Creator Tips, Trends And Inspiration | Pietra

Watch the Legalpreneur webinar session hosted by Andrea Sager in partnership with Pietra. Watch the video below of the full session to learn about contract templates, trademark filing, LLC filing, and more

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/826322866?h=39ef6730ee" width="640" height="363" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/826322866">The Legalpreneur Webinar (May 11th)</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user14642635">Pietra</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Learn about contract templates, trademark filing, LLC filing, and more

Legalpreneur Webinar Session

Are you a hair care enthusiast looking to turn your passion into a business? Pietra is here to help. We are an all-in-one solution for entrepreneurs who want to start their own hair care business. Our platform provides everything from finding suppliers and creating products, to storing and shipping inventory, and selling on the Pietra Creator Marketplace. Let’s explore how it all works!

## Creating Your Products 

The first step in starting your hair care business is finding the right suppliers for your products. Finding quality suppliers can be difficult, but with our platform you have access to vetted vendors who provide quality ingredients at competitive prices. You can also use our online product creation tool to customize your products with unique fragrances, colors, labels, and more. 

## Storing & Shipping Inventory 

Once you’ve created your products, you need somewhere to store them so they’re ready when customers place orders. Our storage facilities are climate-controlled and secure, ensuring that your products stay safe until they reach their destination. We also offer low-cost shipping options so you can get your products out quickly without breaking the bank.  
 
## Selling on the Creator Marketplace  

The final step in getting started is selling your products on our Creator Marketplace. Our marketplace offers a wide range of features including product customization tools, analytics dashboards, and customer engagement tools like loyalty programs and promotions. We even provide marketing support through our blog and social media channels so you can reach more potential customers quickly and easily. 

## Conclusion: 														 

Starting a hair care business has never been easier thanks to Pietra! Our platform provides everything from finding suppliers and creating custom products, to storing inventory safely until it ships out to customers, as well as marketing support through our blog and social media channels so you can grow your business faster than ever before. Sign up today and start building your dream hair care business with us!

### About Pietra

Pietra is making it their mission to put the power back into the hands of Creators by giving them the tools they need to create long-term wealth through owned brands. Co-founded in 2019 by CEO Ronak Trivedi and CTO Pan Pan, formerly of Uber, the platform aims to lower the barriers of entry for Creators seeking to delve into entrepreneurship.

Are you a hair care enthusiast looking to turn your passion into a business? Pietra is here to help. We are an all-in-one solution for entrepreneurs who want to start their own hair care business. Let’s explore how it all works!

Starting Your Hair Care Business With Pietra

Are you a hair care enthusiast looking to turn your passion into a business? Pietra is here to help. Let’s explore how it all works!

If there’s one thing you can count on every morning, it’s that the sun will rise. With that said, the need for sunglasses will always be around, making it a great industry to tap into. If you’re looking to start an eCommerce store or add new products to your existing store, this guide can help. 

Below, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to find sunglasses manufacturers to create custom designs that match your brand.

## 1. Choose a Manufacturing Process 
When searching for sunglasses manufacturers, you first need to choose a manufacturing process. Not every custom sunglasses manufacturer offers the same production process, which means you need to find one that can create the types of sunglasses you’re looking for. The two most common types of manufacturing processes include:

- **OEM Manufacturing:** Through OEM manufacturing, you can create custom sunglasses using your own designs.
- **ODM Manufacturing:** Through ODM manufacturing, you can choose from a manufacturer’s pre-made designs and add your logo and branding.

At Pietra, you can use our platform to find some of the largest sunglass manufacturers who offer both OEM and ODM manufacturing, so you can choose a process that best aligns with your brand.

## 2. Consider Types of Sunglasses
There are endless types of sunglasses you can create to sell to your customers. As you sit down and think about your brand and products, think about the types and styles of sunglasses your customers may want. Some classic styles include:

- Aviator sunglasses
- Rimless sunglasses
- Wayfarer sunglasses
- Logo sunglasses
- Round sunglasses
- Retro sunglasses

These are just some of the many design options you can have your manufacturer make. However, you can also find manufacturers who can create custom sunglasses for you, too.

## 3. Assess Customization Options
The sunglasses industry can be extremely competitive, especially with the number of brands big and small selling their own type of shades. In order to compete, you need to find a sunglasses manufacturer who can make custom sunglasses with your branding and logo to help you stick out.

At Pietra, you can work with freelance designers who can help you design your logo, branding, and sunglass designs for you to send to your manufacturer. Additionally, Pietra makes it easy to find a wide range of manufacturers, such as American-made sunglasses manufacturers and bamboo sunglasses manufacturers. 

## 4. Test Quality
One of the key characteristics you should look for in sunglasses manufacturers is quality. The last thing you want is to order a bulk of custom sunglasses that are low quality and break easily, scratch easily, or don’t block the sun. 

To ensure quality, it’s important to order samples. At Pietra, you can order samples from any of our partnered manufacturers to review quality, durability, and design to ensure they meet your expectations before committing.

## 5. Consider Costs
To run a successful business, you need to make a profit. To make this happen, you need to take several factors into consideration when creating sunglasses. One of these factors is the cost to manufacture sunglasses. Not only do you need to find custom glasses that are within your budget, but you need to ensure all of the costs associated with producing your glasses remain low so you can make a profit.

## 6. Review Features and Specifications
As stated, there is a wide range of sunglasses to choose from. However, there are several features and specs that can make your sunglasses more appealing to your customers. Some features you may want to consider when designing sunglasses include:

- Polarized lenses
- Amber lenses
- Anti-reflective coating
- Mirror coating
- Titanium rims
- Bamboo rims

At Pietra, you can find polarized sunglasses manufacturers, bamboo sunglasses manufacturers, and more specialty manufacturers who can help create one-of-a-kind sunglasses that stand out.

## 7. Determine Production Turnaround Times
In today’s fast-paced world, customers expect to receive products they buy online as soon as possible. With eCommerce giants like Amazon, customers can get items they buy within one or two days or even the same day they order. To compete, you need to ensure fast shipping and production times.

At Pietra, you can offer your customers 2-day shipping on most products. Through our platform, you can communicate directly with sunglasses manufacturers to inquire about their production turnaround times to assess their quickness. This way, you can maintain a competitive edge with fast shipping while having peace of mind knowing you’re selling high-quality sunglasses.

## 8. Factor In Customer Service
The final step in finding a sunglasses manufacturer is assessing their customer service. When working with a manufacturer, it’s important to assess their customer service, such as how willing they are to answer questions, their process for implementing feedback, and how they address quality assurance issues.

## Steps to Take After Finding a Sunglasses Manufacturer
Now that you know how to find a sunglasses manufacturer, let’s explore the next steps. Once you’ve found a manufacturer to partner with through Pietra, you can then start chatting with them and asking questions, such as what their manufacturing process looks like, their prices, and customization process.

Then, you can start sampling to test the products you’re going to put out into the world. Once you’ve finalized your designs, you can then order inventory and store your products in one of our low-cost warehouses. With [Pietra’s Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce), our team can help manage your inventory and ship products straight to your customers’ doorsteps, so you can spend more time managing other areas of your company, such as marketing and scaling your business.

## Find a Sunglasses Manufacturer with Pietra

Ready to find a sunglasses manufacturer? Through Pietra, you can find thousands of custom sunglasses manufacturers who can create unique designs that will make your brand stand out amongst your competitors. 

Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and the process of searching for manufacturers through our platform. We can pair you with professional sunglasses manufacturers who produce high-quality lenses your customers will love. Review [Pietra’s pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


Read more on how to find a Sunglasses Manufacturer so you can start creating and selling your own personalized sunglasses, today!

How To Find A Sunglasses Manufacturer | Pietra

How to Find a Sunglasses Manufacturer

Shopify is one of the world’s leading eCommerce platforms that allows entrepreneurs to set up online shops and sell their products. Shopify uses a SaaS model, making it easy for business owners to create a website and use its tools and resources, such as inventory management and payment processing.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up a Shopify store in ten simple steps. Whether you want to sell custom art or beauty products, Shopify makes it easy. Follow these ten steps to start setting up a Shopify store.

## Step 1. Sign up for a Shopify account
The first step in creating a Shopify store is signing up for a Shopify account. When you reach Shopify’s homepage, you’ll find options to start a free trial or click the “Get Started” button to create your account. The only information required for this step is to input your email address, create a password, and add your store name. 

Best practice is to use your business email address rather than a personal email address to keep your personal- and business-related communications separate. 

## Step 2. Input store details
Once you’ve created your Shopify account, the next step is inputting more information about your Shopify store. Information that may be required includes:

- Personal contact information
- How much you plan to sell
- How much you’re currently selling
- Goal of your Shopify store
- Billing information

Once you’ve added this information, your Shopify business account will be complete. From there, you’ll be able to start designing your online store and adding your products, which we’ll discuss below.

## Step 3. Design your Shopify store
Now that your account is set up; your next step is understanding how to use Shopify. Fortunately, the Shopify website builder is extremely user-friendly, making it easy for anyone to design their own Shopify store. 

On the main dashboard, you’ll see an area to click “Customize the Look of Your Site.” By selecting this option, you’ll have full creative control over the layout and design of your eCommerce store. When creating a start up Shopify theme, it’s always important to keep your brand and personality in mind. 

To create a cohesive look, follow your brand guidelines and stick to themes that match your store, whether it’s sleek and modern or bright and colorful. Some components you can put a creative spin on include:
- Website theme
- Brand colors
- Page layout
- Fonts
- Logos
- Carousel slides
- Photos and videos

Shopify has hundreds of themes you can choose from, with most of them being free. Additionally, most themes don’t require any coding knowledge like HTML or CSS. However, Shopify makes it easy to customize your theme and layout if needed.

With Pietra, you can work with freelance designers to help you create and design your Shopify store. If you’d rather allocate your time and energy to other areas of your business, our freelance designers can help. Utilize a freelance team to set up your Shopify store, create your brand guidelines, design your logo, and customize your Shopify theme and page layouts for a fully customized and branded look.

## Step 4. Add products
Once you’re done setting up a Shopify store, the next step is adding your products. When adding products to your Shopify store, make sure they’re fully optimized for search engines and customers. This means adding engaging product titles with relevant keywords, as well as a thoroughly informative product description.

Don’t have products yet? With Pietra, you can work with thousands of suppliers and manufacturers who can help design and produce custom products for your Shopify store. Once you’ve chosen and designed your products, Pietra easily integrates with Shopify, so your products sync to your Shopify store for users to shop. We can even fulfill your customers' orders and send them straight to their doorsteps.

## Step 5. Categorize your products
When creating your online storefront, it’s important to create category pages that house your products and make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for. For example, if you have an online apparel company, category pages can include shirts, pants, outerwear, and shorts. Then, each of those category pages can have corresponding products for users to browse.

## Step 6. Pick a unique domain name
To make your Shopify store live, you need a domain name. A domain name is an address linked to an IP address on the internet. Often, a company’s domain name is the name of its business. 

For example, Shopify’s domain name is Shopify.com. When choosing a domain name, it’s important to ensure it’s unique and relevant to your business and industry. This way, it makes it easy for customers and search engines to recognize.

## Step 7. Choose a payment processor
In order to get paid, you’re going to need to set up a payment processor through Shopify. Shopify has dozens of payment processors to choose from, and as a business owner, it’s best to have multiple options available. More payment options increase the chances you’ll be able to convert more sales.

## Step 8. Determine shipping and handling
To remain competitive against large retail giants like Amazon, it’s important to set up your shipping and handling to get products to customers’ doors as soon as possible. 

In a few simple steps, you can easily sync [Pietra’s Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) with your Shopify store to offer shoppers two-day shipping on most orders. With our low-cost warehouses that can manage and ship your inventory, you’ll be able to provide exceptional customer service to your audience. 

## Step 9. Publish your Shopify store
One of the last steps of setting up a Shopify store is publishing it. Once all of the fine details are taken care of, such as adding products, designing your layout, and setting up your payment processing, do one final sweep to spot any typos, grammatical errors, or issues with user experience. Once everything looks good, publish your site to make it go live.

## Step 10. Periodically test your Shopify store
The work doesn't stop once your Shopify store is live. It’s important to regularly test your Shopify store to look for UX issues or bugs that can harm your website. It’s also important to continually optimize your site to remain competitive on search engines.

## Integrate Pietra with Shopify
Now that you know how to build an online store with Shopify, turn to Pietra for all of your supplier and fulfillment needs. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra’s pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


Learn how to set up a Shopify store in ten simple steps. Whether you want to sell custom art or beauty products, Shopify makes it easy.

Create A Shopify Store in 10 Steps | Pietra

Create a Shopify Store in 10 Steps

A top challenge for new and veteran entrepreneurs is determining how to source products that are worth selling. Trends come and go, which means it’s important to know what trends are worth pursuing and which ones might not align with your business and its goals. But how do you find products to sell? 

In this guide, we’ll cover product sourcing and how to find products to sell that are profitable. Keep reading below to get started.
What is Product Sourcing?
One of the first questions you may have is, “what is product sourcing?” Product sourcing refers to the process of finding products from a manufacturer or supplier and reselling them. 

At Pietra, Creators can use our supplier services to find thousands of manufacturers spanning dozens of industries, from skincare to candles and apparel to jewelry. As you search for the top sourcing companies, you can find great, high-quality products that your customers will love. Now that you know what product sourcing is, let’s explore how to get products for an online store in the section below.

## How to Source Products to Sell Online
A common challenge for eCommerce business owners is learning how to source products to sell online. With so many products out there to choose from, knowing which ones are perfect for your store can be difficult. To make the product sourcing process easier, follow the steps below.

### 1. Research products
If you’re wondering how to source, the first step is researching products. No matter your industry, it’s crucial to conduct market research to find products that your customers are looking for. Market research is the process of gathering information on your target audience, competitors, and industry to analyze gaps in the market, industry trends, and more.

From there, you’ll be able to determine what products might make your brand stand out. For example, are there certain candle scents that are hard to find? Or perhaps there are beauty products that don’t compliment everyone’s skin tone. Learning more about your customers and their wants and needs can help you find products to sell.

### 2. Purchase wholesale products
Once you’ve determined what products you want to sell, it’s time to start sourcing. When you source products, search for manufacturers who can provide wholesale items that you can add to your logo or branding. At Pietra, Creators can search thousands of manufacturers and wholesalers that have unique products that can be easily customized with your logo and branding to sell as your own.

### 3. Consider private label products
Purchasing items in bulk that can be easily customized with your branding and logo is a great way to create unique products for your eCommerce store. However, if you want a completely custom product, consider working with a private label manufacturer. Pietra makes it easy to find and contact private label manufacturers who can help bring your ideas to life to make custom products. Through private label manufacturing, you can work with a manufacturer who listens to all of your requests, including ingredients, materials, packaging, labeling, and more.

### 4. Get samples
When product sourcing, it’s crucial to ensure the products you’re choosing are high-quality and live up to your expectations. This is where sampling comes in. Through Pietra, you can receive samples from any of the manufacturers on our platform, so you can have peace of mind knowing you’re providing products to your customers that you truly believe in.

When testing samples, there are certain things to keep in mind, such as their quality, durability, materials or ingredients used, and packaging. If you notice any quality assurance issues, it may be a sign a manufacturer might not be right for you.

### 5. Create custom designs
After you’ve found a manufacturer to create your products, it’s important to make them stand out. To make this happen, it’s important to add customizations to your products and packaging to make them stand out.

