ShopFlick

This past weekend I had the honor of covering fashion for E! “Countdown To The Grammy’s Red Carpet” at the Staples Center. Talk about rubbing elbows with music royalty! From Rhianna to GaGa, Miley Cyrus to Taylor Swift, the stars were rocking the red carpet in bold, attention grabbing ensembles. Thus, my inspiration for this week’s article: paying homage to rockstar clothing.

Oh! and the  highlight of my night??  How about partying at Prince’s mansion with Lady GaGa to my right and Brit Spears to my left?? Now I’m not one to gloat, but that’s worth bragging about!! Enjoy

You know Rhianna would snatch these sequin hot pants up in a second!

This faux fur vest is a 70’s trend that has found its way into the life of Hollywood’s trendsetters. I love it with jeans or even over a hot little dress.

Nothin’ says rocker chic like chains and leather. These Dolce Vita chain booties are insanely fierce!!

A gutsy alternative to basic black leggings… Oh La La lace leggings are sexy and so rock and roll!

  Ever wanted to dress like a celeb without having to bust your wallet? On Shopflick’s Hall of Style, host Davida Hall meets with celebrity stylist Simone Harouche to get the low-down on pulling together Christina Aguilera’s pin-up flair, Nicole Richie’s easy-breezy bohemian chic and Avril Lavigne’s punk-rock frocks. She’s picked out similar items from our favorite Shopflick designers, making it easy for you to dress for less with just one click.

Christina Aguilera Flair: Those of us who are petite know how hard it is to elongate our bodies, but Simone Harouche has no trouble finding the perfect figure hugging dresses to accentuate Christina’s curves while giving the illusion of being taller. She recommends a feminine fitting dress with cutouts for a flirty feeling. Hall’s pick is the Mansfield Dress by Stop Staring! It has a unique bandeau top with halter straps so you can show a little skin while still looking classy. When paired with bright shoes and accessories, you’ll see how Aguilera achieves her pin-up perfect look every time!

Nicole Richie Bohemian Chic: Living in Los Angeles, Nicole Richie always knows how to dress for summer. She loves colors and prints but being comfortable is just as important. Harouche loves “new” vintage for Richie, embellishing her with fun and unique prints. A Bohemian look for less, Hall chose Candice Held’s Vivian Green Dream Halter Dress, made from vintage silk scarves. This beautiful dress is halter cut with a tie in the back, creating a key-hole in the small of the back. And of course, the outfit wouldn’t be complete without a large tote like Sergio Rossi’s tote or Emanuelle Khanh’s oversized vintage sunglasses.

Avril Lavigne Punk-Rocker: For the rebel in us all, Harouche shows how to get the punk-rock princess look while staying current in the 21st century. She suggests prints and bright colors to accentuate curves on a more straight up and down body like Avril Lavigne’s. Hall likes The Fringe Dress by JL Marks, which completely captures the idea of bright colors and flirty fun. Accentuate curves with accents like a black and white checkered belt or, to accessorize like Lavigne, try big 80’s earrings and patent heels.  

Check out which looks are glam enough for the Hall of Style and feel free to leave a comment below on whom you think deserved it and who didn’t.

Have you been “Keeping Up with the Kardashians?” Well, we spotted the lovely Kim Kardashian in Ric Rac on E! Entertainment’s The Soup with Joel McHale a few weeks ago. All three girls showed up to show off their new line of perfumes as well as their never-ending style. Kim was dressed in the pumpkin yellow Moxie Ric Rac dress, accessorized by a black studded belt to give it some texture. Get Kim’s look on Shopflick and check out a clip from the show on E! Entertainment. 

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I can’t think of a more deserving mother than Mother Earth. While Shopflick’s got a number of wonderful eco-friendly designers on the site, I’ve picked out my Top 5 eco-faves and what I love about them:

1. EMA 100% to Charity: The Environmental Media Association’s clothing line that not only promotes environmental awareness, but also donates 100% of their proceeds to charity. I love the EMA kids’ shirt that says “Tiny Carbon Footprint” – made from organic cotton – because it’s perfectly soft and fitted! The Women’s Bamboo Cardigan is a great summer find; it’s flowy and fun to spice up a summer dress or pair with dark jeans and a nice top. It comes in white and grey, both with the saying “Where’s Your Hybrid” on the left corner.

2. LiViTY Outernational: Not only do we love them, but artists, musicians, and athletes do too! LiViTY produces eco-friendly wear, promoting harmony and peace through creative art. I love that all the products are made with biodegradable or recyclable materials, keeping our lovely planet clean. LiViTY’s Fireball Fedora has a neat pattern that’s hand-woven with natural Raffia from Madagascar for just under $40. If you prefer a simpler pattern, check out the black and brown Don Mon Fedoras, woven with Raffia from Africa.

