In June 2013, Andy Paige launched her new product, the GirlyGoGarter®. The GirlyGoGarter® is a hands-free thigh purse that is worn neatly and discretely as a sexy garter.
Andy Paige developed the idea of the GirlyGoGarter® after working for years on television and always using the overheated and clunky mic-pacs. While working on the TLC television show “10 Years Younger,” Andy created a prototype garter to simply hold her mic pac on her thigh. As she continued to perfect her design, she would also use the garter to hold her lipstick, compact, and other essentials for the TV world. She soon realized that women around the globe were in need of a hands free solution to carry their essentials: money, ID, lipstick, phone and more. After five years of research, beta trials and a number of prototypes, the GirlyGoGarter® was designed and finalized.
The GirlyGoGarter® gives women a hands-free alternative to a purse that women have been wanting for years.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
We started attending trade shows in August 2013 in both New York and Las Vegas. It was very important for us to set our future retailers up for success, so we spent a great deal of energy and time creating a marketing kit. Our marketing kit includes a countertop display, a DVD of our commercial and testimonials, a store window decal, high resolution photos, and placement on our store locator. We want selling the GirlyGoGarter® to be as easy as possible for our retailers to sell so that we both can be successful and profitable.
We have continued to attend trade shows where we continue to outsell most new products. We were voted the #1 new product at the MAGIC show in Las Vegas in August 2013.
Our trade shows generate the most sales and traffic for us to date. We have recently partnered with reps across North America to continue spreading the word of GirlyGoGarter®
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
We use Shopify to process all of our orders. We use the Shopify POS system on iPads when attending trade shows. We also utilize the Store Locator app available through Shopify.
Our shipping and fulfillment is currently handled by our company. We have a team created to handle all orders processed through the Shopify system and we utilize the tracking applications within Shopify.
What are your top recommendations for new ecommerce entrepreneurs?
Trial and Error. You definitely learn from just doing. We have had our bumps in the road, but they have simply taught us lessons and new ways to do things!