Holly Hunt is from Elberton, GA a small town in Northeast Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a dual degree; an ABJ in Public Relations and BSED in Sports Studies. After college, she spent time living in Atlanta and Miami, and recently moved back to Atlanta where she now resides with her Labrador Retriever, Cammy, and her fiancé, Paul.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
I am a die-hard sports fan who loves bling and sparkle just as much as my sports teams. After searching for “blinged out” jerseys and shirts, I would end up buying plain jerseys and decorating them myself. My entrepreneurial spirit eventually took over and Hollywood’s Couture was born.
My mission is to help other women sparkle and shine in fun, sassy, custom apparel. Whether it is at a sporting event, a bachelorette party, running a 5K, or just hanging out with friends, let Hollywood’s Couture help you sparkle and shine!
We are a fully customizable shop that specializes in weddings, bachelorette parties, birthdays, reunions, etc. For any event or special occasion, contact Hollywood’s Couture to make sure you show up in style!
Tell us about your business.
Hollywood’s Couture is a custom apparel e-commerce boutique. I use spangle and rhinestones to embellish shirts, tote bags, make-up bags, koozies, hats, and more! Some of my most popular markets are workout tank tops, bachelorette/wedding apparel, baby onesies, and tote and toiletry bags.
I do all of my own designs, so I can convert just about JPEG or PNG file into a sparkly design. I have made a lot of apparel with business and organization logos.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Sign up on my website www.hollywoodscouture.com to receive our promotional emails and receive 10% off your purchase! We regularly run promotions and discounts and announce them through our emails!
Where is your business based?
Atlanta, Georgia.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I created a survey in survey monkey and sent it to around 50 women to find out their buying habits and interests to see if there was a need for this in the marketplace. Next, I decided on a name for the business and bought the domain, set up the social media accounts, and registered my LLC. To get the operations started, I researched the machines I would need to purchase for my business and drove to Tampa, FL to see the machines in person and place an order. After that, I started ordering inventory and promoting my new brand!
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Word of mouth and social media have been the best bang for my buck. I still currently struggle to drive traffic to my website so I need to do more SEO. I was a vendor at some fashion shopping events, and that was good for building awareness. Plus I wear my brand! I get stopped in airports and restaurants all the time and people compliment my shirts. I keep a lot of business cards on hand.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Deciding where to spend marketing/advertising dollars to drive traffic to my website.
How did you overcome these challenges?
It is a work in progress. However, I no longer beat myself up for taking a chance on something that doesn’t work. You won’t know until you try. What works for one business may not work for another one. Growing a business is all about taking calculated risks.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
Reading motivational books and quotes. I am often discouraged when I am not profitable or I am burnt out from working and not seeing results. I must stop and remind myself why I started this business and that it is a work in progress.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
The customization and 100% satisfaction guarantee. If anyone has quality issues with their purchase in the first 6 months of purchase, I repair or replace it free of charge. I always aim to please! If someone has a unique request, I try and meet it. I have done a variety of custom orders including a horse saddle pad, wine bags and koozies, shirts for women’s clubs, golf tournaments… The possibilities are endless!
What is the best advice you have received recently?
Failure is a good thing because it means you are trying. One of my favorite quotes is by Thomas Edison, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Stay consistent and persistent. You will have good days and bad days, but you mustn’t let the bad days overshadow the good ones. Keep moving forward. Evolve and grow. Find a good support system of fellow entrepreneurs who you can bounce ideas off of and share resources.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
I hired a business coach for 4 sessions to talk through my strategy and define my path for the next year. It helped me organize my thoughts and hold myself accountable to a plan. For a tool, I really like Planoly. It lets me plan for Instagram posts in advance so that I get a notification when it is time to post. It has helped me be more consistent in my messaging and grow my follower base.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
For motivation, I love anything by Grant Cardone. He gives it to you straight. For marketing tips, I really enjoyed “What Great Brands Do” by Denise Yohn.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
SEO.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
- I am looking to increase the traffic to my website. I am going to do this through SEO.
- I am looking to book a minimum of 2 bachelorette party/brides a month. I am going to do this through email campaigns and partnering with other business vendors in the bridal market.
- I am going to collaborate with one new company a month. I will look for businesses like mine who are targeting a similar audience and reach out to discuss how we can work together to cross-promote.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @hollywoodscouture
Twitter @hwoodscouture
Facebook www.facebook.com/hollywoodscouture
Website www.hollywoodscouture.com
Email holly@hollywoodscouture.com
Hashtags #gethollywoodscouture