First off, can you tell us about your background and your product?
My name is Jazzmen Black, I'm 26 years old. I am an Entertainer, Youtuber & Online store owner. I started when I was 18 years old, in both the entertainment industry & online e-commerce business. I always had a passion for becoming my own boss. I had no desire to work for anyone. My first online store was named JBCONTOURE.com, lol I knew “contour” was spelled wrong but kept the name anyway. I went on to critique my brand and had a few name changes. Now my brand is BELLE SOCIETY and “BELLE” is French for beautiful & society means organization/ club! I love that name and that is now the solid name of my brand, LLC & trademark. My own name has become a brand itself as well. As “JAZZMEN BLACK” I take on brand ambassador positions & do youtube vlogs! So yeah, I'm one determined woman!
How long did it take to build your initial prototype and how did you validate it?
The clothing industry was most definitely trial & error for me. Finding wholesalers, manufacturers, learning how to market, web design & etc. It was all a lot, But with extreme internet searching & reading. I was able to put it all together. I validated my products by making sure they were items that were in trend & something I would honestly wear myself.
How did you feel getting your first paying customer?
WOW, It felt validating. It felt like for every time I failed, it now served its' purpose! It felt like “I'm finally on the right track”! When you get your first sale you anticipate the next. It's an adrenaline rush that you want to continue to feel.
what worked and what didn't work when finding your first users?
WHAT WORKED: GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENTATION & PROMOTION WHAT DIDNT WORK: OVERLY PROMOTING & CONSTANT SALES (People like to pay for an experience. People always love to pay for things they believe to be luxury or exclusive. When you're constantly having sales I believe people see that as desperate attempt to get money and not as a luxury item) just
my opinion, since I have made this mistake before.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to onboard their first users?
(1) We are living in a time where social media presentation is almost the same as “in person” presentation. So present yourself & your brand on social media exactly how you would like it to be viewed!
(2) Be true to whatever it is you want to present to the world, you do not have to get on every trend or do everything that everyone else is doing to make money! There is a customer for everything nowadays! Whatever you believe in, shoot for it!
(3) HAVE PATIENCE !!! Your time is valuable & it will pay off!
What resources have helped you in the early stages?
I google everything ...no one really gave me advice. I just constantly researched until I had answers.
How can people reach you and find out more?
Website: shopbellesociety.com
Twitter: @JAZZMEN BLACK
Instagram: @ThatsjazzmenBlack
