"THE MOST VALUABLE ASSET YOU’VE GOT IS YOUR REPUTATION." - JANINE ALLIS
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
I apologize in advanced that this is NOT going to be a fashion/beauty post, but one about entrepreneurship, which is my second passion. Read on, but you've been warned....
As some of
you may already know, I’m highly interested in the
entrepreneurial scene, having starting my own blog and turned it into a business. I have also dipped my fingers into started Australia’s first Fashion and Beauty Society (FABSOC) that has now spanned
across five major universities in Australia! We are joining forces with some
major brands to launch a Blogging Conference soon, and will give out details on
that when we finalize the details.
Anyway, I
remember attending one of Jack Delosa’s entrepreneur conferences called 'Unconvention' last year. One of the selling tip that
I walked away with that I’ll always remember, is to have a
video on your landing page as a hook to tell your story/ what your business is
about. With so many tech devices and social media channels, we are craving
instant gratification. Words / blogs just don’t cut
it anymore - people are turning to YouTube, Vine, Snapchat and Facebook videos for
entertainment. And if done right, for the entire duration of your video, you have your
audience’s full attention - something hard to come by in this fast paced day
and age.
So when I
chanced upon Pitchi, a selling platform where people sell via videos, I was
instantly enthralled. An eBay with videos instead of pictures! What a great
idea! It was one of those moments where I went, ‘why
haven’t anyone thought of this before’?
Here are a
couple of my favorite videos:
And of course, a video for us fashion freaks:
I was
really lucky to score an interview with James Curtain, General Manager of Pitchi. He was previously the General Manager of Carsales, so he has a serious amount of experience
in online selling.
Here’s the lowdown-
1. 'Pitchi' sounds a lot like 'picture', which is what you want
to get away from, and into videos.. So why the name?
The
name refers to pitching an item for sale. When we list items for sale we are
trying to convince someone to buy it – we’re
pitching it! So we’re playing on that idea because
with a video you can do so much more to pitch your product or brand.
2. You have grown so much in one year! Even though what
everyone sees is the reward, what has been the most stressful part of this
journey?
Just
getting the site off the ground and hoping that everyone would love it as much
as us, but it felt like we were embraced straight away! It’s
been amazing watching the site grow and see so many cool new sellers getting on
board as well as the great response from the community.
3. Where do you see Pitchi in 5 years?
A
household name known for being a site where people discover cool and innovative
new products and quirky sellers.
4. What's the most memorable Pitchi video you've seen of all time?
We
really like EAT.ME.DO’s
Popsicle Earrings as the Pitchi really shows off how fun these accessories are
and the enthusiasm that the designer pours into her creations.
The
Freefold Stool by Fold Theory is also another favourite. We love the idea of
using cardboard to create modern and contemporary looking furniture. Video here:
5.
What is the secret to the success of Pitchi?
A
simple idea that inspires people. We have made using Pitchi as easy as
possible, while maximising the engagement you’ll get
out of it. We also support our sellers on our blog and act as an inspiration
hub for emerging entrepreneurs. We are here to help grow ideas and we think
people appreciate that.
6. What is your single, most important piece of advice for
the young entrepreneurs and Gen Y start ups?
Build
relationships. No one is an island – get
out there and meet your customers and collaborators. You might have the
greatest product but you need to be engaged with the market to get it out
there.
7. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your pre-Pitchi self?
You’re
totally right, they are going to love it!
And you’re right, James - we do!!
P.S: For those of you wondering about the blog title, Shark Tank Australia is one of my favooooorite TV shows (Yes, I love it as much as I love Friends!!! That says a lot!). Janine Allis (founder of $140mil business Boost Juice) has got to be my favorite judge on the show, and I particularly love her blog! She has such amazing tips for young entrepreneurs like ourselves. Her blog posts are succinct and useful, and somehow still remain quirky and genuine.
Here are my Top 3 favorite blog entries by her:
Maybe I'll be able to interview her for my blog some day! #NeverSayNever :D
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