Pietra makes it easy to find freelance designers who can turn any concept or idea into a beautiful and eye-catching design. From logos to branding and even your eCommerce store on the Pietra Marketplace or Shopify, our freelance designers can create stunning visuals to make your products pop. They can even design artwork and packaging to go with your products to make each step of the customer journey a great experience, all while boosting your brand.

### 6. Finalize your product
Now that you’ve found products to source, tested your samples, and created your designs, it’s time to finalize your products by working with your manufacturer to create the final product. This means adding any logos or customizations to your pieces that align with your brand. Creators using Pietra can easily communicate with their manufacturers during each step to ensure the creation process goes smoothly. 

Once you’re done sourcing products, you can store your inventory in one of Pietra’s low-cost warehouses. With Pietra’s Fulfillment Services, our team can easily manage your inventory and ship products directly to the doorsteps of your customers. Without the need to manage a warehouse or a team to organize your inventory, you can put more time and resources toward other areas of your business.

### 7. Start selling
Now that you know how to find products to sell, it’s time to make it happen. Creating an eCommerce store is easy with Pietra. On the Pietra Marketplace, you can create your own unique storefront and categorize all of your products for consumers to browse.

Pietra also integrates easily with Shopify. If you have a Shopify store, you can still leverage the power of our manufacturing and fulfillment services, so you can source, organize, and ship products with ease. Creators can also link their storefronts with their social channels like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, so their followers can easily find the products they’re looking for.

## Source Products with Pietra

With this guide on how to find products to sell online, you can easily start product sourcing. To get started, learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and the different services and features we offer to help business owners succeed. You can also review [Pietra’s pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


In this guide, we’ll cover product sourcing and how to find products to sell that are profitable. Read to learn how to get started.

What Is Product Sourcing | Pietra

How to Find Products to Sell

Whether you’re already operating a successful business or are an aspiring entrepreneur, knowing how to create a product that customers love is essential. There’s a lot that goes into building a product, such as thinking of an idea, developing a prototype, and creating the final version for customers to purchase. 

If you’re ready to start creating a product to sell, you’re in the right place. In our guide, we’ll cover the seven steps on how to create a product from scratch. Keep reading below to learn how to get started and ways that Pietra can help.

## 1. Think of a Product Idea
The first, and sometimes the hardest, part of creating and selling a product is thinking of an idea. However, there are ways you can bring your thoughts to life that stand out from your competitors and set you up as a leader in your industry. 

To get started, think about the industry and market you’re in. Examples might include the candle-making industry, skincare, apparel, or home decor. From there, do market research. Market research is the process of collecting information on your consumers and their needs. Are there gaps in the market? Do certain products have inefficiencies that can be improved? These are some of the questions to ask yourself to start thinking of a unique and successful product idea.

Once you’ve determined a product idea, it’s also important to think about the logistics of creating that product and whether it’s feasible and profitable. This means considering the product’s shape and specs, the complexity of the product, and the materials needed. At Pietra, you can work directly with freelance designers who can help you create and design your product, as well as manufacturers on the platform who can create them from start to finish.

## 2. Determine Product Value
The second step in creating a product is determining its value. As a business owner, one of your top goals is making a profit and growing your business. To create a product that’s successful, think about the value your product will add to your customers’ lives. While an idea might seem great in theory, it might not resonate with customers.

Through market research and drafting a strong business plan, you’ll be able to analyze the worth of your product and its potential success. At Pietra, Creators get access to our library of resources that help business owners throughout every step of their business. From our business plan blueprint to webinars and educational materials, you’ll have access to resources that can help you with everything from marketing to scaling your business.

## 3. Prepare Your Product Requirements and Designs
An essential step when you create a product design is getting your product requirements and designs ready. During this step, you’ll work closely with your manufacturer and designers, and Pietra makes it easy to communicate right through our platform.

During the design process, work with your freelancer to ensure everything looks and works properly. For example, if you’re creating candles, do your colors match the scent? Or if you’re building a skincare brand, do the formulas and ingredients create a cream or moisturizer that nourishes the skin? After your design is finalized, you can then send it to your manufacturer to ensure they can produce it at an affordable cost.

## 4. Develop a Prototype
Before ordering your products in bulk, it’s important to first develop a prototype. A prototype is a preliminary model or sample of a product to test its design and features. By creating a prototype, you’ll be able to determine any flaws or areas of improvement that can be corrected before the final design goes into production. 

## 5. Receive Customer Feedback
If you want to know how to create a product that succeeds, it’s crucial to gather customer feedback. During the prototype stage, gather an unbiased sample of customers to test your product and deliver feedback. 

During the trial period, you can ask important questions that can guide your creation process, such as what customers like and don’t like about your product, and any ideas they may have to improve your product that you haven’t thought of. Once you’ve gathered and analyzed this data, you can then add and remove any features, ingredients, or materials to your final design.

## 6. Start Manufacturing
Now that you’ve finalized your product design, it’s time to get to the fun part—building your product. As one of the final steps, you’ll work closely with your manufacturer to create your product and get it ready for your customers. At Pietra, you can find thousands of suppliers through our platform to create one-of-a-kind custom products. 

Once your products are created, you can then have them stored in one of our low-cost warehouses. With Pietra’s Fulfillment Services, you’ll be able to have your inventory managed and shipped to your customers for you, so you can spend more time and resources in other areas to grow your business.

## 7. Enter Your Product Into the Market
Now that you’re done building a product for your business, it’s time to make them accessible to your customers. On your e-commerce platform, whether it’s Pietra’s Creator Marketplace or Shopify, you want to optimize your product pages to make them discoverable by your audience.

With Pietra, you can easily integrate your shop with your social channels, so you can make it easy for your followers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or other platforms to access your store and shop your products. Pietra can also help you find professional freelance designers who can create your logo, design your website, and create your packaging designs to further grow your brand.

## Build Unique Products with Pietra

Learning how to create a product is easy when working with Pietra and our team. Through our Supplier and Fulfillment Services, you can find top-of-the-line manufacturers who can create a product that stands out. To get started, learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra’s pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


If you’re ready to start creating a product to sell, you’re in the right place. Check out these seven steps on how to create a product from scratch.

How to Create A Product from Scratch | Pietra

How to Create a Successful Product from Scratch

If you’re looking to start an e-commerce business, one industry you may be interested in is skin care. Skin care is a booming business, and products can range from everything between lotions and creams to moisturizers. With that said, you need to ensure the products you’re selling are high-quality and trusted by your customers. That’s where skin care manufacturers come in. 

In this guide, we’ll provide tips on finding the top skin care manufacturers, so you can have peace of mind knowing you’re selling products you stand by. At Pietra, you can work directly with the best private label skin care manufacturers to create products with your formulas and packaging. Keep reading to learn more now.

## 1. Consider Quality
The first step in working with any skin care manufacturer is considering the quality. When creating a skin care line, you want to think about what your products will accomplish. Are you looking to create a moisturizer that hydrates the skin? Or do you want to sell exfoliators that cleanse the pores and remove dirt and grime? 

No matter your goal, you want to ensure your products can achieve them for your customers. As you search for skin care products manufacturers, look at the quality of their products, including the ingredients and formulas they use.

## 2. Review Ingredients and Formulas
One of the key components any shopper looks for in a skin care product is the ingredients and formulas used. Today, information is widely available to anyone thanks to smart devices and search engines. With that said, customers can easily research the ingredients in your products to determine whether they trust them. That’s one of the reasons why today’s consumers are more conscious about the products they use.

As you vet various skin care manufacturers, look at the ingredients and products they use. Maybe you want to work with an organic skin care manufacturer that uses paraben-free ingredients or a manufacturer who can create vegan-friendly products that don’t test on animals. Conduct market research to learn what consumers in your market and audience are looking for in their skin care products, then find a manufacturer who can help produce those products.

## 3. Compare Pricing
Finances are crucial to any business, which is why it’s important to compare the pricing of each skin care manufacturer you’re considering. In order to be successful, you want to keep your costs as low as possible to turn a profit. However, this doesn’t mean you should opt for a bottom-of-the-barrel manufacturer. 

In some cases, the most affordable manufacturer might mean you have to compromise on quality, or a more expensive manufacturer might be known for having poor customer service. As a business owner, you want to ensure you’re making a good investment, so not only should you compare pricing but the qualities and abilities of each manufacturer as well.

## 4. Look for Customizability
In order to grow your brand, you need to ensure your products stick out. In the beauty industry, looks are everything, including your branding. With that said, you need to find a wholesale skin care products manufacturer who can create custom beauty products with the formulas and ingredients you want, as well as the branding and packaging you need.

At Pietra, you can work with freelance designers who can help you bring all of your creative ideas to life. You can start by designing your brand logo and color palette together, which can then be used to customize your products and packaging. Additionally, Pietra makes it easy to work with and communicate with your skin care manufacturer to create both custom skin care products and packaging, such as the bottles and containers your creams, lotions, moisturizers, and other products will come in.

## 5. Ask About Production Times
In today’s fast-paced world, consumers are expected products to be delivered to their doorsteps as soon as possible. With large retail giants like Amazon offering two-day or even same-day shipping, it’s important as a small business to match those times in order to compete. 

When comparing skin care manufacturers, ask about their production times. Sometimes, a manufacturer may have all of the resources and equipment needed to turn products around quickly, while others may not have these same resources available to them. To remain competitive, ensure your skin care manufacturer can produce products in bulk in a short time frame so you can ship them as soon as possible.

At Pietra, once you find your skin care manufacturer, you can have your inventory stored in one of our global low-cost warehouses. From there, our team can offer 2-day flat-rate shipping on most products, allowing you to provide fast shipping times without the hassle of coordinating the fulfillment process yourself. With Pietra’s Fulfillment Services by your side, you can designate more time to other areas of your business, such as customer service and marketing.

## 6. Research Suppliers
To find the best private label skin care manufacturers, do your due diligence by researching your suppliers. This way, you can see what other customers are saying about them, review the brands they’ve worked with in the past, and browse photos of their past work. Through Pietra, you can perform all of these steps so you can find a skin care manufacturer you trust and can rely on.

## 7. Order Samples
After narrowing your decision on the skin care manufacturers you may want to work with, make sure to order samples. The only way to tell if a product is as good as it seems is to try it yourself. Through Pietra, you can order samples of any product from all of our suppliers, so you can test the quality, ingredients, and packaging. This way, you can rest assured knowing you’re selling skin care products that you believe in.

## Find Skin Care Manufacturers with Pietra

Ready to start your skin care brand? Work with Pietra today and work with some of the top skin care manufacturers in the industry. Through Pietra, you can communicate directly with your manufacturer to work through the creation process of your products, as well as freelance designers who can help you set up your e-commerce storefront and design your logo and packaging. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra’s pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to get started.


With Pietra, you can work directly with the best private label skin care manufacturers to create products with your formulas and packaging. Learn how, today! 

How To Find a Skin Care Manufacturer | Pietra

How To Find a Skin Care Manufacturer

If you’re looking to open an online store, one of the easiest ways to enter the market is through white label products. By working with a white label products manufacturer, you’ll be able to easily customize pre-built products made by your manufacturer with your branding and logos, whether it be jewelry or activewear. 

At Pietra, we help Creators find high-quality manufacturers who offer white label services, so you can get your e-commerce store up and running. So, what is white labeling? In this guide, we’ll answer all of your questions on white label products, so you can get started customizing items for your brand.
What is White Labeling?
White labeling refers to the practice of businesses buying mass-produced products from manufacturers and customizing them with their branding and logos to sell as their own. There are several ways a company can get white label products, such as through drop shipping, print on-demand, and bulk wholesale orders.

An important piece of the white label definition is that multiple businesses can buy the same white label product and brand it as their own. Through white labeling, the manufacturer has complete control over the ingredients, materials, manufacturing process, and other product components. However, retailers have full control over the packaging, branding, and trademark of the products.

## What Does Private Labeling Mean?

You know the white label definition, but what is private labeling? The white label meaning is often confused with the private label definition, as both are fairly similar. Private labeling is when a retailer works with a manufacturer to produce products that are sold exclusively to them. 

At Pietra, we can help Creators find both private label and white label product manufacturers, depending on their business model and preferences. With thousands of products and suppliers to choose from, you can find unique products for your e-commerce store to brand as your own.

## What are the Differences Between White Labeling and Private Labeling?

Now that you know the private label and white label definitions, let’s take a look at the key differences to better understand the two production practices. The important distinction between private labeling and white labeling is exclusivity. With white labeling, any retailer can purchase a mass-produced product from a manufacturer and brand it as their own, while private labeling is when a manufacturer produces products for a retailer on their behalf. However, there are additional differences to note, such as:

- **Customizability:** Privately-labeled products can be customized, such as materials or ingredients used, while white-labeled products can’t.
- **Shipping:** White label products can be shipped and produced faster compared to private labeled products.
- **Cost:** Private label products require more investment and are often more expensive to produce than white label products.

By knowing the differences between private label and white label products, you’ll be able to determine which manufacturing process works best for your business. It’s also important to note that you can sell both white label and private label products, and Pietra can help you find the right suppliers for you.

## Benefits of White Label Manufacturing

There are several reasons why companies, both large and small, choose to use white label services for their business model. Below are some of the top benefits of white label manufacturing worth considering:

- **Low barrier to entry:** If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a great way to start your business is by investing in white label products. This is because there’s a low barrier to entry, as it doesn’t require you to have your own warehouse, design and produce your products yourself, and manage your inventory. Without these factors in your way, selling white label products is easy to get started.

- **Limited overhead costs:** Because there’s a low barrier to entry, it also means there are limited overhead costs when it comes to purchasing white label products. Through white labeling, you don’t need to purchase or rent a warehouse to store your inventory or a team of designers and manufacturers to produce your products through white labeling. With limited overhead costs, you can allocate more resources to other areas of your business, such as marketing and customer service.

- **Easy to monetize:** By purchasing mass-produced products and lightly customizing them with your branding and logo, it can be easy to turn a profit. Through bulk ordering, you can order products that are a fraction of the cost of producing those same products in-house, as the only expense you’ll need is adding your branding, logo, and packaging.  

- **Wide range of product options:** No matter your industry, you can have confidence knowing you’ll be able to find products for your brand. That’s because white label product manufacturers have countless products to choose from that you can customize. Whether you’re looking to start an online apparel store or a candle business, you can find an expansive selection of garments or scents to choose from.

- **Saves time:** One of the biggest benefits of white labeling is the time you save. Without needing to manufacture products in-house and manage a warehouse and production team, you can dedicate more time to other areas of your business, such as managing your social media channels or creating marketing campaigns.

There are numerous advantages that come with white label products, which can help you become a successful business owner. 

## What Are the Best White Label Products to Sell?

So, you know the white label meaning and the benefits that come with purchasing white label products, but what are the best ones to sell? At Pietra, you can find hundreds of manufacturers and choose between thousands of products that you can customize with your branding and logo. Some of the best white label products to sell include:

- Candles
- Jewelry
- Activewear
- Merchandise
- Apparel
- Coffee
- Cosmetics
- Tote bags
- Backpacks

As a Creator, you can work with Pietra’s supplier services to work with a manufacturer who can provide white label services. You can even order samples from any manufacturer to compare quality and specs to find products that align with your brand.

