure that you've allocated enough to complete the job and get it to the
next step in the process.
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Once you figure this out, you’ll need to think of how can you track everything so there are no
miscommunications and misunderstandings between the different vendors and make sure nothing gets lost
in the process.

Here is an example: Your are getting fabric from Italy which will be shipped to the
cutting room in NY where it will be cut and then some sections of the product will be
sent to be embroidered in an embroidery place in Los Angeles, while the rest of the
parts are sent to the sewing factory in New Jersey.

Sounds like a simple cycle, right?

You'd be surprised how opportunities there are for things to go wrong in that one short paragraph.

For example, the cutting room didn't cut the right number of units, and the embroidery shop had the wrong
placement for the embroidery and the sewing factory didn't have all the embroidered parts shipped back to
them while those that were shipped directly were wrong but the factory didn't know that and kept sewing...

and you only found out about it all a day prior to shipping, which means you will not have enough time to fix
it, you'll miss your shipping window and the store will cancel the order!

To avoid a nightmare situation like that, you will need to create check points in specific stages of the process
along with clear and professional forms that will leave no room for anyone involved to guess what should be
done.

Think about businesses like McDonalds or franchises like Subway. They all have thousands of locations
around the world yet the experience and the product feels and tastes the same in
all of them. The reason is that they designed a process that leaves no room for
interpretations and ensures that, if followed, the end result will be as expected.

This is how your production cycle should work. Think about the process, confirm
with all the vendors that are involved what they need to get you the results that
you require. Build a production calendar with additional time as a cushion, in
case things get delayed or go wrong. Try to foresee possible issues ahead of
time so you can address them that before you push go.

Once you initiate the production any of these issues will not only take time and money to fix, but can cost
you your business.

This is one aspect of your business that if you are not familiar with or experienced enough to plan, I would
highly recommend you outsource it.

Having a professional plan to run your production will save you many sleepless nights and in the end will
save you money and hardship.
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10. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

First things first.

Nobody ever said this was going to be easy.

Starting a new business, especially a fashion brand, requires putting in motion a whole gamut of moving
pieces.

That’s why your “who” is so important.

One of the biggest assets a fashion business owner can have at this stage is a strong, supportive network of
suppliers, experienced service providers and a supporting retailer who will be willing to work with a new
business.

But how do you get a fabric supplier, a factory, a sales rep or a retailer to support and invest time in your
new business when you really don’t have much of a business yet?

The answer is simple.

It’s been my philosophy from day one no matter

what business I was in: look to build long term
relationship with them!

How can you do it, you ask?

Here’s the secret.

All the time I hear designers complain that this

vendor or that contractor didn't want to work with
them.

However, most often when I ask why, they answer "because I'm a new business."

If that were the case, why then do some startups still get fabric suppliers, factories and retailers to work with
them?

Most likely because these companies saw a business opportunity with a company or an individual that they
felt like working with.

Yes, there are vendors and retailers who choose not to work with new brands but not all are like that.

In fact, most smaller businesses are very interested in other start-ups and new brands.
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Their chance of landing a

contract with a big brand is slim, On the other hand, if they see Do this right and they will chase
so they are always on the that you've done your your business!
lookout for a new brand with homework and have
promising potential that they coordinated your production
can grow with. cycle, thinking through the
different steps and are willing to
So, here’s the secret. be flexible in order to make
their life easier, they’ll probably
You need to convince the continue the conversation.
suppliers, factories and retail
partners that working with you So, pay attention and listen and
is good for them. learn about what their needs
are. Being more flexible on your The same goes for other
Look, EVERY successful payment terms can be a huge vendors and retailers as well.
business relies on other plus. Factories pay weekly labor
businesses. That’s why the so often getting paid quickly is Once these doors are opened
relationship must be a WIN WIN worth more than getting paid for you, it is very important you
for both sides. more. Or be more flexible on will continue to nourish them.
your production schedule
For example, for a sewing (maybe they can work on your A business interaction must
contractor working with a start- production in between seasons make sense for both parties in
up brand means low minimums, when their work is slow). order to last. The above points
a lot of investment in time to can help you get in the door but
figure out the construction Can you leverage an industry building strong, lasting
details, answering questions connection you may have and relationships requires consistent
refer them to other brands? effort and willingness, season
Make them understand that you after season.
are looking to cultivate a long
term relationship rather than Just like growing a plant, if you
just come for a one off and than water it, it will grow.
disappear into the night. If they
see that as you grow your Treat your vendors and retailers
business can become valuable as partners and always look to
for them, they will be more make it a win-win situation.
(many which are not even willing to work with you. Yes,
related to their service) and they will still need to put more This will assure that you always
simply educating the designer. effort and time into your have the best partners on your
business since you are a start- side.
This is very time consuming and up, but they are getting
the immediate return on something in return as well.
investment is small.
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* Bonus Material
Starting and running a sustainable business is no small
feat.