3. Harvey’s: Harvey’s creates handbags made from 100% recycled seatbelts with Hemp lining. I love the Treecycle Messenger because it’s just the right size for a weekend getaway and can even be paired with a Harvey’s wallet. Who knew carrying seatbelts could become so stylish? 

4. Sublet: Like our other eco-friendly designers, Sublet uses sustainable materials and ethical labor in producing the most modern and chic designs. My favorite is the Alison Dress made from bamboo and organic cotton. You may want to use the hidden kangaroo pockets to store your lipstick for refreshing because this dress will definitely be turning heads!

5. Cri de Coeur: Cri de Coeur designs contemporary women’s footwear that is ethically produced from beginning to end. They bring a European style to their shoes without using any animal products and still preserving the environment as a carbon-free business. Not only does Shopflick love them, but Elle, Lucky, DailyCandy, and Footwear News have mentioned them too. My favorite shoe is the Jessica Ankle Boot because it’s sophisticated and sexy, but casual enough for a day outing. I love that they combined velvet and patent leather for a contrasting look too. For every pair of shoes you buy, Cri de Coeur and Carbonfund.org will plant a tree so saving our planet will be just as easy as looking stylish and sexy!  

By Tara Murphy

It is said that every journey begins with a first step, that is true but I have often thought that it is not so much taking that step as it is deciding which direction to go. I meet so many people who want to start their own business, have a product they want to develop or a service to market but they are overwhelmed with the options and confused about what business structure would work best for them. What I found missing in books about entrepreneurship was a discussion of the different ways to launch a business. I found a lot of books on writing a business plan, but nothing on the nuts and bolts of starting a small business.

Get a clear vision

Take this inventory of your needs, desires and resources to narrow down the business models that would work for you. The four elements to examine are:
1) how much time do you have to devote to the business?
2) how much are you able to invest in the business?
3) what kind of return do you want from the business?
4) what does success mean to you?

Sucsess is personal

I think the most important question to answer is what success means to you. For many people money may not be the strongest motivator. A small business can be mainly a creative outlet and the income generated by it a side benefit. Decide what you want to get out of it and be very specific. Enough extra income to take a vacation? Help to pay for your child’s tuition? Or are you looking for a business that will support you and your family?

Fill in the blanks

Just because you don’t have 18 hours a day to devote to your new business doesn’t mean it won’t be successful, but you need to get your resources in line with your expectations. Needless to say it is unrealistic to expect to make $100,000 a year working 20 hours a week with an initial investment of $2,000. The investment of both time and money has to be balanced with expected return. How much time can you devote to the business? If you are working full time and are in the mode of exploring a new business opportunity where are you going to find the time to work on it? Evenings? Weekends? If you a stay at home parent how much “child free” time do you have? Six hours a day? Four hours a day? Are you an early or reluctant retiree who wants to supplement his income but still golf during the day? Or are you ready to dive in to a new full time commitment? How much money are you able to invest in the new venture? Remember any new business needs time to grow and you want to have some level of comfort while you are building your business. So really examine how much you are able to invest, or how much you are comfortable asking others to invest in your business. This is your homework to answer these four questions and be ready for our next topic– “Throw away your business plan”

Tara

I did it the Hard Way…So you don’t have to

I started my business with a good idea but no experience. A single Mom, I maxed my credit cards and made tons of mistakes. But somehow I managed to survive. And I got on QVC where I have since sold hundreds of thousands of my products. I used QVC as a launch pad to get into mass retail and now my product is sold at Wal-Mart, Target and drugstores across the USA — and also on Shopflick! www.shopflick.com/users/tarammshop

Looking back, it would have been great to have had a reliable source for clear-headed, unbiased and practical advice on how to start and grow my own business. It could make a world of difference for you.

What’s Coming to You, Inc.

Well, I got very lucky, so now I want to give back. So, each week, I am going to share practical, actionable real world advice — from me, other successful entrepreneurs, attorneys, accountants and consultants — all hand-picked for their relevance, quality and honesty.

Putting Together the Pieces

Starting a small business is like putting together an overwhelming puzzle where do you start? In You, Inc, we are going to learn together from others who put the pieces together.

Why I Believe in the Power of Video and Shopflick

As a successful seller on QVC, I have experienced the power of video to connect with customers and explain my product. But only a tiny percent of entrepreneurs ever get on QVC, and it’s a very expensive proposition. Shopflick enables sellers to sell with video easily and inexpensively, 24-7. It also giving sellers the tools to collect share and spread the word to potential customers. The great thing about selling via video is that you can convey your passion for your products and really explain what makes your products special and desirable. Shopflick and other on-line selling sites provide a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs. It’s a little more work to get the video, but its well worth it.