## Sell White Label Products with Pietra

Ready to start selling? Create your Pietra account today. With Pietra, you can find white label product manufacturers who can provide the inventory you need to stock your online store’s shelves with quality products to sell to customers. Creators can also work with freelance designers who can create your logo and branding for your white label products to sell as your own. 

Even better, [Pietra’s Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) allow you to store your inventory in one of our low-cost warehouses, where our team will package and ship your orders to your customers. If you’re ready to get started, learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra’s pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


At Pietra, we help Creators find high-quality manufacturers who offer white label services, so you can get your e-commerce store up and running. Learn more! 

White Label Products: Sourcing & Manufacturing | Pietra

White Label Products: Sourcing & Manufacturing

eCommerce is a booming industry, as it allows customers from across the globe to shop for products from the comfort of their homes. With that said, you may be wondering how to create an eCommerce website. Fortunately, there are website builders and e-commerce platforms that make eCommerce website development easy. 

To help you get started, we’ve created this guide on how to build an eCommerce website, as well as information on how Pietra makes it easy for Creators to create an eCommerce website.

## What Is an eCommerce Platform?

An eCommerce platform is software that allows business owners to create and manage an online store. eCommerce platforms come with many tools and resources to make it easy for business owners to manage their online store. 

Pietra is an eCommerce platform that also provides fulfillment and supplier services, helping business owners manage everything from setting up their eCommerce website to handling their inventory and shipping.

## What Are the Different Types of eCommerce Platforms?

In order to create an eCommerce website, you first need to know about the different types of eCommerce platforms. Below are the three most common types of platforms you can choose from when creating an eCommerce website:

- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): A SaaS eCommerce platform is a cloud-based software that allows you to create and host an eCommerce website. Examples of SaaS eCommerce platforms include Shopify and Pietra, which provide eCommerce website builders, payment processing, shipping, inventory management, and more. SaaS eCommerce platforms make it easy for small businesses to build an online presence and create an eCommerce website, as most functions are handled for them.

- Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): A PaaS eCommerce platform is similar to a SaaS eCommerce platform but has one added element—hardware. With a PaaS eCommerce platform, companies receive both hardware and software to run their eCommerce website and gives them the ability to develop applications. While this offers more customizability, managing a PaaS eCommerce platform requires knowledge and more resources.

- On-Premise Platform: Depending on the size and resources of your company, you can create an on-premise eCommerce platform that’s built by your web design and IT departments. However, this requires a lot of bandwidth, knowledge, and resources, which is why it’s typically only used for much larger eCommerce businesses.

These are the most common options businesses can choose from when it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform. 

## What Features Should You Look For in an eCommerce Platform?

Now that you know the different types of eCommerce platforms, it’s important to know what features to look for in the type of platform you choose so you can run your eCommerce website. Consider the features below:

- Customization features: In order to create an eCommerce website, you need to ensure it’s customizable so it can align with your brand. eCommerce website builders should have tools and features that allow you to add your brand’s color palette, logo, products, and images, as well as layouts and templates that meet your needs.

- Integration capabilities: When it comes to eCommerce website design, it’s important to have integration capabilities that allow you to use the applications you need to run your online store. For example, Shopify easily integrates with Pietra, so you can benefit from Pietra’s fulfillment and supplier services while running your store on Shopify’s platform.

- User-friendliness: As a small business owner, your focus should be on growing your brand, not figuring out how to run your website. When looking for an eCommerce platform, ensure it’s user-friendly so you can easily run your website while still having time to dedicate resources to other areas of your business. In addition to an eCommerce platform being user-friendly for you, it should also be user-friendly for your customers, with easy navigation, fast page speeds, and customer reviews.

- Mobile-friendliness: Having an eCommerce website that is mobile-friendly in this day and age is essential. As you look at eCommerce platforms, ensure it’s compatible with mobile devices, is responsive, and easy to use on a smartphone or tablet.

## How to Create an eCommerce Website

Now that you’ve picked an eCommerce platform, it’s time to build your eCommerce website. To create an eCommerce website, follow these simple steps:

1. Choose your theme: Your theme is the layout of your website, and includes elements such as your fonts, color palette, page layouts, and backgrounds.

2. Customize your website: With a theme chosen, you can begin to design your website. With Pietra, you can work with freelance designers to help customize and create your eCommerce website to ensure it aligns with your vision.

3. Add your products: After you’ve designed your website, the next step is adding your products. With Pietra, you can find suppliers and receive samples of thousands of products to find items perfect for your store.

4. Determine your shipping and fulfillment logistics: To get your products to the doorsteps of your customers, you then need to determine your fulfillment logistics. Pietra’s Fulfillment Services can manage your inventory and ship your products straight from one of our warehouses to your customers.

5. Establish your payment options: To ensure you get paid, it’s important to have several payment options for customers to choose from. Additionally, with Pietra, you can easily enter your banking information for payment.

6. Preview and publish your website: Now that all of the logistics are set up for your eCommerce website, the final step is to preview your website to ensure there are no bugs or UX issues and publish it.

## Create and Manage Your eCommerce Website with Pietra

Now that you know how to create an eCommerce website, it’s time to get started. With Pietra, we make it easy to set up shop in the Creator Marketplace to start selling your products. However, Pietra is more than just an eCommerce platform. In addition to our eCommerce website builder, you can gain access to our sourcing marketplace and built-in fulfillment services that make it easy to manage your online business. 

Additionally, Pietra Creators get access to our library of resources, such as tips on how to manage an eCommerce website or draft a business plan. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


Read this guide on how to build an eCommerce website, as well as information on how Pietra makes it easy for Creators to create an eCommerce website.

Create an eCommerce Website | Pietra

eCommerce is a booming industry, as it allows customers from across the globe to shop for products from the comfort of their homes. With that said, you may be wondering how to create an eCommerce website. Fortunately, there are website builders and e-commerce platforms that make eCommerce website development easy. 

Create and Manage Your eCommerce Website

If you’re looking to start your own eCommerce business, a great industry to tap into is the stationary industry. Custom notebooks are always in high demand, as they’re extremely versatile and used by many. But how do you start a personalized notebook business? 

In this guide below, we’ll cover everything you need to know on how to make custom notebooks to sell, from finding wholesale custom notebooks to creating an eCommerce website for people to find your products.

## 1. Choose an eCommerce platform
In order to sell custom notebooks, you’re first going to need to choose an eCommerce platform that allows you to sell your products online. Pietra is an eCommerce platform that can help you during every step of the way when it comes to creating your business. Not only can you sell your custom notebooks, but you can gain access to our sourcing marketplace and fulfillment services that allow you to create personalized notebooks and ship them to your customers.

## 2. Pick a notebook style
There is a wide range of notebook styles to choose from that can be appealing to your audience, such as:

- Notepads
- Notebooks
- Notebooks without lines
- Notebooks with calendars
- Journals
- Bullet journals
- Diaries
- Subject notebooks

You don’t have to pick just one type of notebook — having several styles of notebooks can help you attract a broader audience and make more sales. For example, you can market notebooks with calendars to business professionals or teachers while promoting journals or diaries to a younger audience. Starting your business with a small product offering can help you tap into the market and scale for the future.

## 3. Create custom notebook designs
One of the most important steps in creating a custom notebook business is designing unique covers and pages for your notebooks that attract buyers. At Pietra, you can find top-notch freelance designers who can take your ideas for your personalized notebooks and create one-of-a-kind designs that make you stand out in the market.

When creating your custom notebook designs, consider making themes, such as an ocean theme, mountain theme, or animal theme. With unique artwork and themes, you can narrow your audience and promote your notebooks to your niche segment of customers.

If you’re wondering how to make a notebook, you can find custom notebook printing services that can produce your notebooks for you. With Pietra, once you and your freelance designer have finalized your custom notebook designs, you can find a supplier to produce your notebooks, which we’ll cover more in-depth in the next step.

## 4. Find a supplier
Finding the right supplier is a crucial part when creating a custom notebook business. As you search for suppliers, it’s important to ensure they have the selection of notebook styles you’re looking for, as well as the ability to provide custom notebook printing to manufacture notebooks with your designs. 

To find the right supplier, you should sample different notebooks from different suppliers to get a sense of their quality and materials. Once you’ve chosen a supplier, you can work with them through Pietra to customize the samples you like most.

## 5. Determine your shipping and handling
Once you’ve finalized your designs and found a supplier, the next step is determining your shipping and handling logistics. With [Pietra’s Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce), you can take advantage of our many benefits, such as two-day shipping, global shipping, inventory management, and more. 

Our Fulfillment Services also provide $1 kitting and assembly, so you can ensure your brand stands out when customers receive their packages with custom inserts and packaging. With low-cost warehouse storage, you can operate your custom notebook business from anywhere in the world, as our team will take care of managing your inventory and shipping it to the doorsteps of people across the globe.


## 6. Set up your eCommerce website
Now that the logistics of your custom notebook business are complete, one of the final steps is setting up your eCommerce website. As a Pietra Creator, you’ll be able to set up shop on the Creator Marketplace that is easily configurable and can be created in a few simple clicks at no additional cost. Once your shop is live, you’ll receive your personal shop link that you can add to all of your social channels to easily sell your personalized notebooks on platforms like TikTok or Instagram.

Additionally, you can also work with Pietra’s team of freelance designers to create your custom online storefront on Shopify. Shopify is another eCommerce platform that allows you to create your own eCommerce website to sell your products, which can easily integrate with Pietra’s fulfillment and supplier services.

When creating an eCommerce website for your personalized notebook business, there are some best practices to follow, such as having category pages for all of the different types of notebooks you sell to make it easier for customers to find the notebook they’re looking for. Additionally, it’s important to work with your designers to create a website that’s user-friendly, easy to navigate, and has fast page speeds to reduce bounce rates. 

## 7. Promote your brand
To help you get started, you can work with freelance designers through Pietra to design your logo, choose a brand color palette, and create branded packaging to go with your personalized notebooks.

From there, you can start promoting your brand across your social channels like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Social media marketing is a great way to engage and interact with your followers, and reach a broader audience. Other ways to promote your custom notebook designs include email marketing and boosting organic traffic through SEO and blog articles.

At Pietra, we make it easy to integrate your account with social channels like Instagram Shopping and Google Shopping to gain more leads.

## Start a Custom Notebook Business with Pietra

Now that you know how to create a journal to sell and open a custom notebook business, it’s time to get started. At Pietra, we make it easy to open your own eCommerce store and find suppliers and fulfillment service providers to produce and ship your products. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to open your custom notebook business today.


notebook-reminding-us-that-change-is-constant.jpg

Read more on how to find a custom notebook manufacturer so you can start creating and selling your own personalized notebooks, today!

Custom Notebooks: Creating & Selling Notebooks Online | Pietra

If you’re looking to start your own eCommerce business, a great industry to tap into is the stationary industry. Custom notebooks are always in high demand, as they’re extremely versatile and used by many.

How to Start a Custom Notebook Business

Creating a brand from start to finish is no easy feat. There are countless factors to consider when building a personal brand, such as your audience, industry, and market. However, that doesn’t mean building a brand is impossible. 

Today, with platforms and resources like Pietra, you can build a brand that’s unique and true to you in a few simple steps. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to build an independent brand in seven steps.

## What Is an Independent Brand?

A personal brand is best defined as a brand people manifest and create for themselves. This could be marked by a signature look, style, personality, or other distinguishing traits. Similarly, companies have their own brand, known as an independent brand. An independent brand is how people view a company, such as their tone, messaging, aesthetic, products, and reputation. 

However, creating a successful brand doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and resources to get your organization’s name known by your audience. If you want to build your own brand, keep reading below to find our seven easy steps.

## How to Build a Brand in 7 Steps

Are you ready to build your own brand? You’re in the right place. Below, we’ll outline how to build a brand, so you can get your products and company known by people across the globe. Take a look.

### Step 1. Determine Your Purpose

The first step in creating a successful brand is determining your purpose. If you don’t have a purpose that motivates you to show up daily to help your company grow, it can be easy to stagnate and lose traction. Staying authentic to yourself will be noticed by your customers, and if you believe in the mission and values of your company, it will resonate with your audience. As you look to start an independent brand, determine the problems your organization will solve and the mission and vision that guide your actions.

### Step 2. Define Your Target Audience

The next step in building a brand is defining your target audience. It’s unrealistic to assume everyone from every background, age, and demographic will be interested in your products or services. With that said, you need to segment your customer pool to define who your true audience is to create a brand that speaks to them.

At Pietra, you can leverage the power of audience insights in your Creator Blueprint, which allows you to analyze your main social channels to determine the demographics of the people who interact with your posts and profiles. By using data collected from social channels like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, you can create buyer personas based on factors like age, gender, income, location, and interests, and use that information to create a brand that aligns with their values.

### Step 3. Conduct Market Research

One of the most important steps in building a brand is conducting market research. Before tapping into any market, you need to know the good, the bad, and the ugly to create a soundproof game plan to succeed. 

When conducting market research, find what’s missing. Are there any gaps that need to be filled? What are customers not getting? Is there anything that can be improved? Answering these questions can help you define your brand and its purpose, resulting in a company that stands out amongst its competitors.

### Step 4. Design Your Brand Logo

Think of any household name brands — you can most likely describe their logo. Your company logo can tell your brand story in one simple graphic. As an independent brand, you need to design a logo consistent with the rest of your branding (we’re talking color palettes and fonts), and captures your brand’s story.

At Pietra, we can connect you with some of the top freelance designers who can help bring your vision to life. Together, you can collaborate by sharing ideas and feedback to create a logo that’s unique and easy to identify based on its font, tagline, photography, colors, and other elements.

### Step 5. Create Your Products

The products you sell also play an integral role in spreading your brand. Through your products, you can make your brand noticed by consumers with your color palette, fonts, logo, brand voice, and more.

At Pietra, we help Creators of all backgrounds and industries create one-of-a-kind products that stay true to their brand. Through Pietra, you can find suppliers who can provide both white label and private label products that you can customize with your logo and colors, or customize from the ground up. From there, you can store your products in any of our low-cost warehouses, where the [Pietra Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) team will manage and ship inventory to your customers.

### Step 6. Create Your Website

With your products ready and brand guidelines in place, the next step is creating your website. Having an online presence is one of the best ways to make your brand noticed by a broader audience, and at Pietra, we can help make that happen.

By working with freelance designers, Creators can create an eCommerce website that aligns with their brand by sticking to their color palette, creating a clean and easy-to-navigate online storefront, and ensuring a positive user experience.

With Pietra, Creators can also set up shop on the Creator Marketplace and sell their products directly through Pietra. Or, Creators can integrate Pietra with their Shopify store to reap the benefits of our supplier and fulfillment services. With a team who can help you design your website and open your eCommerce store, you’ll be able to share your brand with the world in no time.

### Step 7. Promote Your Brand

With all the pieces in place, the last step in building a brand is promoting it across various channels. There are several routes you can take, such as social media marketing, email marketing, search engine optimization, and traditional advertising like print ads and interviews.

## Build Your Independent Brand with Pietra

Are you ready to bring your independent brand to life? Learn [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) to see how we can help you through every stage of creating a successful brand, from creating a business plan to designing your logo and building an eCommerce website. Review [Pietra pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


spa-supplies.jpg

Today, with platforms and resources like Pietra, you can build a brand that’s unique and true to you in a few simple steps. 

Create An Independent Brand in 7 Steps | Pietra

Creating a brand from start to finish is no easy feat. There are countless factors to consider when building a personal brand, such as your audience, industry, and market. However, that doesn’t mean building a brand is impossible.

