Whether you’re an established business-owner ready to take your designs to next level, or a newer designer who’s just getting started, Fresh Collective is searching for the right people – regardless of their level of business development!
When it comes to a product line, we look for well-made, stylish items that will appeal to our client base; when it comes to a designer/business owner, we look for someone who is ready to work, eager to learn, grow and do what it takes to build their business within our framework.
Collective Commitment
Fresh Collective members agree to two basic commitments:
- an affordable monthly fee
- working one day per week in our store
Our designers commit to one year at a time, but we do accept resignations from the collective with 30 days’ notice. While you must understand that growing a business is a long-term commitment, we know that sometimes circumstances change, and that you may find yourself unable to continue with us.
Fresh Collective does charge a small commission fee. But don’t worry – depending on your selling prices, you pocket 80-85% of your sales!
Collective Benefits
Call it the “strength-in-numbers” formula. At Fresh Collective, we work alongside our designers to focus on brand and product development. We provide our members with everything they need in order to grow and succeed with us.
Fresh Collective does so much more than just rent out a bunch of racks – we build long-term, mutually profitable relationships. We provide the resources you need so that you can plug into our framework and grow your business. From education and training to hands-on experience, the Fresh Collective framework is a holistic approach to growing strong companies.
With a solid Fresh Collective foundation, you can build a business that provides more stability than a “real job,” while opening yourself to unlimited creative and personal fulfillment!
Guidance and Education
There’s a difference between starting a business and building a successful one – and sometimes we all need some guidance. That’s why we created “Fresh Collective University” (FCU, for short!). FCU is a 12-chapter, year-long course offered exclusively to our members.
FCU is based on the experiences of Fresh Collective owner/founder Laura-Jean, who has specialized knowledge of exactly how to boost your design business and make it work. Laura-Jean has honed her skills and developed her theories over sixteen successful years of running her own clothing line, plus a decade of mentoring hundreds of designers in her collectively run stores.
Our FCU lessons cover everything: from managing the stresses and fears that come with jumping into a new venture, to solid principles that apply to any business; from effective strategies for brand and product development, to pricing formulas and financial decisions, planning, promotion, marketing and more!
In addition to FCU lessons, we provide personal mentorship in every stage of your business development. Laura-Jean, her staff and senior members are available to answer your questions, offer their opinions, or for an informal “business therapy session.” If you’re ever unsure about how to make your next step, you’ll always have an experienced Fresh Collective member at your side.
Every business owner has thought, “I wish there were someone who could tell me how to do this!” With Fresh Collective and FCU, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you need and you’ll be prepared to tackle the challenges that come with business development.
Resources
Join Fresh Collective, and you’ll get immediate access to a variety of resources. Simply plug your business into our framework, and get ready to grow!
Our publicity machine is one great example of our exclusive resources. You supply your product, and we have a professional photographer shoot it. Then our in-house publicity department features our members’ photos in Fresh Collective’s various promotional strategies and communications, both with our loyal client base and with the media. You gain from the credibility and exposure of being associated with a well-established store, and all Fresh Collective members benefit from access to resources that would normally be out of reach for most individual designers.
Growth
Fresh Collective is a flexible company, and we grow new locations by partnering with our members. For us, that means unlimited future potential. For you, that means we are invested in your success.
Our goal is to secure your focus and commitment, and then we’ll work together with you as you build a life-long career doing what you love to do. Our stable framework will give you the confidence and freedom to invest in your brand, and to build the kind of line you may have never even dreamed possible.
The Fresh Collective formula responds to hard work. With your effort and our guidance, you’ll find that you no longer need to cold-call retailers or pound the pavement looking for stores to carry your product line. You can take the reins and grow your business under your own control.
Networking
Business development can be stressful and lonely, so our members fight off the business blues with a large network of like-minded entrepreneurs. We’re a supportive bunch with common goals, and we love to help each other succeed.
