Code name:
The Coach Approach (may also be the forever name, we’ll see!)⁣
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What it’s all about:
As you all know, we have a deep love for super small business. For many years this was our namesake when we were “MicroBrand”. One person shops. Solopreneurs. Owner/Operators. Tradespeople juggling different hats from their mobile office. Jugglers. Cat herders. The two-phone’rs. The steel toed marketing managers. You get the idea… ⁣
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After years of working, and talking with these groups and developing amazing relationships with so many great clients, we’ve become hyper-aware of two key challenges that are universal:⁣
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First, business owners have a persistent desire to do more to push their businesses forward. Marketing, social media, advertising, branding, etc. It can be overwhelming. ⁣
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And second, resources are limited. Budget yes, but also the time and knowledge to keep consistent action in their marketing and branding efforts. ⁣
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Because of the first, we know there’s a deep need. ⁣
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Because of the second, we are unable to contribute in all the ways we want to. We have conversations that go unfinished. We have brilliant ideas that never see the light of day. We have efforts that only make it halfway. ⁣
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The Coach Approach addresses these challenges and increases the reach of the businesses we work with and the value we add. ⁣
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We’ll be offering both a group format and 1:1 coaching to empower and provide marketing and branding guidance to small business owners. ⁣
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Starting with a core group in December. ⁣
Everything will be online and we’ll help get your thoughts and efforts aligned, and push forward to kick off 2021.⁣
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Apply here and we’ll be in touch with details and more!
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In some recent research into sustainable gear lines available we came across one in particular that we wanted to give a little shout out to. They’re called Freeset, and they have a pretty cool story.

The shirts are handmade by survivors of sex trafficking in Kolkata. This opportunity for employment provides access to healthcare, literacy education and key social services.

When we came across this company, we got pretty excited about their approach, and in reaching out to them to see how we could learn more about trying their shirts for some upcoming projects, we were thrilled to discover that there’s an independent representative who carries their product right here in Victoria, and a larger one in Vancouver, so access to their product is fairly straightforward, which we’ve found to be a bit of a challenge with some of these cool producers.

We aren’t gear providers, yet we work on a wide range and growing number of gear projects these days. We keep running into a similar issue over and over again: garments are made in unsustainable and damaging ways, and clients are seeking something different. Something better. A softer, more intentional way.

So we spent some time researching ethically sourced and produced garments made from organic and sustainable materials. We came across a number of really cool companies producing garments and gear in beautiful ways. From reclaimed materials in Canada to companies specifically created to lift women out of human trafficking in Kolkata, there are some really cool things happening in this industry.

Price points are improving as these products become more in demand, and as consumers, businesses can continue to influence this by making the choice to purchase with intention.

Ask your shirt printer or brand partner what they have available for ethical and sustainable products. If they aren’t currently carrying or working with anything in this area, challenge them to do so, and let’s all create a better tomorrow.

Flip Your 9 to 5 is a concept brand for a little pet project of ours that we have in the works. We’ll keep things a little quiet on this one for the time being, as we don’t want to spoil any surprises of course, but here’s a little teaser of some of the fun stuff we’ve come up with. 🙂

Packaging is wildly important to the success and viability of a product. This seems fairly clear and obvious, yet there are countless poorly packaged products on shelves that have not taken the basics into consideration when being prepared. And when small businesses are making packaging decisions, it’s a bit of a rabbit hole.

While researching a recent compostable packaging project for Karma Coffee Roasters for example, we discovered that a lot of the packaging available on the market is single use, disposable, cheaply produced, and very generic. Even the ones that on the surface are described as compostable or recyclable often have valves or fasteners that will not break down or come off the packaging easily to be recycled.

These traits aren’t signs of a quality product, intentional company, or people who care. They are the traits of something unsustainable and finished that cannot go on.

While the exact packaging recommendations and directions are still in the works for this client, we thought we’d share a couple of the concepts we created.

We learned a tonne on this project and would love to discuss packaging your products for success!