Create an Independent Brand in 7 Steps

No matter the size of your business, order fulfillment is an essential task that needs to run efficiently. As a business owner, your customers drive your success, and one of the top expectations of all customers is receiving their packages on time and in good condition.

With that said, what is order fulfillment, and how does the order fulfillment process work? This guide will provide an in-depth overview of eCommerce order fulfillment and how Pietra can help you streamline your fulfillment process and run a streamlined business.

## What Does Order Fulfillment Mean?

Order fulfillment refers to the process of receiving, packing, and shipping orders to customers after they’ve purchased a product online. In eCommerce, having an order fulfillment process that runs smoothly is essential, as it ensures customers receive products from your shop on time and in quality condition.

Similarly, you might also wonder, what does order fulfilled mean? In online tracking systems, customers can often view the status of their products from the moment they purchase them, such as payment received, ready for shipping, and shipped. At the end of a package’s journey, the status will often update to order fulfilled or delivered, which means a customer received their product.

## What Is the Order Fulfillment Process?

To have an order fulfillment process that runs smoothly, you need to know each step of this process first. Below, you’ll find the stages of the order fulfillment process and the details each entails:

### **Step 1. Receive and manage inventory**
In the first step of eCommerce order fulfillment, a company will receive and manage its inventory. This step can look different from company to company, depending on how they want to manage their inventory. 

For example, some businesses may have their own warehouse and inventory team receiving their products from their manufacturers and organizing their products to be ready for shipping. In other cases, businesses may turn to order fulfillment companies, where inventory management is taken care of. 

At Pietra, our fulfillment services can do the heavy lifting for you by managing your inventory in our warehouses after your suppliers receive it.

### **Step 2. Customer places an order on your eCommerce site**

The second step of the order fulfillment process is when a customer places an order on your eCommerce website. When creating an online shop, it’s important to integrate your eCommerce website with your inventory tracking system, so the third step of the process can take place.

### **Step 3. Order information is sent to your fulfillment provider**

In the third step of the order fulfillment process, the customer’s order information is sent to your fulfillment provider. After a customer has filled their shopping cart, proceeded to checkout, and placed their order, that information will be sent to the order fulfillment center to prepare for shipping.

### **Step 4. Fulfillment team packs order**
The team providing order fulfillment services will then pack the customer’s order. If you have an in-house team and warehouse, this will take place on-premise. However, this can require a lot of time, money, and management. Often, small businesses will work with order fulfillment companies to save time and reduce overhead costs.

### **Step 5. Customer order is shipped**

In most cases, the final step is shipping the customer’s order. To increase customer satisfaction, working with an order fulfillment company that can provide fast shipping times is essential, as it can help you compete with large eCommerce giants like Amazon.

### **Step 6. Return process is handled**

There will inevitably be situations where a customer decides to return their order. Reasons can vary from product damage to accidentally ordering the wrong size. Having a streamlined order fulfillment process that can handle returns is essential, as it ensures customers receive their refund promptly.

## Why Is Order Fulfillment Important?

There are several reasons why order fulfillment is essential and why you should have an efficient process to ensure business success. Some of the top reasons why order fulfillment is important include:
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Reduced costs
- Customer loyalty
- Scalability

## What Are the Different Order Fulfillment Types?

There are different order fulfillment types that you should know about to find a process that works for your company. The most common include:

- **In-house order fulfillment:** A company handles all inventory and shipping to process customer orders.
Third-party order fulfillment:** A company outsources order fulfillment to an order fulfillment company, such as Pietra, who can manage, ship, and track inventory.
- **Drop shipping:** An order fulfillment process where an eCommerce company doesn’t house inventory themselves. Instead, the eCommerce business makes a sale, and a drop ship supplier will process the order and ship it to customers.
- **Hybrid:** When a company combines several order fulfillment types, such as keeping some inventory in-house while outsourcing order fulfillment to meet seasonal demands or sales periods.

## What Are Challenges with Order Fulfillment?

Order fulfillment can be a complicated and stressful aspect of running a business, as it requires heavy planning and logistics. With that said, several challenges can arise, such as:
- Managing inventory
- Inefficient supply chain strategy
- International shipping
- Seasonal demands

With [Pietra Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce), we can help mitigate these challenges. As a Creator, you can give your order fulfillment service provider specific instructions on how you want your orders to be packaged. This could include custom inserts, labels, and other unique packaging options to make your brand stand out. This gives you control over how your customers receive their orders without having to pack each item yourself.

Additionally, Pietra offers global flat rate shipping, the ability to manage your inventory for you, and low-cost storage in our warehouses.

## Fulfill Orders with Pietra

Are you ready to start selling and create a well-oiled business? At Pietra, we can help make that happen. We offer state-of-the-art order fulfillment services, and we can help Creators during every step of their business journey - from designing an eCommerce website to accessing educational resources to become a more robust business leader.

Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and review [Pietra pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing) to find a plan that works for you.


a-man-holding-up-packages-for-fulfillment.jpg

What is order fulfillment, and how does the order fulfillment process work? Learn how Pietra can help you streamline your order fulfillment process and run a streamlined business.

What is Order Fulfillment: Strategy & Process | Pietra

What is Order Fulfillment?

If you're eager to start an online business, a popular avenue is drop shipping. Drop shipping can be a high-profit, low-investment business venture if done correctly, as it requires limited startup costs thanks to third-party suppliers doing a bulk of the work for you. 

But what is drop shipping, and is drop shipping a smart business decision? In this article, we'll go into detail about the logistics of drop shipping, including the benefits of drop shipping, common drawbacks, and how to choose drop shipping suppliers.

## What Does Drop Ship Mean?

Drop shipping is an order fulfillment method that doesn't require entrepreneurs to hold inventory themselves. Instead, a third-party drop shipping supplier will process orders and ship them to customers after a business makes a sale.

Drop shipping is a popular e-commerce business model, as it allows online store owners to run a business without having to have a warehouse of inventory that they have to sort through and restock when a customer makes a purchase. Because drop shipping companies don't own the inventory they sell, they mark up the products they purchase from suppliers when a customer buys that product to make a profit.

## How Does Drop Shipping Work?

Now that you know what drop shipping means, let's dive into the nitty gritty and explore how the process of drop shipping works. These are the typical steps you can expect when you open a drop shipping company:

- **Seller opens an online store:** To start a drop shipping company, you first need to open an online store. Online stores span a wide range of industries, such as fashion, home appliances, makeup, home decor, tools, etc. Do your research to find a niche that's not overly saturated to help ensure success.
- **Retailer sells products to consumers:** After you've picked a niche and created your e-commerce website, the next step is selling your products to customers. To become a successful drop shipping company, make sure to market your products and generate leads.
- **Retailer sends orders to a supplier:** Once a customer purchases an item on your website, information will be sent to your drop shipping suppliers or drop shipping wholesalers.
- **Supplier fulfills orders and sends them to customers:** After your drop shipping wholesalers or suppliers received a customer's purchase information, they'll fulfill their order and ship it. Drop ship suppliers will have their own inventory of products that you sell for them at a marked-up price to earn a profit, eliminating the need for you to process the shipping and handling.

## What Are the Benefits of Drop Shipping?

There are several benefits of drop shipping that lure prospective entrepreneurs into this type of business model. If you're considering drop shipping, see if these benefits align with your goals:

- **Flexibility:** Drop shipping is extremely flexible. Because drop shipping companies don't require a warehouse to store inventory, business owners can run their operations from anywhere, whether at home or across the country at a coffee shop.
- **Low overhead costs:** One of the biggest benefits of drop shipping is the limited amount of overhead costs. Without renting out a warehouse or purchasing inventory, drop shipping companies need only a few key pieces of equipment, such as a laptop.
- **Reduced startup risks:** Many aspiring entrepreneurs get interested in drop shipping due to its low barrier to entry. Without the need for a physical warehouse or brick-and-mortar storefront, there are limited startup risks.
- **Scalability:** Once you figure out a drop shipping system that works for you, scaling becomes much easier. After establishing a brand and growing your audience, you'll be able to up the inventory or products you offer by working with your drop shipping suppliers.
- **Wide range of product options:** A final benefit of drop shipping is the ability to have a wide range of product options. Without the need to stock your own inventory and manage a warehouse, you can work with drop shipping suppliers to create an expansive collection of items to sell on your online store.

## What Are the Challenges with Drop Shipping?

While there are many benefits of drop shipping, there are several challenges to be aware of that can result in a failed business venture. Before jumping into the drop shipping industry, weigh these cons to ensure you're making a wise decision:

- **Delivery time:** One of the top drawbacks of drop shipping is delivery time. Because you don't run your own warehouse and carry your own inventory, it can take days or weeks for customers to receive their orders. Pietra's Fulfillment Services allows you to order a small amount of inventory to store in a U.S. warehouse, allowing you to ship products to your customers within 24 hours.
- **Lack of customization:** Another challenge with drop shipping is the lack of customization. Drop shipping wholesalers often have little or no customization features for you to create your own brand. With Pietra, you can create custom products with the help of our suppliers and freelance designers to make your products stand out and sell something more unique.
- **Lower profit margin:** A significant drawback of drop shipping is a lower profit margin. Drop shipping can be very competitive because it's easy to start. With that said, many drop shipping companies sell their products at very low costs to beat out the competition —  typically resulting in lower profits.
- **Competition:** To become one of the best drop shipping companies, you will likely have to deal with high levels of competition. This is because there are little overhead costs, limited risk for entry, and an easy startup process.

## Why Use Pietra's Fulfillment Services Over Drop Shipping?

Drop shipping may seem like an enticing business endeavor due to its low barrier to entry, limited overhead costs, and flexibility. However, drop shipping can also be highly challenging for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially because of its low profit margin and high competition.

With Pietra, you earn many of the benefits of drop shipping without the added drawbacks. Through our Fulfillment Services, Creators still have great flexibility, only needing their laptop to manage their business and work with suppliers and shippers. Additionally, because Creators don't need a warehouse or take care of inventory, there are limited overhead costs and risks. While suppliers have minimum order quantities, orders can still be customized, so you have a manageable number of products ready for shipping.

However, Pietra allows you to customize tens of thousands of products spanning a wide range of industries, from makeup to candles and everything in between. Unlike drop shipping, which doesn't give business owners the ability to customize, Pietra makes it easy to find quality products that you can make your own with your logo, graphics, and other visual elements. This makes it easy to compete in competitive markets and stand out. On top of that, your customers can benefit from two-day shipping on most orders, whereas drop shipping can take multiple days or weeks.

## Start Selling with Pietra Today

Drop shipping can be a lucrative business venture if done correctly. However, running a successful drop shipping company can be challenging due to high competition and lower profit margins. At Pietra, we can help you create and sell products that align with your brand and business goals.

Like drop shipping, you can work with Pietra's approved suppliers to order and ship products to customers. The difference is that you can create custom products with your brand and logo to make your business stand out. When a customer makes a purchase, our fulfillment services will ship your products straight from the factory to Pietra and to your customer.

Read more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and [about how Pietra helps Creators](https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/30/pietra-raises-15m-from-founders-fund-to-help-creators-launch-their-own-product-lines/).

Drop Shipping is when a third-party supplier will process orders and ship them directly to customers after a business makes a sale. Read more!

What Is Drop Shipping | Pietra Studio

If you're eager to start an online business, a popular avenue is drop shipping. Drop shipping can be a high-profit, low-investment business venture if done correctly, as it requires limited startup costs thanks to third-party suppliers doing a bulk of the work for you.

What Is Drop Shipping?

Makeup is a great form of expression, and if you've had an interest in the beauty industry, you may be wondering how to start your own makeup line. While creating a makeup business might seem intimidating at first, there are countless resources and platforms that can help you get started. 

Have a product in mind but [don't know where to begin](https://www.pietrastudio.com/sell-on-pietra/register)? Review our step-by-step guide on how to start a makeup line below.

## Step 1. Find a niche or gap in the market

If you're wondering how to start a makeup business, your first assignment is finding a niche or gap in the market that helps you stand out. To do this, think about your own makeup routine and what's lacking. Or, consider your own passion for makeup and think of ideas that you can make to an existing product to make it better. Both routes allow you to differentiate yourself from the thousands of competitors in the market.

Let's look at Ella McFadin as an example. Ella was well-known for her minimal makeup routine, which primarily consisted of blush. Passionate about highlighting her natural glow without the need for a full makeup look, Ella decided to launch Skin by Ella Rose. Her primary product? A simple cream blush for an everyday look that emphasizes natural beauty. With that deep passion and a product in mind, Ella was able to see tremendous success with her makeup line.

To help you get started, some niches or gaps to consider may be vegan or cruelty-free makeup, makeup for more diverse complexions, or adding a twist to a popular product to make it stand out even more.

## Step 2. Use your Pietra Creator business plan

The next step in how to sell makeup is writing a makeup line business plan. At Pietra, we have educational resources accessible to all Creators to help them run a successful online business. This also includes our Creator Blueprint, which can act as your makeup line business plan. With our business plan, you don't need to worry about creating one yourself and figuring out the logistics. Here are the many components:

- Find a makeup supplier to work with
- Order makeup samples to test the quality
- Select the features and customizations for your products
- Hire a creative freelancer to design your logo and artwork
- Order a production run
- Ship makeup products to Pietra's Fulfillment Center
- Have an introductory business setup call with the warehouse
- Connect your website with Pietra's services
- Create content to promote your makeup brand
- Start selling your makeup and have Pietra ship your customer's orders to their home

## Step 3. Find a makeup supplier

Once your makeup product idea is formalized, it's time to find a makeup supplier to start selling your products. When choosing a makeup supplier, consider these factors:

- **Formulas:** Review the formulas used in each makeup product. At Pietra, we have a wide selection of makeup manufacturers, including those who create vegan and cruelty-free formulas.
- **Production process:** Determine whether you're interested in private labeling or contract manufacturing. With private labeling, you can attach your brand to an already existing makeup product, while contract manufacturing allows you to partake in each step of the production process.

  This includes creating the formula, finding the right packaging, and designing the labeling. With Pietra, you can find suppliers who offer both production processes to align with your brand vision.
- **Product quality:** One of the top factors to consider is product quality. The last thing people want is makeup that doesn't meet their expectations. Through Pietra, you can order samples before committing to a full makeup line to ensure it checks off each of your boxes.
- **Shipping:** In today's fast-paced world, consumers expect products to show up at their door quickly. When looking for suppliers for your makeup line, review their shipping, handling, and return processes. Pietra Fulfillment Services allow you to ship worldwide and offer your customers two-day shipping.
- **Packaging:** Your packaging is just as important as your logo and makeup containers. With Pietra, you can work with suppliers to create custom packaging that makes your brand stand out.

## Step 4. Create custom packaging + branding

To make your makeup business succeed, you need to clearly define your brand. In the beauty space, your packaging, makeup containers, and logo are vital to your success. Remember, makeup is an art, and consumers want to buy makeup products that catch their eye and allow them to envision who they can become.

Pietra can help you find creative freelancers to bring your brand vision to life. Not only can they help you create custom packaging, but you can find freelance designers to create your logo and build your online website to draw consumers in.

## Step 5. Create an online shop

With most of your business logistics taken care of, the next step on how to start your own makeup line is creating an online shop. There are several options when it comes to opening an online store. You can set up shop on an eCommerce platform like Pietra, where you can sell on the Pietra Creator Marketplace. Or, you can work with freelance web designers to create your own website on platforms like Shopify.

