Elin Staaf-Zavery, went from working in the third sector to being a stay at home mom. After her extended maternity leave she reluctantly started to interview for similar positions she previously held, but found it almost impossible to motivate herself as to why she wanted the job. She realized she wanted a change of career; something fun and creative and also flexible enough to include time with her son every day. Read our interview with the lovely Elin below…
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
I come from quite an entrepreneurial family; both my parents ran their own businesses, so I guess the thought of being my own boss didn’t scare me so much. Urban Nomad Vintage was an idea for a business that grew during the time I was at home with my son. I would almost describe it as an epiphany and a strong voice inside of me telling me to go ahead and start this business. Sourcing and dating vintage is something I have done for over 20 years, so it seemed like a good idea to make a business out of it. As I was at home with my son for about three years I wasn’t willing to give up the time I spend with him, and wanted to continue to be able to be there for him on a daily basis.
Tell us about your business.
Urban Nomad Vintage is an online business for quality vintage and pre-loved fashion. It is based on the idea that you can create a unique and contemporary style by mixing old with new, designer with cheap and items from near and far together. It consists of men’s and women’s vintage fashion, which are items 20 years or older. In addition I also sell pre-loved items, which a lot of times are designer clothes that are not old enough to be classified as vintage. There is also an ethnic influence to my company as I’ve always had a love affair with Asian and African patterns and items.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes we are going to do a giveaway/price draw of a 50 GBP voucher for Urban Nomad Vintage to one of the readers of this blog. They need to get in touch via email info@urbannnomadvintage.com and mention that they read about us on Ladybossblogger, I will then draw the name of the lucky winner.
Where is your business based?
London UK.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I spoke to a business advisor, sourced lots of fabulous items, wrote a business plan and opened a business bank account. After this I had my first photo shoot, launched my social media, decided on a platform to starting selling items. In the beginning Urban Nomad Vintage was an eBay shop with 100% feedback, but eventually I decided to launch my own website instead.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
It’s a combination of word to mouth and online advertisement. I think it’s important to speak to lots of people, handing out business cards and flyers. Obviously you have to treat customers well and try to create trust and solve any problems that might occur. Using social media tools is helpful and one thing I’ve found particularly helpful to drive traffic to the website is business blogging.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
I underestimated the amount of time it would take to run a online vintage fashion business. In the early days of my business I pushed myself a bit too hard and tried to do everything at once. Sourcing, cleaning and mending items took a lot of time. There is quite a bit of research that goes into dating items and making sure they are authentic. In addition to this I work with fashion photography, castings, models and editing photos etc. The work with the website and listing each item is a lot more time consuming than I could have imagined. One of the most important aspects if you work from home is to not do housework during working hours.
How did you overcome these challenges?
I think I’ve become smarter in the way I work. In the mornings after dropping off my son I do all the housework then I have a set time when I start work. After that time I don’t focus on anything else but my business. I do one thing at a time. I have one day I do blogging, one day sourcing items, one day photography and I allow myself to finish tasks without running around trying to do everything at once. I also never work on the weekends and try to keep my evenings free.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
I try to stay positive. I’m doing something I love and I am learning new things every day. There is a freedom in doing what I do and I love freedom. The other aspect is not to be afraid of failure. If my business would fail all together: I think that it is not the end of the world and I would find a way of doing something else interesting.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
The fact that you can buy both vintage and pre-loved items in one place is a bit unusual. We try to show customers how you can incorporate even older vintage items into modern outfits and that vintage doesn’t have to look like a fancy dress. Urban Nomad Vintage always provides measurements to estimate the exact size of an item and honest information about the condition of the item, so there is less risk for you to buy online. There are a few online vintage businesses that are good at men’s vintage too, so that’s a gap in the market that I’m trying to bridge.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
It has to be a quote someone sent to me recently. “Don’t be too timid or squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” -Ralf Emerson
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
If you have an idea for a business, just go for it. Be frugal and find a way to create your business without taking big financial risks. If you fail, it is not the end of the world.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
I love Purpleport, which is a portal where photographers and models meet online. The castings on this platform normally generate high quality models and it would be very difficult to sell clothes otherwise.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Twitter @UNomadV
Facebook www.facebook.com/urbannomadvintage
Website www.urbannomadvintage.com
Email info@urbannomadvintage.com
Portfolio www.purpleport.com/portfolio/esz
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
My most recent inspiration was Vivienne Westwood’s Diaries called “Get a Life!” Not only is she a strong and opinionated woman who has gone her own way, she is also a brilliant designer and a political activist. I admire the uniqueness of her spirit and the way she writes; she is highly intelligent with many interests. Her knowledge of fabrics and design are clearly impressive and I would really recommend this book to you even if you don’t like fashion.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I want to learn more about Social Media Marketing and perhaps speaking to someone who can help me develop a clear strategy for this would be very helpful.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
More traffic on my website and more happy customers. Keep working in an organized way on all platforms and networking with other entrepreneurs to get input on new strategies I haven’t tried yet.