Now is a Great Time to Start a Small Business

Sure the economy is tough, but the internet has opened up a world of information and marketing opportunities. Sites like Shopflick, Ebay and the many product specific sites allow a smaller vendor to get in the game and almost overnight reach an international audience. Owning my own business has been the most satisfying, profitable and fulfilling professional experience I have ever had, and I have a secret to tell you, it is not that hard, with a little guidance and some concentrated effort I believe anyone can run their own business.

Next Week: 4 Essential Questions to Answer Before You Start

In next week’s blog I will talk about the four essential questions that you must answer before you start your own business. To get to know me better and hear how I invented a multi million dollar product click on this link to watch a recent interview.

Posted by Tara

…Said Emile Coué, a French Pharmacist who invented “autosuggestion” in 1920 , or so I am told. Well, here at Shopflick we take autosuggestion to heart. You can quote me on that.

With that said, here’s a bunch of new features we will be rolling out tomorrow (Thursday).

• Featured Stores – In addition to our Featured Listings module, you can now browse a selection of Featured Stores on both the Homepage and the Shop page. Our first Featured Stores are some of our favorites: Poketo, David Flores Art, and Miss Misa, to name but a few.
• Search – Admittedly, our initial search experience was kind of chaotic. So we’ve decided to streamline the process a bit by providing you with the ability to quickly search categories as well as refine your search by popular tags. You will notice that Search currently features a “Listings” and a “Stores” tab. In the coming weeks we will be adding an “All” tab that will combine Listing and Store results into a single view. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.
• Instant Payment Notification – We’re happy to deploy the first part of our payment services improvements. With these improvements our buyers can easily check the status of their purchases and our sellers can see whether they have been paid. We’ll be releasing additional payment improvements in the coming weeks, all of which are being rolled out to help make Shopflick really easy to use. As always, please feel free to hit me up with any questions or feedback you may have regarding our payment system.
• Seller Policies – Sellers now have a free-form space on their Store page where they can explicitly outline their Store Policies (returns, shipping intricacies, etc.). Our merchandising people will post a short list of suggested policies that we know will be important to creating a great customer experience on Shopflick.
• Shipping Information – This is a significant improvement to the management of the Seller’s Shipping Profile. Sellers can now easily select where they ship to, how they prefer to ship and the corresponding shipping costs.

We want the development of Shopflick to be as collaborative a process as possible. Please let us know if you’ve got an idea for a great feature we should build, or (gasp) you’ve found a bug, or even if you want to join the team. We are here for you, and there are lots of easy ways to reach out:

1. Send me an email. Dan@Shopflick.com
2. Use the “Contact Shopflick” form
3. Use the beta feedback link on the homepage of Shopflick
4. Send an email to Support@Shopflick.com
5. Leave a post in our forums

I’m wildly excited to watch Shopflick grow and to really learn from all of you. We will deploy bug fixes and new features as fast as possible, so be on the look out for a constantly evolving shopping experience. This is by far the best part of the product development process!Thanks in advance for all of your help, and most of all, happy shopping.

Dan Strauss, Shopflick Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer

Today we opened the Shopflick beta to our friends and family for feedback. Its just a beginning, but already we are serving a vibrant, growing community of indie designers, artists, craftsman, entrepreneurs and merchants, all showing themselves and their products with the amazing video created by our network of young filmmakers. They come from New York, LA, Chicago, Lynchburg, Virginia — and soon from all over the country.

I asked the staff to recall some of their “a-ha” Shopflick experiences leading up to this moment. What I got back was genuine and inspirational. Two examples:

Shea, our Finance Administrator, tells me “I feel so connected to our customers…When I get an invoice, I know it isn’t just names and numbers on a piece of paper. That invoice is shorthand for a story that began in the imagination of an eco-friendly designer in Los Angeles…or in the hands of a furniture maker in SoHo.”

Courtney, our Manager of Merchandising and Trends, says about John Robertson, the first artist to sign up to sell on Shopflick: “John has always amazed me…his work is political, thoughtful, and unique…John took it upon himself to start producing short videos of himself speaking about his work on YouTube, and told me Shopflick is the community he was always looking for.”

We can’t wait to accommodate the sellers and users that are signing up. That said, Shopflick is a new experience and we recognize the work ahead of us needed to get it right. We are committed to continually evolving what we’ve started, improving existing features and adding new ones on a monthly basis — and to letting you know through our blog exactly where we stand. More than anything, we need your feedback and comments; there is no better way to identify what works and what doesn’t. So please, sign up for the beta, get involved and help us build the world’s best community of indie sellers.

In our next post, Dan Strauss, our head of Product Development, will talk about where we are headed on features and functions, so stay tuned.

Dave Grant, Shopflick Co-Founder and CEO