With Pietra, we can help you sell your makeup on various channels. Not only do we have the Pietra Creator Marketplace, but we easily integrate with Shopify and social media storefronts like Instagram Shopping and Google Shopping.

## Step 6. Promote your products

The final step in how to create a makeup business is promoting your products. In a competitive industry like beauty, it can be hard to stand out. However, there are several ways to promote your products and gain more visibility, such as social media marketing and SEO. At Pietra, you'll gain access to educational resources aimed at helping small business owners succeed, including tips on how to effectively market your brand.

Creating content is an essential component to running a successful online business. Content can range from blog posts on your website to social media posts on Instagram and TikTok. As a Creator, engaging with your customers can help you grow your makeup line and reach a broader audience. 

To leverage the community you've built, respond to comments, host product giveaways, create social media challenges centered around your brand, and post various types of content, such as videos, photos, and infographics. Doing so is an excellent way of relating to your customer base and making your makeup line more recognizable.

## Start Your Makeup Business with Pietra

You made it—you now know how to start your own makeup line. Pietra provides the services and resources that help any aspiring business owner succeed. From finding suppliers to designing custom packing, Pietra makes it easy to start a makeup line. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and read customer success stories by reviewing PR on [how Pietra helps Creators](https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/30/pietra-raises-15m-from-founders-fund-to-help-creators-launch-their-own-product-lines/).

While creating a makeup business might seem intimidating at first, there are countless resources and platforms that can help you get started. Read to learn how Pietra can help your makeup business, Today!

How To Start Your Own Makeup Line | Pietra Studio

Makeup is a great form of expression, and if you’ve had an interest in the beauty industry, you may be wondering how to start your own makeup line. While creating a makeup business might seem intimidating at first, there are countless resources and platforms that can help you get started.

How to Start Your Own Makeup Line

One of the most challenging aspects of running an online store is managing the shipping and handling of customers' orders. When handling customer service, creating marketing campaigns, and running a website, it can be hard to add more responsibilities on top, especially tracking down products and shipping them to the right address.

Fortunately, shipping for small businesses is made easy with Pietra. At Pietra, we can help with Shopify shipping, managing inventory, and much more. Below, we'll provide small business shipping tips, information on Pietra's Fulfillment Services, and more. Keep reading to see how we can help you streamline your operations and become a successful eCommerce business.

## What Is Pietra?

Pietra is an eCommerce platform designed to help small businesses succeed. With Pietra, Creators can work with manufacturers to produce products, freelance designers to create logos, packaging, and websites, and fulfillment partners to ship items to customers.

Whether you want to start a candle business or a jewelry company, you can start selling online with Pietra today. Without the need for a warehouse to store inventory or a production line to build products, you can manage your online business anywhere in the world, from your couch to a cruise ship at sea.

## How Can Pietra Help with Shipping?

As a small business owner, competing with online retail giants like Amazon and Walmart can be intimidating, especially with their shipping capacity and prices that lure customers in. Fortunately, even with rising shipping costs, small businesses can save on shipping even with fast turnaround times.

[Pietra Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) can help businesses of any scale handle their inventory and shipping. At Pietra, we offer some of the cheapest shipping for small business options, so you can offer your customers fast and convenient shipping at an affordable price. Below are some of the reasons why we're known for having the best shipping for small businesses:

- $1 flat rate for fulfillment around the world
- 2-day shipping
- Variable shipping rates on orders over 2-pounds
- $29 eCommerce photography
- $1 kitting and assembly
- $1/mo per cubic foot storage

With the tools to manage suppliers, logistics, and co-packing, you'll be able to scale your shipping services as your business grows to ensure premier customer service and fast shipping times.

## What Are Costs Associated with Shipping?

Looking for the cheapest shipping for small businesses is a priority for most eCommerce companies. By finding affordable shipping, you'll be able to reduce costs and provide economical shipping options to customers to keep them happy. To keep shipping costs low, knowing what factors can affect shipping prices is key. Take a look below:

- **Shipping supplies:** Small business shipping supplies, such as tape, packing paper, and shipping boxes for small businesses, are all costs that can add up. Research what types of supplies you need and the right size package to keep costs low.
- **Courier costs:** Another expense when it comes to shipping are courier costs, which are the costs couriers like UPS, USPS, and FedEx charge to transport and deliver packages.
- **Labor:** The labor required to fulfill orders and transport them is also worth considering. As you look for a shipping service, ask for their rates and compare prices.

These are some of the top costs associated with shipping. To keep your shipping prices reasonable, research multiple shipping services and compare their prices to find a shipper who can help offer your customers an affordable price. At Pietra, our Fulfillment Services offer a $1 flat rate for fulfillment globally with 2-day shipping.

## Pietra Shipping FAQs

### Can Pietra Integrate with Shopify?

Yes, Pietra easily integrates with Shopify. Shopify is one of the world's largest eCommerce platforms. If you run your online store on Shopify but are looking for a fulfillment provider, look no further than Pietra. With Shopify shipping integration capabilities, you can offer your customers our affordable and fast shipping rates to attract more leads and increase sales. 

### Does Pietra Ship Internationally?

Yes, Pietra offers global shipping services, which means you can send your products to homes worldwide. By selling your products globally at one flat rate, you'll be able to tap into markets across the world and grow your brand by giving people access to affordable shipping rates.

### What Is Pietra's Return Policy?

One of the top small business shipping tips is having a strong return policy. Unfortunately, not everyone will be satisfied with your product, whether they ordered the wrong shirt size, received a defective product, or were simply unsatisfied. Having a clear return policy in place can make it easier for customers to return products and companies to process returns while saving money.

When it comes to Pietra's return policy, it depends on your sales channel. For example, if you sold a product from the Pietra Marketplace, customers will benefit from a free return policy. However, if a return comes from a connected sales channel, such as with Shopify, you will be in charge of the customer service regarding the return policy.

### How Else Can Pietra Help My Small Business?

Pietra does much more than offering fulfillment services and providing Shopify shipping. In addition to our shipping and fulfillment services, we help by streamlining supplier communication, organizing supplier payments, and helping with international logistics.

Along with shipping for small businesses, Pietra can work with you throughout every step of your business journey. If you're just getting started, Pietra can pair you with freelance designers to create your online store and get it up and running. You can work with freelancers to design your logos, packaging, and more. 

We can also help you find suppliers and teach you how to print shipping labels for small businesses or ways to run a strong eCommerce business with our library of educational resources.

## Ship Products with Pietra Today

Are you ready to streamline your shipping to offer your customers affordable rates and fast turnaround times? If so, look no further than Pietra. From $1 fulfillment and 2-day shipping to offering Shopify shipping, we can help streamline your operations to run an efficient business.

Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) to see how we can help, and read real success stories through [PR about how Pietra helps Creators](https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/30/pietra-raises-15m-from-founders-fund-to-help-creators-launch-their-own-product-lines/).

At Pietra, we can help with Shopify shipping, managing inventory, and more. Read how Pietra provides small business shipping tips and information on Pietra's Fulfillment Services.

How Pietra can help with shipping | Pietra Studio

One of the most challenging aspects of running an online store is managing the shipping and handling of customer's orders. When handling customer service, creating marketing campaigns, and running a website, it can be hard to add more responsibilities on top, especially tracking down products and shipping them to the right address.

How Pietra Can Help With Shipping

No matter your candy preference, there's sure to be someone with a similar taste as you. Whether you have a sweet tooth for chocolate or prefer sour gummies, the candy industry knows how to fulfill anyone's cravings. With that said, if you have a passion for sweets and a dream of becoming an entrepreneur, you may consider opening your own custom candy line.

Maybe you have your own custom candy you make at home that you'd like to monetize, or perhaps you're brand-new to the candy market but want to get started. No matter where you are in your journey, we can teach you how to sell candy. In our step-by-step guide, you'll learn how to sell candy from your home with your own online shop. Let's get started.

## 1. Find an eCommerce Platform

The first step in how to sell candy is finding an eCommerce platform that gives you the tools and resources to open up an online shop. There are several eCommerce platforms to choose from that operate differently, such as open-source and SaaS platforms. Additionally, it's important to research each eCommerce platform's offerings and services, such as web support, shipping and fulfillment services, and so forth.

Pietra is an eCommerce platform that helps thousands of business owners sell their products worldwide. At Pietra, you can access educational resources for business owners to help you become a successful shop owner, and benefit from social media integration, assembly and kitting, and much more.

Additionally, Pietra integrates seamlessly with Shopify, one of the world's largest eCommerce platforms. If you have a Shopify website but are interested in Pietra's sourcing and fulfillment sources, we can help connect your online business to our services to bring your store to the next level.

## 2. Determine Your Niche

After you've found an eCommerce platform to run your custom candy company from, it's time to find your niche. The candy industry is vast, with countless companies vying for the top position. To stand out, you need to make a name for yourself by specializing in a particular type of candy that your customers love.

For example, you can create personalized candies for shoppers to order for special events, create vegan candy and gluten-free candy to tap into a fastly growing market, or specialize in a certain type of candy, such as chocolates or sweets.

Take Suckerz, for example. [Suckerz](https://suckerz.com) created their candy product on Pietra and is known for one key characteristic—their products contain 67% less sugar. Candy can be synonymous with unhealthy. However, Suckerz found a way to provide a sweet treat without some of the negative health benefits of containing too much sugar. Suckerz could stand out in a sea of competitors by creating a spin on the classic ball lollipop.

## 3. Research Suppliers

After narrowing down the niche you want to specialize in, you need to research suppliers who can bring your vision for custom candies to life. This is an integral step in how to sell candy because you want to ensure you're creating and selling a product that will perform well in the market. As you research suppliers, consider these qualities:

- **Ingredients:** The key ingredient to any good candy is its ingredients. Depending on how you want to define your brand, think of the ingredients you want or don't want in your products.

Take Suckerz, for example. Their vision was a tasty lollipop but without the excess sugar. During this process, consider what you enjoy, conduct market research to find what consumers enjoy, and find a supplier with the ingredients you need for your custom candies.
- **Quality:** Another important factor to consider is the quality of the candy your supplier produces. The last thing you want is chocolate that melts too fast or custom candies that crumble very easily. Read product reviews and testimonials to see what customers have to say.
- **Customer service:** You want to ensure you can easily contact your candy supplier should any issues arise. Look to see what their customer service offerings look like, such as 24/7 support, a live chat, or other features.
- **Customization:** To create customized candies, your supplier will need the tools and bandwidth to do so. As you research custom candy suppliers, ensure they have the resources to create personalized candies for your customers.

At Pietra, we have a vast network of custom candy suppliers for you to choose from. With each supplier, you can order samples of personalized candies to ensure they meet your expectations. By ordering samples, you'll be able to provide feedback and work together to create a final product your customers will love.

## 4. Choose a Fulfillment Partner

With a supplier picked out, the next step for selling custom candy is finding a fulfillment partner who can store your inventory and ship products to customers when they place an order. As you search for a fulfillment partner, consider their shipping options, packaging, and costs.

[Pietra's Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) allow you to ship globally with several shipment options, such as $1 fulfillment and 2-day shipping, wholesale fulfillment, and more.

## 5. Create Your Brand

One of the most essential steps in starting a custom candy store is creating a strong and identifiable brand. When it comes to personalized candy, color and packaging plays a vital role. Remember—your goal is to appeal to your audience's senses, so create a logo and packaging that lures them in and gives them a glimpse of what they'll taste.

At Pietra, we can connect you with freelance designers who can help bring your brand vision to life. From creating custom candy bar wrappers to designing your logo and building your website, Pietra can help you get your candy business off the ground. Our database of freelance designers can also help create custom packaging, so when your custom candies show up on a customer's doorstep, they'll be greeted with a surprise.

## 6. Open Your Online Store

The last step in how to sell candy from home is opening your online store. With your eCommerce platform, supplier, and fulfillment partner picked out, it's time to finalize your website design and ensure it's ready for customers. Additionally, take time to market your brand through social media, word of mouth, and press releases.

At Pietra, we make it easy to start your custom candy business and sell on various platforms, such as the Pietra Creator Marketplace, Shopify, Instagram Shopping, Google Shopping, and more.

## Start Selling Custom Candy with Pietra Today

You made it. You now know how to sell candy and create a brand that customers love. At Pietra, we have the tools and resources needed for you to succeed. If you're ready to get started, learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works), and read up on [PR about how Pietra helps Creators](https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/30/pietra-raises-15m-from-founders-fund-to-help-creators-launch-their-own-product-lines/).

We've created an all-encompassing guide on how to start a custom candy business. Read on to learn six steps to get your candy business up and running.

How To Sell Your Custom Candy | Pietra Studio

No matter your candy preference, there's sure to be someone with a similar taste as you. Whether you have a sweet tooth for chocolate or prefer sour gummies, the candy industry knows how to fulfill anyone's cravings. With that said, if you have a passion for sweets and a dream of becoming an entrepreneur, you may consider opening your own custom candy line.

How to Sell Your Custom Candy

If you've been toying with the idea of opening an online business, you may have wondered what niche to hop into. There are countless items you can sell online, but one of the most popular and lucrative is the jewelry industry. Jewelry comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and forms, allowing you to carve out a space for you to create a unique brand. But getting started and finding jewelry manufacturers may seem like a challenge.

In this guide, we'll cover how to find a jewelry manufacturer so you can start creating and selling your own pieces. In six simple steps, you'll be on your way to running a successful online jewelry store.

## 1. Determine the types of jewelry you want to create

The first step in finding custom jewelry manufacturers is determining the types of jewelry you want to create and sell. Finding your niche can help you define your target audience and help limit your scope. This is important because you don't want to have an incohesive collection of jewelry that spans different styles and makes it difficult for your audience to understand your brand.

When it comes to the types of jewelry you want to create, think about the type of jewelry you like, potential gaps in the market, or ways to put a twist on a classic piece of jewelry. You can also focus on a certain type of jewelry, such as earrings, necklaces, rings, or bracelets, or consider a market, such as high-end jewelry or bohemian jewelry. Finding a way to distinguish yourself and show your customers your personality goes a long way in the jewelry industry.

## 2. Develop your designs

Once you've determined your niche, it's time to start developing your designs. To develop a design, you'll need computer-aided designs (CADs). CADs can help you create a wide range of products including jewelry, and are beneficial in that they help you make necessary modifications and alterations if needed.

However, creating CADs can seem intimidating, especially if you lack the computer design skills needed to create jewelry concepts. At Pietra, we can pair you with freelance designers who can help you bring your vision to life. When consulting with a freelance designer, you can run your ideas by them and provide real-time feedback and suggestions to create a unique piece of jewelry that speaks to you.

However, you may find a jewelry manufacturer who has in-house support when it comes to creating CADs. Regardless, this is an essential step for any jewelry designer when it comes to creating a custom piece.

## 3. Research different jewelry manufacturers

Not all jewelry manufacturers for small businesses are the same, which means you need to do your due diligence when it comes to finding the right custom fashion jewelry manufacturer for you. As stated, you can find jewelry manufacturers who can help you create your own unique designs, and Pietra can help you source suppliers that can help you define your brand.

However, you can also look into private label jewelry manufacturers. Working with private label jewelry manufacturers is a more affordable option and great for first-time jewelry business owners. This is because when you work with a private label jewelry manufacturer, you can choose pre-made jewelry with lower MOQ's and sell it as your own with your custom packaging. At Pietra, we have over 5,000 private label jewelry products on our marketplace.