Many things can go wrong and bring disaster, while it

takes a sum of many things going right to bring
success.

Having said that, I’d like to share with you some

insights I’ve learned over the course of my career.

Build a strong support system.

Being an entrepreneur is stressful.

When you’ve had a bad day or feel a bit down, we turn to the people who closest to us to help us get
through a rough patch. Family, friends, life partners etc.

It is no different when it's your business!

Surround yourself with good people, both on a personal and professional level, and make sure they are
people that you trust. Find people who’s opinions you value with whom you enjoy spending time.

You need people who don’t have any secret interests in being your “friend” and who will be objective,
supportive, and honest at all times.

Think of them as your vitamin supplement.

And don’t forget to be there for them when they need you!

Work on your business, not in your business.

Admittedly I’m still struggling with this one!

I always thought I could be a one man show. This lead me to be involved in every little detail in my business.
Not only did this discouraged my employees, but it also took a huge toll on me.

Fortunately, I realized that this was keeping me from scaling up my business.

Spending too much time with internal tasks in the business is one of the biggest mistakes owners make.
 HumanB

As the founder of your business, more than anyone else, you hold the
vision for the business.

That’s why your first goal should be to focus on promoting your vision
and building a strong platform to execute it.

Ideally you will create a scalable business which will free you from
working in it. Block a daily or weekly time where you will only work
ON the business -- setting up collaborations, organizing the business,
thinking of new ventures, ideas etc. If you can't hire full time
employees, then outsource some of the work to other companies. This
is even more beneficial for you as you will have experienced
professionals working in your business guiding and helping you,
instead of you trying to figure it all out on your own.

Embrace the entrepreneur in you.

As a business owner you must be mentally prepared to live with

uncertainty and fear while pushing through obstacles for years on end.

Every successful entrepreneur will tell you that before they wrote their
success stories they suffered through numerous unsuccessful tales. Bill
Gates watched his first company crumble, Milton Hershey started 3
candy companies before Hershey’s, Walt Disney was told he lacked
creativity and was forced to close his first animation company, and the
list goes on.

The ability to control fears and detach yourself from the outcome is
what sets successful entrepreneurs apart from other business owners.
They are visionaries who have the ability to turn the most trivial
condition into an exceptional opportunity and are in their best when
dealing with the unknown. As a creative person, you are the only one
who holds the vision for your brand but you are also the one who
holds the responsibility for the business.

When the business is doing well it's the best feeling in the world, but
when the business is struggling it can be hard.

I heard it said that entrepreneurial personality is not something that

can be taught in school, however I believe that it can be encouraged,
practiced and improved.

If you've started or are thinking of starting your own business this

probably means that somewhere inside, you too have entrepreneurial
 HumanB

skills.

All you need now is to train and strengthen those muscles, just as athletes train their muscles to perform
better.

Train yourself to embrace uncertainty and challenges and accept the ebb and flow that comes with the
territory.

Small steps are the fastest way

to complete a journey

As my parting shot I’d like to

share a nugget of wisdom that
has proven worthy for many
years.

When you’re starting a new

project or business, try to keep
things in perspective.

You do not need to, in fact

shouldn’t, try to reach your
goals in one giant leap.

Instead, plot out small steady

steps that progress towards the
objective.

It may not sound as enticing as

the the breakneck paces we
hear about in the silicon valley
stories, but the truth is that great
businesses are built by entrepreneurs who understand that getting the details right is fundamental.

Is having an awesome product design important?

Sure.

But if left to choose, I’d much rather have a good product with a solid team and a well formulated plan.

Good luck with your business and let me know if there’s any way I can help you reach your goals!

Yours,

Boaz
Questions? Get in touch.

www.humanb.com
[email protected]

(212) 912-0001