May 7th, 2015
Earlier this month, The Great Discontent, a quarterly magazine focused on creators, and…
May 6th, 2015
I get many emails daily from people who are about to launch Kickstarter projects and it’s absolutely thrilling to help out fellow…
April 28th, 2015
I’ve always been fascinated with the way goods used to be made, the tradition, craftsmanship, and pride that was synonymous with American manufacturing. I run a leather camera accessories company,…
April 27th, 2015
So, you’ve come up with a great product idea, something people need, or will be excited to buy. In this super-saturated market of makers,…
April 10th, 2015
Starting a handcrafted goods business is a lot of fun, and can also bring a lot of…
April 8th, 2015
Have you decided to raise funding and/or pre-sell your product on Kickstarter? Amazing. I think it’s a brilliant move. Sharing your…
April 6th, 2015
The retail industry is an ever-changing market and as a manufacturer you have to stay on top of what’s happening in your niche. The…
March 28th, 2015
The inventor is a unique animal; where others see problems, we see opportunities. Since the invention of the wheel, the inventor has been asking questions that only make sense in the mind of a maker….
March 25th, 2015
We are currently on Kickstarter to raise the funds in order to continue production….
March 17th, 2015
The apparel and fashion industry is constantly changing. The entire industry is based on…
March 16th, 2015
The Burks & Bailey story was born in rural town Tuskegee, Alabama–home to curators,…
March 14th, 2015
Do you need to cut waste from your workflow to grow your business more efficiently? Most…
March 6th, 2015
The freelance economy and 3D printers have converged to dramatically lower the time and cost associated with creating a new prototype….
March 4th, 2015
Retail is an industry driven by results. There isn’t a magic formula, especially since consumer wants and needs change constantly. While…
February 22nd, 2015
MAGIC is the world’s largest fashion marketplace, comprised of ten unique communities showcasing the latest in apparel, footwear,…
February 16th, 2015
As an up-and-coming entrepreneur, I founded my business with just $24,000 in startup capital. I stretched it as far as it could go. I’ve…
February 14th, 2015
There are hundreds of ‘How-To’ articles out there, from starting a collection, to succeeding as a designer, to growing your…
February 12th, 2015
Black History Month is an opportune time for me to reflect on the contributions from the…
February 9th, 2015
Entrepreneurs often ask me where my product concepts come from and where they should look…
February 1st, 2015
The old adage “work smarter, not harder” is more than a business cliché. As anyone who runs a company would tell you, every second…
January 17th, 2015
My parents were entrepreneurs, so I thought I knew exactly what to expect — operations, budgeting, sourcing and so on. The difference…
January 12th, 2015
There’s something about the pairing of the classic baseball hat form with new unique fabrics, that makes an MBS hat really really handsome. The result of this combination is a hat that feels…
January 9th, 2015
Showing your personality and passion in your product Manufacturing your line is an exciting process as you watch your product unfold and come to life. It’s exhilarating to see the product move from…
January 8th, 2015
Charles James once said: “All creative work begins by doing something with the hands. Creation is simply a problem and design is the…
January 5th, 2015
Last year, for better or worse, is gone. 2015 is officially here (yay!) What’s next for your business? Where do you go now? How do you…
December 10th, 2014
Small businesses and freelancers are often left reeling when it comes to tax time. If you haven’t been making any quarterly estimated…
December 9th, 2014
It is that time of year for Holiday Shopping Shows and one of the biggest shows in the Midwest, One of A Kind, happens right here in Chicago! The show has a fantastic assortment of…
December 4th, 2014
Your first year in business is sort of like driving cross-country through dense fog. It’s a long, harrowing trip and you can only see…
December 3rd, 2014
1. Identify your market and the person you’re targeting. To start off, I begin by researching everything there is to know about my target…
November 17th, 2014
Samples are single products which are sent from a manufacturer or supplier to a designer or brand to represent the size, look and quality of the products they will receive if they place a full…
November 11th, 2014
Now in its fourth year, Small Business Saturday has helped local entrepreneurs fuel sales and connect with customers the Saturday after…