## 4. Screen each jewelry manufacturer

Once you've narrowed down your list of custom jewelry manufacturers, it's important to screen each manufacturer to ensure they deliver products that meet your expectations. By interviewing each jewelry manufacturer, you can ensure the jewelry they produce aligns with your brand and vision. Some key topics to talk to your manufacturer about include:

- Minimum order quantities (MOQ's)
- Production costs
- Production turnaround times
- Shipping process
- Quality assurance process
- Materials
- Ability to handle special materials and processes

### Start Selling With Pietra

By covering these topics, you can ensure the jewelry manufacturer has the tools and experience needed to create the products you intend to sell, as well as measures in place to ensure quality and efficiency are in place.

## 5. Order samples of your product designs

After screening various jewelry manufacturers, take the opportunity to order samples of your product designs. By ordering samples, you'll be able to see first-hand if the products are what you envisioned. During this time, you'll be able to make any alterations and work with your manufacturer by providing feedback.

At Pietra, you can order samples from any supplier you want to work with. This process is an essential step to running a successful online jewelry business, as it helps you work toward your final design that will be shipped to your customers.

## 6. Start selling

Now that you've screened and chosen a custom jewelry manufacturer, it's time to get to the fun part—opening your eCommerce site and selling your jewelry pieces. In today's day and age, running an online store is easy, especially with eCommerce platforms like Pietra.

With Pietra, you can set up shop on the Creator Marketplace and work with freelance designers to set up your page and teach you how to manage your online store. Pietra also can connect with Shopify, so if you run a Shopify store but want to leverage the power of [Pietra's Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) or other services, we can help make that happen.

## Find a Jewelry Manufacturer with Pietra

At Pietra, we can help you find a jewelry manufacturer who can help you design and produce your custom jewelry pieces. Throughout every step of forming your online jewelry business, Pietra can help. Not only can you find jewelry manufacturers, but Pietra can handle all fulfillment services for you, so you don't have to worry about tracking inventory or renting a warehouse.

Additionally, Pietra can help you find freelance designers to create your logos, packaging, and artwork, all of which are vital to welcoming customers into perusing your jewelry items. See success stories by reviewing [PR about how Pietra helps Creators](https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/30/pietra-raises-15m-from-founders-fund-to-help-creators-launch-their-own-product-lines/), and learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works).

Read more on how to find a jewelry manufacturer so you can start creating and selling your own jewelry pieces, today!

How to find a jewelry manufacturer | Pietra Studio

If you've been toying with the idea of opening an online business, you may have wondered what niche to hop into. There are countless items you can sell online, but one of the most popular and lucrative is the jewelry industry. Jewelry comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and forms, allowing you to carve out a space for you to create a unique brand. But getting started and finding jewelry manufacturers may seem like a challenge.

How to Find a Jewelry Manufacturer

An eCommerce platform is a type of software that allows the purchasing and selling of products online anywhere across the globe. eCommerce can follow various business models, such as business to business (B2B), business to consumer (B2C), and consumer to consumer (C2C). With so many ways to sell and buy online, using eCommerce solutions is important for any business, as it allows you to reach an audience anywhere in the world.

Whether you’re a startup or a successful small business, knowing how to use an eCommerce platform is important. In this guide, we’ll cover what an eCommerce platform is, the different types, how to find the best eCommerce platform, and more.

## What Are the Different Types of eCommerce Platforms?

While there are various business models a company can fall under when using an eCommerce platform, such as B2B or B2C, there are different types of eCommerce platforms a business must choose from first. eCommerce platforms can run on various types of software to help a business’s website run. These types of eCommerce solutions include:

- **SaaS:** SaaS, an abbreviation for software as a service, refers to software stored in the cloud rather than on your own computer, which can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection and computing device. An eCommerce platform that uses SaaS offers many benefits, such as not having to download large files or software to your computer, ease of use, affordability, security, and integration capabilities. In most cases, new or small businesses will start with an eCommerce platform that uses SaaS.

  Pietra is an example of an eCommerce platform that uses SaaS, and we can help turn any business idea into a thriving eCommerce business.

- **PaaS:** PaaS stands for platform as a service and is when a company’s own software can be integrated with other business applications. PaaS is also hosted on the cloud by the provider, but gives companies the tools and applications it needs to manage their eCommerce workload.
- **Proprietary software:** Unlike SaaS and PaaS, proprietary or on-premise software is when a company hosts its own eCommerce solutions. While this can give businesses more autonomy and creativity, it can be very expensive, time-consuming, and complicated.

Now that you know about the different types of eCommerce platforms and the software that can power them, let’s take a look at how to choose an eCommerce platform for your business.

## How to Choose an eCommerce Platform

If you’re ready to start selling online, you may be wondering how to choose an eCommerce platform that works for your business. Here’s what you should consider when looking for the best platform for an eCommerce website:

- **Price:** Most eCommerce platforms will charge a monthly fee to use their services. As with any financial decision, make sure to review the price to ensure it aligns with your budget. Pietra has a few plan options starting as low as $39/month.
- **Integrations:** As a business, you’ll have several software that will need to work together to deliver the perfect customer experience, such as your CRM and payment transaction software. This means the eCommerce platform you choose should work harmoniously with them. Pietra, for example, can easily integrate with several programs, such as Shopify and Instagram, to grow your business.
- **Customer Service:** When using an eCommerce platform, quality customer service is a must to ensure your website is running properly and customers can access it easily. Pietra is prepared to support you with processing returns and exchanges in a timely manner to get your customers the best experience.
- **Scalability:** The best eCommerce platforms will be able to grow with you as you scale your business. Pietra is completely scalable and can help manage eCommerce businesses of all sizes. This make it easier to connect as many sales channels as you want, organize supplier communication and shipments, and more.

These are just some of the many factors to consider when searching for the best platform for an eCommerce website. No matter the solution you choose, ensure it’s easy to use, can integrate with your current website, and grow with you.

## Why Choose Pietra?

At Pietra, we offer more than just eCommerce solutions. We can help you turn any business idea into a thriving venture, whether it’s starting your own candle business or opening up an online apparel shop.

With Pietra, you can work with freelance designers to create a logo, brand guidelines, and more. You can also use our fulfillment services to ensure your products get to your customers’ doorsteps, use our sourcing marketplace to find envelopes and packaging, and find suppliers or manufacturers to help create your products.

Once your business is up and running, you can start selling on Pietra’s [Creator Marketplace](https://www.pietrastudio.com/marketplace/). With your own online shop managed by our team, you can boost sales and grow your audience and get a shareable link for your social media channels like Instagram and TikTok.

In addition to the Creator Marketplace, Pietra seamlessly integrates with Shopify, allowing you to manage backend tasks like order fulfillment while running your website on Shopify. If you’re looking for an eCommerce platform for wholesale, Pietra is your answer. To learn more, browse our [Pietra eCommerce FAQs](https://pietra.zendesk.com/hc/en-us).

## What are the Benefits of Using an eCommerce Platform?

Some of the top reasons you should work with an eCommerce platform include:

- **Heightened security:** eCommerce platforms have extensive security measures, such as encryption, to ensure payments and customer data are secure.
- **Improved customer experience:** When integrating an eCommerce solution with your existing software, you can greatly improve your user experience by streamlining the purchasing process.
- **Trackable inventory:** Keeping track of inventory can be a challenge. However, eCommerce solutions with inventory management help ensure shelves are stocked and inventory is moving.

## Start Selling With Pietra

Pietra is your all-in-one eCommerce solution. With Pietra, you not only have the ability to open your own Pietra Shop, but you can work with freelance designers to help build your website or design logos, find wholesalers to source products, and fulfill your orders so you can place your products in the homes of people around the world.

Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and the ways we can help you bring your next business idea to life.

An eCommerce platform is a type of software that allows the purchasing and selling of products online anywhere across the globe. Learn more!

What Is An eCommerce Platform | Pietra Studio

An eCommerce platform is a type of software that allows the purchasing and selling of products online anywhere across the globe. eCommerce can follow various business models, such as business to business (B2B), business to consumer (B2C), and consumer to consumer (C2C). With so many ways to sell and buy online, using eCommerce solutions is important for any business, as it allows you to reach an audience anywhere in the world.

What Is an eCommerce Platform?

If you have a passion for creation — whether it’s candles or home decor — you can turn that interest into a flourishing business by creating an online store. Over the past several years, eCommerce businesses have been skyrocketing, allowing consumers to purchase products from the comfort of their homes.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? Now’s the time. In this guide, we’ll provide six steps on how to create an online store so that you can become a successful entrepreneur.

## How to Create an Online Store

If you’ve been wondering how to create an online business, you’re in the right place. Whether it’s an online jewelry store or an online clothing store, there are a few simple steps you can follow to get your company off the ground.

At Pietra, we can help make this happen by giving you all the tools you need to get started. Take a look at how to create an online store below.

### Step 1. Formalize Your Idea

The first step in forming any business is coming up with your idea. If you have a passion you want to share with others, whether it’s making apparel or designing clothes, formalizing your idea and determining where you want to take it is where you should start.

From there, you’ll then be able to create a business plan. A business plan outlines your company’s goals and objectives and serves as a roadmap for you to follow as you grow and scale your business. At Pietra, we can take your information and ideas and help create a business plan for you. There are a few critical components of an effective business plan, including:

- Executive summary
- Company description
- Market analysis
- Organization and management
- Products and services description
- Marketing and sales information
- Funding request
- Financial projections

At Pietra, we provide users with a wide array of business resources, including a library of tools, resources, and workshops. At Pietra, new business owners can take a free business class to ensure the success of their online store and access videos and tools to grow.

### Step 2. Pick an eCommerce Solution

Once you’ve crafted your business plan for your online store, the next step is finding an eCommerce solution for you to start selling your products. eCommerce platforms can vary depending on their integration capabilities, extensions, and features. It’s essential to take time to research different platforms to determine what features and integrations you need to start your online store.

Pietra is the perfect place to start. We’re more than just an eCommerce storefront. With Pietra, you can create an online store from start to finish. You can work with freelance designers to create a logo, find suppliers to create products for your store, and access our fulfillment services that will manage your inventory for you.

### Step 3. Create Brand Guidelines

In order for your online store to succeed, you need to create a brand identity that consumers will remember. Whether you already have an idea in mind or don’t know where to start, Pietra can help. With Pietra, you can work with highly-talented freelance designers to help create your logo, develop branding guidelines, take product photography, and help design your website.

When creating your brand guidelines, there are certain aspects to consider, such as:

- Font size
- Color scheme
- Page layout
- Photography/videography aesthetic

Staying consistent with your brand guidelines can help make your online store more distinguishable from your competitors.

### Step 4. Add Products to your Store

The next step to creating an online store is adding products to your online shop. There are a few key components needed when adding products to your store, including:

- **Product descriptions:** A product description is a brief description that summarizes what the product is, including materials, sizes, colors, and why a shopper needs the product.
- **Product images:** The images of your products are what get them sold, which means you need product photography that fully encapsulates every angle of the product.
- **Category pages:** Products should also be arranged in categories so shoppers can browse similar products. For example, an online jewelry store can add hoop earrings and stud earrings to the category “earrings.”

At Pietra, you can source products at steep discounts from more than 50 product categories, such as candles, lotions, and even shirts for your online clothing store.

### Step 5. Set Up Fulfillment Services

After you’ve sourced your products for your online store, you need to find a way to get them to your customers’ doorsteps. This is where fulfillment services come into play. Running an online store can be challenging, especially when it comes to inventory management. By using an eCommerce platform, you’ll have access to fulfillment services that can store and track your inventory.

With [Pietra Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce), you’ll have access to affordable storage space and fulfillment rates. Not only will we be able to have a space for your inventory to be received and shipped, but you’ll have access to photography services, assembly, custom boxing, and more when you sign up.

### Step 6. Market your Online Store

With your business plan in place and products picked out, it’s time to start marketing. To attract leads and visitors to your online store, there are different strategies you can use, such as:

- Social media marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Search engine optimization
- Paid advertising

These are some of the different marketing tactics you can use to attract a larger audience to your online store. Pietra provides the tools and resources to help you effectively market your products and convert leads into repetitive customers.

## How Much Does it Cost to Create an Online Store?

You know how to create an online business, but how much does it cost to create an online store? Prices can vary from business to business, but Pietra makes it easy by offering several pricing packages to meet your budget.

[Pietra pricing](https://www.pietrastudio.com/pricing/) starts at $39 per month. However, depending on your business needs like sampling, inventory, and packaging, there are additional expenses that Peitra Creators can pay for to streamline their online business.

## Create an Online Store With Pietra

Ready to bring that business idea floating around in your head to life? Start working with Pietra today. At Pietra, you can join the Creator Marketplace and create your own online store directly on our platform where thousands of monthly users around the globe shop for items they love. Our team can teach you how to create an online store and provide you with the tools and resources needed to succeed. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works).

Check out these six steps on how to create an online store so that you can become a successful entrepreneur, today!

Create An Online Store in 6 Steps | Pietra

If you have a passion for creation — whether it's candles or home decor — you can turn that interest into a flourishing business by creating an online store. Over the past several years, eCommerce businesses have been skyrocketing, allowing consumers to purchase products from the comfort of their homes.

Create an Online Store in 6 Steps

If your company is involved in the shipment and delivery of a physical product, such as apparel or home decor, keeping track of inventory is vital. However, this can be challenging, especially for new or smaller businesses that don’t have the tools and resources needed to track and ship their products accurately.

That’s where warehouse automation comes into play. Simply put, warehouse automation can help companies track the flow of inventory in their warehouse to improve the speed and efficiency of receiving materials and sending finished products. No matter the stage of business you’re in, having a fully automated warehouse is a must, and our guide can help.

Learn more about warehouse automation, its benefits, and how Pietra can help manage your inventory with our order fulfillment services and warehouses.

## What is Warehouse Automation?

Warehouse automation is the process of moving inventory in a warehouse with limited human assistance. This means moving and tracking inventory into and out of a warehouse and into the homes of customers with a decreased need for human labor.

Warehouse automation companies will work with businesses to streamline the movement of their inventory in a warehouse to ensure items are packed, shipped, and delivered efficiently. A new warehouse automation trend is employing AI and robots in warehouses. Here, workers can hand packages to robots to place in storage or bring to a delivery truck, for example. The software programmed in the robot will be able to update a company’s systems, so the staff knows the location and status of each piece of inventory.

However, creating a fully automated warehouse with warehouse automation doesn’t have to be as complex as using robots. Other warehouse automation trends simply require using software, such as inventory management software, warehouse management systems, and supply chain systems. With these pieces in place, companies can improve the accuracy, speed, and efficiency of moving inventory into, within, and out of a warehouse.

## Which Processes Can be Automated in the Warehouse?

Running a fully automated warehouse significantly improves your supply chain and customer satisfaction, allowing for speedy shipments and reduced delays or errors. But what processes can be automated in the warehouse with warehouse automation? Several, in fact. Below are some of the manual tasks that can be automated with software to save time and boost efficiency:

- Shipping
- Inventory management
- Picking inventory
- Sorting inventory
- Packing products
- Processing returns & exchanges
- Tracking inventory

Why spend the bulk of your time on repetitive tasks, when you could have them automated? With warehouse automation, your precious time can be better spent elsewhere. Warehouse automation companies have found ways to streamline repetitive and low-skill tasks to increase productivity in more important areas of your business to help you grow.

