THE BEST OF INTIMA – 02/2011 - 138

Expert

Think Big
When getting into the retailing business, the most common piece of advice out there is to start small, and gradually work your way up the ladder until the day comes when the cash will flow in. For the Best of Intima, Global Purchasing Director Mercedes Gonzalez is encouraging businesses to think big…and make their dreams come true.
A Change of Mind Set
I usually write about some type of business strategy, but today I am writing about concept and perception…about a mind set. Somewhere out “there” is a bit of bad business advice that seems to hold true for those that choose to follow it. The advice is “start small and plan to lose money for at least 3 years”. Why would anyone want to start a business to run it as a hobby and lose money? No wonder so many retailers and new brands close within the first year. The mind set wasn’t there to begin with. Our industry is in a crisis, but the crisis isn’t the economy it’s thinking small. Retailers that open their doors thinking cation that is 500 sq ft and 1000 sq ft is only a 30% increase in your capital investment but you increase your ability to make your breakeven by 50%. As for designing a new collection, your investment is in your samples…which let’s talk about that for a second. Designers also think small when planning their collection and end up doing everything pretty much DIY. If you can’t sell 150 units of something to meet the minimums of a factory do you really have a business? My answer is no, that’s an expensive hobby.
MERCEDES GONZALEZ, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL PURCHASING COMPANIES

Dream Your Business Away…
So why are some people able to see the big picture and some not? I think the common denominators are 4 things; being creative, our parents, industry know how and fear. I have found that creative minds have the ability to dream, to visualize to color outside the lines. I feel that too many business types forget to use their imagination. They spend weeks reviewing numbers but never envisioning the project. When you are so near sighted it's impossible to see the big picture. Taking the time to dream...to day dream is not a luxury it's a necessity. My husband works in environmental remediation, heavy - life or death type of work. His company operations depend on scientific, analytical minds, but for the company to grow as a business they needed someone to see the big picture- to envision the future and to plan that road map. The title they came up with is strategical visionary.

It’s the same amount of time, energy and effort to open a “big” business than a small one.
they are going to work the floor and buy “all the pretty things” they like will fail. Designer that design and market their collection based on fame and ego, will fail. Who then can make it? People that start a business with the mind set of making money! Let’s start with the word small. Why would anyone want to do things half way or small. It’s the same amount of time, energy and effort to open a “big” business than a small one. In fact studies have shown that for a retail location the difference between a lo-

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THE BEST OF INTIMA – 02/2011

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