I feel like a bit of a kid in a candy store as I’ve been placing orders for Raspberry Kids left, right and centre. I also feel a bit like where the heck is my allowance going to come from to pay for all this candy but we will cross that bridge when the visa bill comes in.
Ordering product sounds like a pretty simple task but it isn’t as easy as it seems. Since RK’s is trying to carry some unique products, we have spent countless hours researching the www. We are pleased to say, we have found some amazing products although we had to sift through a bunch of cheesy websites, never ending blogs, newsletters etc. to discover these gems.
Then there is the customs, duties and tariffs that are assigned to a product depending on where it is made and what it is made of. I’m on the blower with my broker almost daily trying to figure out if it is economically feasible to import a certain line.
In a lot of cases, we are working with small companies and like RK’s, they are often run by moms. The upside is that everyone has been absolutely wonderful to deal with, the down side is that we are all juggling so many balls, it sometimes takes a little bit longer to get the information we need to move forward. Some of our suppliers have not sold their products in Canada before so there is a price to pay for this exclusivity and that is the legwork required to be the trailblazer.
While all of the product procurement is going on, we are still designing the new look and feel of the RK’s website and how to integrate the payment gateway and so on.
This week I’m meeting with my “Marketing Go2Gals” … two friends of mine that are marketing specialists. Should be a fun pow-wow and I’m really looking forward to structuring a marketing plan for pre launch, launch and post launch.
On another note, after a long wait, copious amounts of government paperwork and a Typhoon, our nanny has arrived. We are thrilled to welcome her into our home and our family.
Sue
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