## What Are the Benefits of Warehouse Automation?

Now that you know what warehouse automation is and the tasks that can be automated, let’s dive into its many benefits and how automating warehouse tasks can help your organization.

- **Lower operating costs:** There are several ways automating warehouse tasks can lower operating costs. First, automating manual tasks doesn’t require the help of workers, which can save on payroll expenses. Additionally, warehouse automation reduces human error, which saves costs on returns, damaged goods, and other related expenses.
- **Increased productivity:** Because warehouse automation eliminates the need for workers to complete repetitive tasks, they can delegate time to more important business matters, such as marketing, customer service, and sales.
- **Data tracking:** Warehouse automation equipment makes it much easier to collect and analyze data in real-time. When an item is moved in the warehouse, automated updates will be made, which can help companies reduce lost inventory, identify items that aren’t selling, and see what items need to be restocked.
- **Improved customer satisfaction:** As we know, warehouse automation reduces errors and improves speed. These are two important traits customers look for in a business. By automating warehouse tasks, customers will be able to receive their orders sooner and with a reduced likelihood of a mistake.
- **Reduced storage costs:** Without warehouse automation equipment, it can be hard to keep track of inventory, which means you might order too much of a certain product that can take up important storage space. A fully automated warehouse means you can downsize to a smaller warehouse if needed and save on rent costs. It also maximizes your space and allows you to grow your production line to produce more goods.
- **Time management:** Rather than spending time shipping orders, tracking inventory, and buying shipping materials to send out your products, you can allocate time for other tasks like creating engaging content and engaging with your audience.

These are some of the many benefits of working with a warehouse automation company. Start creating a fully automated warehouse today to take your company to the next level.

## When Should you Automate your Warehouse?

There are a few key questions to ask yourself to ensure automating your warehouse is the right move:

- Are customer orders getting delayed?
- Is inventory going missing?
- Do you have an overflow of inventory?
- Is customer satisfaction trending downwards?
- Do you have enough staff to keep up with demand?
- Do you want to focus your attention on another aspect of your business?

Bottom line; if you’re unable to control the movement of your inventory, it may be time to automate your warehouse. Warehouse automation allows you to leverage the power of tools and software to track data and make important business decisions.

## Enjoy a Fully Automated Warehouse with Pietra

At Pietra, we can help handle every aspect of your eCommerce business, from conception to delivering your products across the world. [Pietra’s Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) give Pietra Creators access to the top rates for eCommerce services, including:

- $1 order fulfillment and 2-day shipping
- $1/mo per cubic foot of storage
- $1 kitting and assembly
- $29 eCommerce photography

In addition to our warehouse automation solutions, Pietra can pair you with freelance designers to create logos and brand guidelines, help you source packages for your products, and give you access to workshops and tools to grow your business. Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and ways we can help you scale your online business.

No matter the stage of business you're in, having a fully automated warehouse is a must, and our guide can help. Learn how Pietra can help you, today!

Warehouse Automation and It's effect on your Business | Pietra

If your company is involved in the shipment and delivery of a physical product, such as apparel or home decor, keeping track of inventory is vital. However, this can be challenging, especially for new or smaller businesses that don't have the tools and resources needed to track and ship their products accurately.

How Does Warehouse Automation Affect Your Business

If you have a passion for fashion, you may be wondering how to start your own clothing line. Fortunately, creating a clothing line from scratch is much easier today than it was even a few years ago. This is thanks to modern eCommerce platforms, like Pietra, and a growing network of freelancers readily accessible to help turn your visions into reality. Below, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to start a clothing line in eight simple steps and how Pietra can help.

## Step 1. Hone Your Fashion Design Skills

The first step in how to start a clothing line business is honing your fashion design skills. Some aspiring clothing line owners go to fashion school for a formal education while others become  self-taught experts. However, there are plenty of ways to start a clothing line without a technical or specialized background.

At Pietra, you can gain access to an expansive network of freelance fashion designers. When working with a freelancer, you can share your ideas to create a unique tech pack that aligns with the style and vision you’re aiming for. Partnering with a freelancer makes it easy to bring your ideas to life and create a clothing line that's tailored to you.

## Step 2. Write a Business Plan

The next step in how to start a clothing line is creating a clothing line business plan. Drafting a business plan for your clothing line can seem intimidating, especially if you’re finally making the jump to becoming a business owner. However, business plans are essential for the success of

your company, as they serve as a roadmap that outlines your goals, market, customers, finances, and more.

With Pietra, you can gain exclusive access to educational resources and workshops that can help new business owners learn the ins and outs of starting a business. Additionally, Creators can learn how to tailor their clothing line business plan to their brand principles, such as selling clothes made in the USA, apparel made from sustainable materials, or affordable clothes.

Thanks to Pietra, Creators can learn to make a soundproof business plan for their clothing line and find suppliers more easily, as they have a soundproof business plan that can serve as a guide while they grow.

## Step 3. Build Your Brand

The fashion industry is vast and competitive, which means you need to build a brand that aligns with your customers and holds true to its principles. To create an identifiable brand, you need to create brand guidelines with a distinguishable logo that customers will remember.

At Pietra, you can work with freelance designers that can help you turn your brand ideas from a dream to reality. Freelancers can create your brand guidelines, logo, packaging design, tech packs, and so much more. Whatever idea you have for your brand in mind, our network of freelancers can create.

## Step 4. Source Your Products

Once you’ve defined your brand guidelines, it’s time to get your designs and logo on apparel for consumers. This is where sourcing your products comes into play. Finding quality suppliers can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know where to look. Pietra makes sourcing products easy by giving you access to hand-picked, high-quality suppliers. Through our network of suppliers, you can source products based on fabrics, colors, and other materials needed to create your garments.

## Step 5. Produce Your First Collection

Now that you’ve sourced your products and found designers to work with, it’s time to start creating. One of the key steps on how to start your own clothing line is making your first collection. Your clothing line’s first collection will introduce your brand to the world. By starting small with a curated collection of one to five different pieces, you can launch your first line quicker and save money.

Over time, you can add products to your core collection as you grow, and roll out more collections as you begin to expand. Once you’re ready to expand your designs, you can consider collections based on the seasons, such as a fall or winter collection. Or, you can work with a collaborator or artist to create a one-of-a-kind collection.

## Step 6. Create an Online Store

Once all of the aforementioned steps are complete, it’s time to create an online store or work with an eCommerce platform like Pietra. At Pietra, you can create your own online store directly on our platform to start selling. You can learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) to get started.

In addition to opening up your online storefront with Pietra, you can create an online store with Shopify. Pietra partners with Shopify, so you can create your website while reaping the benefits we have to offer, such as our sourcing and fulfillment services. You can even hire freelancers through Pietra to design and set up your Shopify website.

No matter the route you take when opening your online store, there are key principles to keep in mind to increase search visibility and bring leads to your site. This includes using SEO best practices like boosting page speeds and incorporating keywords in copy, placing CTAs throughout your website to direct users down the sales funnel, and improving user experience on your site.

## Step 7. Determine Your Fulfillment Process

With your store up and running, it’s time to square away your fulfillment processes. Fulfillment refers to the method used to get your products to the doors of your customers when an item is bought. [Pietra Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) can take care of this step for you, so you don’t have to worry about tracking your inventory or worry about shipping.

## Step 8. Determine Your Launch Date

Lastly, once the website is up and running and the logistics are squared away, it’s time to set up your launch date, which is the day your online shop goes live for customers to view and shop. Through social media marketing and other marketing techniques, you can grow awareness and launch a successful online grand opening.

## How to Start Your Own Clothing Line FAQs

### How Much Does it Cost to Start a Clothing Line?

Depending on the route you take, starting a clothing line can be expensive due to factors like payroll, rent, inventory, and shipping. Additionally, expenses vary from business to business and their overall scale.
With Pietra, you can start a clothing line at an affordable cost. All you have to do is create an online shop. From there, Pietra takes care of most of the logistics without you having to hire a team or pay rent for a brick-and-mortar store.

### How to Start a Clothing Line With No Experience

First, you need to understand your “why,” which is the reason you want to start a clothing line in the first place. From there, you need to get a firm grasp on how to market your clothing line to your target audience and how to scale your business over time. After that, you can use the steps in our guide on how to start your own clothing line to get started.

### How to Sell Clothes Online

If you’re ready to start selling clothes online, there are a few basic steps to take, including:

-Finding a domain name
-Creating a Shopify website
-Ordering inventory through Pietra
-Adding products to your category pages
-Connecting your website to Pietra for order fulfillment

Pietra also helps Creators sell their products on other sales channels, such as Google Shopping, Instagram Shopping, Verishop Marketplace, and Pietra’s Creator Marketplace. Read our [PR about how Pietra helps Creators](https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/30/pietra-raises-15m-from-founders-fund-to-help-creators-launch-their-own-product-lines/) to learn more about how we help creators like you succeed.

Creating a clothing line from scratch is much easier today than it was even a few years ago. Learn how Pietra can help you start your clothing line!

How To Start Your Own Clothing Line | Pietra

If you have a passion for fashion, you may be wondering how to start your own clothing line. Fortunately, creating a clothing line from scratch is much easier today than it was even a few years ago. This is thanks to modern eCommerce platforms, like Pietra, and a growing network of freelancers readily accessible to help turn your visions into reality. Below, we'll cover everything you need to know about how to start a clothing line in eight simple steps and how Pietra can help.

How to Start Your Own Clothing Line

Whether you’re a small business or a solo vendor, a sale isn’t complete until the product is delivered to the customer. Fulfillment refers to the steps taken between a customer placing an order to receiving it. While most large retailers can deliver their products to their customers, most e-commerce and small businesses outsource their fulfillment needs to third-party fulfillment centers.

If you want to learn more about the fulfillment process and how it works, continue reading below. In this article, we’ll cover the key steps of the fulfillment process and how Pietra’s fulfillment solutions can help your business expand and grow.

## How Does the Fulfillment Process Work?

A simple fulfillment definition characterizes fulfillment as the steps businesses take to deliver a product. But how does the fulfillment process work? There are several steps taken between a customer placing an order and receiving their product. These steps go as follows:

- **Receiving inventory:** The first step of the fulfillment process starts with receiving inventory. At Pietra, you can work with suppliers to find products to fill your store’s inventory and sell to customers.
- **Storing inventory:** As an e-commerce business, you can store inventory yourself or work with a warehouse. Pietra’s e-commerce fulfillment center allows you to store your inventory to free up space and save time.
- **Processing orders:** Once a customer places an order, it’s time to start processing. Working with a fulfillment center like Pietra eliminates the stress of picking an item off the shelf and getting it ready to be packed and shipped.
- **Packing the order:** After processing an order, it’s time to pack the item for shipping. With Pietra, you can work with a packaging supplier on the Pietra Sourcing Marketplace to find boxes, envelopes, and other materials that match your brand.
- **Shipping the order:** Next, the order will be shipped, typically with a third-party carrier like U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx.
- **Delivery:** Depending on the location of the delivery, the carrier may change during the delivery process. For example, a package may be processed with UPS but sent to the United States Postal Service if the destination is a remote area. It’s vital to provide tracking information to your customers so they can receive up-to-date information on their packages. Once the package is delivered, the order is fulfilled.
- **Processing returns:** In some instances, a customer might not be satisfied with the item they purchased and will choose to return it. To ensure return processing goes smoothly, supply customers with packing materials and a return label. Working with a fulfillment center can help the return process go smoothly by performing quality assurance checks and restocking returned items if they’re in good condition.

[Pietra Fulfillment Services](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) allows you to streamline your online business to ensure your products reach your customers' doorsteps quickly and in good condition. From working with manufacturers to co-packing and assembly, Pietra can help you with every step of the e-commerce fulfillment process.

## When Should I Outsource Order Fulfillment?

Order fulfillment is important for every business, as a smooth fulfillment process ensures customers get the items they purchased in a timely fashion. However, how do you know when it’s time to outsource order fulfillment to a third party?

While e-commerce and small businesses may be tempted to handle the fulfillment process themselves, it can stall growth and lead to errors that can tarnish your business’s reputation.

This is because fulfilling orders requires you to keep track of inventory, process orders, pack orders, and ship and deliver orders. This can be a timely and expensive process that can take away from focusing on other areas of your business.

If you struggle to keep up with fulfilling orders, it may be time to outsource order fulfillment. Working with a fulfillment center like Pietra can take the burden and stress of processing, packing, and shipping orders so you can delegate time and resources to other areas of your business. As you grow, Pietra will grow with you, so you can easily scale and expand your business.

## Fulfillment FAQs

### **What Is a Fast Fulfillment Center?**

If you’re looking for a fast fulfillment center, look no further than Pietra. Pietra offers fulfillment solutions and will ship your inventory directly from one of our warehouses to your customers in a timely fashion. With Pietra, you can ship your products worldwide with two-day shipping.

### **How Much Does Fulfillment Cost?**

Fulfillment costs can vary depending on the fulfillment center you work with, along with factors like storage, pallet size, and packaging. In some cases, fulfillment centers may charge hourly — anywhere between $15 to $35 per hour or more, or on a per-item basis, such as $3 per item. With Pietra’s fulfillment services, you can enjoy $1 order fulfillment and 2-day shipping for all orders.

### **What Does a Fulfillment Center Do?**

A fulfillment center takes care of each step involved in the fulfillment process. This includes processing, packaging, and shipping orders out to customers. Pietra is a third-party fulfillment center that can integrate with your current e-commerce website, or you can set up your business on Pietra on the Creator Marketplace.

## Wrapping Up: Fulfill Orders With Pietra

Fulfillment refers to the steps taken to get a product to a customer’s door once they place their order. From small e-commerce businesses to global retailers, a well-oiled order fulfillment system is essential.

Customers expect to receive online orders quickly in today's fast-paced world. Pietra makes it easy for businesses of all sizes to get products from their shelves to their customer’s homes. From storing inventory to processing orders and packing products to shipping, Pietra takes care of every step of the order fulfillment process so you can spend time on other areas of growing your business.

Learn more about [how Pietra works](https://www.pietrastudio.com/how-pietra-works) and our various services, including sourcing products and working with freelancers for logo design, branding, and more.

Fulfillment involves the complete process of preparing and delivering an order. Learn more about how Pietra fulfillment solutions can help your business, today!

What is Fulfillment & Fulfillment Solutions | Pietra

Whether you're a small business or a solo vendor, a sale isn't complete until the product is delivered to the customer. Fulfillment refers to the steps taken between a customer placing an order to receiving it. While most large retailers can deliver their products to their customers, most e-commerce and small businesses outsource their fulfillment needs to third-party fulfillment centers.

What Is Fulfillment?

If you’re looking to bring some of your favorite aromas into the homes of people across the globe, candle making might be the next venture for you. To help you get started, we’ve created an all-encompassing guide on how to start a candle business that allows you to fulfill your passion while remaining profitable. Read on to learn more about the top reasons for starting a candle business and seven steps to get you up and running.

## Why Should You Start Your Own Candle Business?

Candle making is a billion-dollar industry. Not only are consumers buying candles to spruce up their homes, but businesses like restaurants, spas, and stores, use these scented products to create an ambiance that targets their customers and clients.

