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Branding & Private Labeling. It's A Breeze. Or Is It A Hurricane?

Author: RickLondon
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Ten years ago I started my own private label of humor gifts, the Rick London line. To be honest, I did not even know I was "branding". If only I knew then what I know now.

Why do so many people "chicken out" when it comes to launching their own brand? I know I did for many years. It as out of fear of failure. Now I know better.

Information on branding used to be a very well-kept secret. After the Internet was founded, the cat was let out of the bag.

When I entered the world of e-commerce, all I had to offer were cartoons, a lot of them. But I had to decide on what products to put them. I was no "trust fund baby" so I had to think smarter, better, faster than those who were.

Since I was on a shoestring, I started with a print-on-demand company such as Cafe Press and a few others. I didn't even have to pay for the web space, simply digitally-design my products and they did the rest. I left them for awhile to form my own stores, but they grew and added hundreds of more products, and improved their quality and service so I recently launched Rick London Collection there and it is already successful. It is merely another outshoot of Londons Times Cartoons.

There is no right way to launch a private label business. It all depends on you, what you want to do, what your goals are, and your style of doing it.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Though I wanted my Rick London label on everything, I was not a trust fund baby. And like many entrepreneurs, my dreams were a bit larger than my pocketbook, but I still felt I had the right to dictate quality control. So until Cafe Press got their act together, which admittedly they finally did, I began using a Denver print-on-demand named Printfection to launch several niche stores including RickLondonwear . It turned out to be a good idea.

A little over a year ago, I "got brave" and launched the very first and only exisiting private label gourmet coffee cartoon gift basket, Ruth London's Exquisite Coffees. Each box includes a cartoon coffee mugs and coasters and of course gourmet coffees and a biscotti. At $50, they are a top-seller and I exclusively sell them at my Londons Times Superstore. I didn't have to spend a penny to launch it. I used my cartoon as my barter leverage, had a good idea, and asked the manufacturer to risk his money. He wisely did and it has paid itself back many times over.

And then I added personalization for only $2. I could have charged a lot more for this engraving but the volume makes up for the difference. Corporate gifts are big business, and to find a unique corporate gfit, I mean very unique, is not the easiest thing in the world. The buyer gets his/her company name and URL on any of the items in the Superstore.

So the Internet, in many ways, has leveled the playing field. The time to brand yourself is now. All the information is there. All you need do is utilize it. If not for the Internet, there would be no Londons Times Cartoons, RickLondonwear, LTSuperstore, RickLondonCollection or many of the smaller niche stores I have opened, all branded under my name. If I can do it, believe me, you can

If you have not noticed we live in the information age and the Internet has made all information available to everyone, you've been out on a limb. Take advantage. All the information is there. All you need do is utilize it. If not for the Internet, there would be no Londons Times Cartoons, RickLondonwear, LTSuperstore, RickLondonCollection or many of the smaller niche stores I have opened, all branded under my name. You really can do it with a little effort.