Fresh Collective provides a much-needed balance to the life of a designer/business owner. One day per week, each member gets out of their studio and into our store, where they meet with their customers and other designers. It’s an opportunity to provide and accept personal support, and it’s fun too! Working in the store gives our members a change of pace, and keeps them motivated to stay on track. Fresh Collective designers gain confidence from working with and learning from other members, and find inspiration in the successes of others.
Market Research
It is very challenging to build a business without the benefit of market research. Many designers who attempt to sell on consignment or who wholesale to stores wonder why they’re left with stacks of unsold product, or why a store chooses not to re-order at the end of a season. Fresh Collective members don’t need to ponder these mysteries, because they benefit from continuous feedback as well as the flexibility to adjust their strategies to their clients’ needs.
When you spend one day per week in our store, you’ll get immediate feedback from our customers. Maybe you’ve designed a shirt that’s just a little tight in the shoulders. As a member, you’ll be there to spot the issue and offer an alteration. Best of all, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to improve the next batch of product that you create. If your product is 99% of the way there, some small adjustments can put you over the top!
The value of market research cannot be overstated – the evolution you’ll see in one month, in one year, and over five years will ensure your success in building that career of your dreams.
Building a Client Base
Just like any superstar, you need to build a fan base to ensure long-term success. The Fresh Collective framework gives your business a public face so that you can start building your clientele – one happy customer at a time. Thanks to our loyal, well-established customer base, Fresh Collective members benefit from exposure to the right target market, right from day one. This process gives your business a solid foundation that can sustain you throughout your successful career.
Fresh Collective customers love to meet the designers of their hand-made treasures, and value the connection they feel. Our designers value that connection too – it’s endlessly gratifying to see that your hard work has made someone happy.
Space of Your Own
Our education, guidance and resources are specially designed to equip you to sell in our store. Think of your Fresh Collective space as a home base where you can display your products, build your brand and grow your business. It’s a huge opportunity!
As a Fresh Collective member, your products will be available for sale 7 days a week in our bright, beautiful and well-maintained store. We take our shops seriously, and provide the perfect setting for each of our product lines. We work with individual designers to find the best way to display their items, and to create signage that will connect with their customers.
Your space is also your chance to put Fresh Collective theories into practice – and to measure your results in sales and profits! In the Fresh Collective store, designers continuously experiment with display, branding and many other variables until they find the best balance for their business.
Low, Low Risk
Let’s face it: starting a business is risky and expensive. Our “strength-in-numbers” formula provides our members with valuable and expensive resources at a cost that even a new entrepreneur can afford. We offer a low-risk solution to business ownership that allows you to maintain a part- or full-time job while you grow your business at a pace that you can maintain. We encourage you to build your business one step – or one small investment – at a time.
Engagement
Some designers expect to plop their products on a rack in a store, at leave it at that. Fresh Collective asks for more, and we have seen the positive effects of our members’ efforts time and time again. Our members join with a willingness to learn and grow, and they wear their enthusiasm on their sleeves.
Fresh Collective designers must be serious about making their dreams come true, because our formula has been proven to work for those who engage and work with it. We believe that making a living as a designer and entrepreneur is both a privilege and a responsibility, not to be taken for granted. Just as you will lean on us, we need to rely on you to commit to the group and put in the work required to take your business to the next level.
The Fresh Collective framework, resources and support can change everything. It’s up to you to make it happen and realize the career of your dreams.
Next Steps
First, fill out our application and tell us all about yourself!
Qualified applicants will be invited to a one-on-one interview where we’ll explore the possibility of having you join us. As part of the interview we provide a free, constructive evaluation of the marketability of your product line and current branding, and offer tips that could help you improve or expand your business.
If we feel that you and your line are likely to succeed with Fresh Collective, we’ll invite you to join our team at one of our beautiful locations. We’ll work with you to agree upon the right location for your line, the size of your display space, and what day of the week you will work in our store. The size of your space will determine your monthly fee with Fresh Collective, and your shift in the store will depend upon your schedule as well as our availability.
Along with your invitation, you’ll get a lot of guidance about what to expect when you join us, and how to prepare for your first day in our store. We really believe in every designer that we invite into Fresh Collective, and in finding the right balance with each member.