With that said, there are many exciting possibilities and opportunities that come with starting a candle business, including:

- **Popularity:** Candles are popular. In fact, Verified Market Research found the candle industry to be valued at $7.1 billion in 2020, and expected to grow to over $10.6 billion by 2028.
- **Personalization:** To stand out in this competitive market, you can easily personalize your candles with scents and details that set you apart from your competition.
- **Straightforward process:** Creating a unique line of candles is easy, as Pietra allows you to create your own artwork, select the wax, and choose your fragrances and vessels in a few simple steps.
- **Selling options:** There are plenty of options when it comes to selling candles, such as online, local businesses, fairs, and markets.

Starting a candle business is a great idea for several reasons, from its projected market growth to its extensive selling options. Now that you’re interested in starting a candle making business, let’s explore how to start a candle business from scratch.

## 7 Steps to Start Your Candle Business

Running a candle business is a great way to create a lucrative income stream while working in a creative market that brings joy to homes and businesses across the world. With Pietra, you can create a candle business from start to finish, including finding a supplier, designing your logo, shipping your products, and more. Learn how to start a candle making business with these seven steps below:

### **Step 1: Find Your Niche**

While the candle making industry may seem saturated at first glance, there are plenty of ways you can stand out and make your business known. The first step is finding your niche, which can be done by keeping several factors in mind:

- **Target audience:** To find your target audience, analyze your business goals and think about the demographics of the people you want to sell to, such as age, location, gender, and interests.
- **Target industry:** In addition to your target audience, you want to consider your target industry if you’re planning on selling to businesses, such as spas, restaurants, and retail stores.
- **Type of candle:** Lastly, think about the types of candles you want to sell. For example, do you want to sell luxury candles or affordable candles for the masses? Soy candles, wax candles, or vegan candles? Or, consider whether you want to sell decorative candles or traditional candles, such as taper, votive, and pillar candles. Focusing on one or a few different types of candles can help you perfect your craft and define your niche.

### **Step 2: Choose a Creative Business Name**

The next step to starting a candle business is to choose a creative business name. There are a few routes you can take when picking a business name, such as using acronyms, your own name, creating a new name, or using foreign words. You can also draw inspiration from the types of scents you’re recreating through your candles or the location of your business.

### **Step 3: Define Your Business Plan**

One of the key elements of a successful business is having a detailed business plan. A business plan is a written document that serves as a roadmap of how you will run and operate a profitable business. At Pietra, you can gain access to our Creator Blueprint, which is a business plan that can be personalized for your company.

Explore the components of our Creator Blueprint below:

- Find a trusted supplier to work with
- Order samples to test quality
- Select the components and customizations
- Hire a creative freelancer to create your logo and design your artwork
- Order a production run
- Ship products to Pietra's Fulfillment Center
- Have a business setup call with the warehouse
- Connect your website
- Create content to promote your products
- Start selling and have Pietra ship your customer's orders to their home

### **Step 4: Create Your Product**

Now comes the fun part—creating your candles. If you want to know how to start making candles, you’re in the right place. Pietra helps streamline every aspect of your candle making business from start to finish. With Pietra, you can find a supplier to create your candles for you, whether you’re interested in wax, soy, or beeswax candles, for example.

Once you find your supplier, you can hire a freelancer on the platform to design your packaging, and leverage Pietra’s fulfillment center to ship and send your candles anywhere in the world. With Pietra, creating high-quality candles is easy.

### **Step 5: Build Your Brand**

Now comes the fun part — building an image and message that allows you to shine. To build your brand, consider these tips:

- **Color palette:** Choose a color palette that consists of your primary and secondary brand colors that tie into your brand identity.
- **Candle label:** Design a candle label that’s easy to identify and showcases your logo, contact information, candle scent, warnings, and other pertinent information. At Pietra, you can work with our creative freelancers who can create the artwork for your labels directly on our platform.
- **Packaging:** Choose your packaging. This is the first thing customers will see when they open your product, so think about aesthetics and sustainability. With Pietra, you can find a packaging supplier on the Pietra Sourcing Marketplace to find packaging that matches your brand. You’ll also be able to customize your packaging to make your brand stand out.

### **Step 6: Master Your Marketing**

Once you’ve created your brand, it’s time to start marketing your products to reach your target audience. This means creating a detailed marketing plan that helps you reach your business goals. Some components you should integrate into your marketing plan include:

- **Social media:** Create an online presence via social media and take professional photos of your candles and products to create an aesthetic feed that matches your brand. Popular platforms include Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.
- **Giveaways:** Host contests and giveaways to engage with your followers and spread brand awareness.
- **Referrals:** Create a referral program that rewards loyal customers and brings in new ones.

### **Step 7: Determine Where You're Selling**

You’re almost there! Now, it’s time to determine where to start selling your candles. There are several routes you can take, such as selling in a brick-and-mortar store or at craft fairs, markets, and local businesses.

Another option is creating an eCommerce candle business that allows you to light up the homes of people across the globe. Pietra is the perfect place to start.

At Pietra, you can easily [create a candle eCommerce business](https://www.pietrastudio.com/setup-commerce) to [sell candles](https://www.pietrastudio.com/shop/all?sorts=-globalSort&category=Candles&page=1&t=1652906505515). Pietra will work to find suppliers and fulfillment options to streamline your eCommerce, and help run your business for you. Through Pietra, you’ll have the following options to sell:

- Connect your Shopify website to fulfill your orders
- Sell on Pietra’s Creator Marketplace — a vast shopping destination for independent brands
- Allow Pietra to set up products on various sales channels, such as Instagram Shopping, Google Shopping, and other online marketplaces

Pietra gives you all the tools you need for starting a candle business.

## Light Up the World With Pietra

Spread light and love through your candle making business with Pietra. In a few simple steps, you can start a lucrative candle business without worrying about the complexities of operating a business, such as sourcing materials and finding fulfillment services. Create your candle business with Pietra by registering today.

We've created an all-encompassing guide on how to start a candle business. Read on to learn seven steps to get your candle business up and running.

How to Start a Candle Business | Pietra

If you're looking to bring some of your favorite aromas into the homes of people across the globe, candle making might be the next venture for you. To help you get started, we've created an all-encompassing guide on how to start a candle business that allows you to fulfill your passion while remaining profitable. Read on to learn more about the top reasons for starting a candle business and seven steps to get you up and running.

How to Start a Candle Business

In addition to handling day-to-day operations and long-term strategy, small business owners are responsible for finding trustworthy suppliers to do business with — and that's no small task. That's why Pietra vets suppliers for small business owners depending on their specific business needs. With our vast amount of resources and tools, we can help you avoid common problems and find the most profitable solutions for your business.

Most startups want to test several suppliers, but that can be challenging and time-consuming.

Many small businesses in America have suppliers based overseas, but this isn't always the best practice as it can distance business owners from their product and leave room for a lapse in communication. This strategy also makes it easy for business owners to get locked into high order quantities with private manufacturers. If you go this route, your capital can get tied up in inventory, or your shipment can get stuck in a place you can't even find.

There are alternatives to this option. You can efficiently discover low minimum order quantity (MOQ) suppliers who share your values and match your needs. We can help any small business owner find the perfect fit, including those wondering about:

* How to start a fashion line

* How to start a makeup line

* How to start a candle line

* Private labeling suppliers

* Contract manufacturers

## 8 Traits to Look for in Suppliers for Small Business

You need competent suppliers who can deliver state-of-the-art products on time with prices and quantities you are comfortable with. It's also becoming increasingly important to work with suppliers who share your customers' values.

### Matching Values

Finding suppliers for small businesses whose values align with yours can seem impossible because most overseas manufacturers are thinking only about how they can make and sell more of their products.

They don't attach the same importance to social issues that you and your customers may have. Here are some of the parameters that may make your products more attractive to discerning shoppers:

* Sustainable
* Made in USA
* Made by women
* Organic
* Handmade
* Made by BiPOC
* FDA certified
* Affordable pricing
* Made overseas
* Luxury
* 10+ years in business
* Ethical manufacturing
* Expert craftsmanship

A good search tool designed specifically for finding small business suppliers enables you to creatively set your parameters to search hundreds of reliable, vetted suppliers quickly.

### Reliability

Reliability means that you get the right products as described delivered on time.

Large suppliers are usually reliable because they've been in business long enough to grow big and learn the high value of reliability. They also have the resources and systems to deliver even if a problem arises.

However, with a small supplier, you may be able to grow a close working relationship, particularly if you're the principal customer. You may get better responses to requests like holding stock for you or fulfilling rush orders.

### Stability

Stability is important. An experienced supplier who has been in business for a long time isn't going to disappear when you need them. Stability becomes even more critical if they are the sole supplier of an item your business depends on.

Exercise due diligence by checking credit history and talking to other businesses who have used the supplier.

### Private Labeling or Contract Manufacturing?

Private labeling allows you to market an existing product with your private label on it. Private labels enable you to move quickly to sell proven products as your own. This is especially important if the product needs certification or development that can take a long time. Apparel suppliers, makeup suppliers, and fashion accessory suppliers often offer private labeling.

Use contract manufacturing when you want to create a product yourself that no one else is making. You get a unique offering, but it can take longer to bring it to market than private labeling. If you have your own jewelry designs, scents, or health product formulas, this is the way to go.

### MOQ Compatibility

MOQ requirements that force you to buy more than a certain number of units exist because many manufacturers have very low operating profits. This is especially true in Asia.

Suppliers can set MOQ at total number per order or number per model, size, or color. That's why it's smart to confirm MOQ before ordering.

Make sure you are comfortable with their MOQ, especially when you're first starting so that you aren't stuck with inventory. It may be better to pay slightly higher prices to get low MOQ suppliers.

While you can sometimes negotiate a lower MOQ, it's not realistic to ask for a lower MOQ and lower prices together.

### Pricing Compatibility

Find a supplier whose pricing matches your pricing model. You may need to determine your pricing model before you can realistically search for the best supplier.

When you have strong selling points like a brand name with a large following or a unique, premium product, your per-unit profit margin might be high enough to give you wiggle room on price. You could offer suppliers slightly higher prices to gain benefits in other areas.

If you're selling based on price alone, you'll need to find the supplier who can give you the best price while maintaining acceptable quality standards.

### Testing Suppliers

Test out more than one supplier to find the right one for you. You'll need a supplier who:

* Can scale with you
* Has goals compatible with your plans
* Achieves 100% on-time delivery
* Is ISO 9000 approved
* Is fully responsive within 24 hours
* Offers assistance with new designs
* Provides new samples quickly

### Get the Right Fit

Be prepared to go through several rounds of samples to make sure the fit is right. It's impossible to properly evaluate reliability, responsiveness, and personal chemistry without working with a supplier through more than one order cycle.

### Professional Help Choosing the Right Supplier is Available

Pietra helps small business creators find the perfect supplier and launch their product business. We offer creators an easy-to-use way to search small business suppliers, as well as:

* Access to our supply network
* Creative brand services
* Packaging design
* Fulfillment
* Warehousing
* Shipping and returns

You'll find everything a business creator needs to launch a product business, all on one platform. You get instant access to more than 200 vetted sources offering trouble-free sampling. You can easily create a business blueprint using any of our services that match your business needs, including:

* Product line suggestions
* Expert creative designers
* Trusted suppliers
* Help financing your business
* Step by step business setup

Pietra enables you to quickly find the perfect suppliers for small businesses while removing the headache of working with overseas and high MOQ vendors. Get started free with Pietra right now. 

With Pietra's vast amount of resources and tools, we can help you avoid common problems and find the most profitable solutions for your business.

How to Find the Best Suppliers for Small Business to Increase Profitability | Pietra

In addition to handling day-to-day operations and long-term strategy, small business owners are responsible for finding trustworthy suppliers to do business with — and that's no small task. That's why Pietra vets suppliers for small business owners depending on their specific business needs. With our vast amount of resources and tools, we can help you avoid common problems and find the most profitable solutions for your business.

How to Find the Best Suppliers for Small Business to Increase Profitability

As the world continues to deal with the climate crisis, more consumers are focusing on how they can make better choices in every aspect of their lives, including fashion. Customers are also concerned about the human rights of those who manufacture their clothing, and more of them are starting to buy sustainable, ethically made fashion. These sustainable fashion brands are on the rise with customers looking to minimize their impact while remaining stylish.

## House of Sunny

House of Sunny is a British brand offering high-quality, everyday staples which can be easily integrated into any wardrobe. This company is dedicated to slowing fashion, creating two collections per year.

This brand has risen in popularity, particularly with eco-conscious members of Gen Z. House of Sunny has reached these buyers through TikTok. Its TikTok feed features behind-the-scenes videos showing how garments are made, compostable packaging, and other eco-friendly highlights.

In 2015, 73% of Millennials indicated that they were willing to pay more for sustainable brands. Gen Z is following suit as they move into adulthood. In 2019, 62% of Gen Z shoppers said they prefer sustainable brands.

Founder Sunny Williams grew the brand primarily through social media. Williams met social and marketing executive Camilla Ley at a party, and brought her on board. She used her community-building knowledge to connect with customers and influencers alike, eventually growing the House of Sunny Instagram to 623,000 followers.

Although this brand was built on sustainable principles, which are predominantly featured on the website and other marketing materials, it also uses a diverse array of models in print ads and on social media. People of all shapes and sizes can be seen wearing items from this collection, which further appeals to its online community. Everyone can feel included.

## Faithfull the Brand

Another company tapping Instagram to create a community and promote its ethics is Faithfull the Brand. Founded in 2012, this company specializes in easy looks that you can wear on the go. Faithfull clothing is made in Bali, Indonesia using eco-friendly techniques like hand dying.

The company's Instagram appeals to travel and fashion influencers alike, with a cool and chic vibe. Each post features people looking carefree in picturesque travel settings. While the company embodies the opposite of fast fashion principles, it has been successful with a number of fashion influencers on Instagram. Each post includes details about garment materials, and the company is transparent about how they are produced.

## Hope Macaulay

Most luxury brands are already known for creating quality pieces that can be worn for decades with proper care, which is a hallmark of sustainable fashion. Irish designer Hope Macaulay takes luxury a step further and delivers a high-quality, eco-friendly brand. She achieves her sustainable fashion goals by bringing back a classic fashion feature – bespoke clothing.

Her clothes are custom tailored and made to order, eliminating wasteful inventory overflow. This company doesn't even start making an item until someone orders it, which lengthens the distribution process but also eliminates a lot of the brand's environmental impact.

Founded in 2018, this label is young, but Macaulay has already created a buzz with biodegradable fabrics and expertly tailored clothing.

Macaulay brings a whimsical aesthetic to the company's Instagram feed, which has helped grow the brand. Along with chunky knit sweaters for which the brand is known, its social media features images of models who look like customers wearing these items in the wild.

Hope Macaulay took a skill that she learned from her grandmother and developed it into a business that has grown on its uniqueness. As a small business owner, you can follow suit by creating inventory on demand, which cuts down on waste and reduces your environmental impact.

## Prism Squared

Based in London, Prism Squared combines two big fashion movements: sustainability and activewear. This company focuses on swimwear, leggings, bralettes, tanks, resort wear, and other athleisure staples. Prism Squared is an extension of the existing Prism brand, which specialized in sunglasses and swimwear.

Sustainability is a core part of Prism Squared's branding strategy. Many articles about the company make reference to its Greenpeace certified factory and eco-friendly dyes. Founder Anna Laub talks about her desire to make things that will be used to death rather than worn once and discarded. Garments in the Prism Squared collection serve multiple purposes. For example, you can swim in the leggings, which makes them great for triathlon training.

Laub was able to build this brand off the success of an existing product. Extension lines don't always work out, particularly if they are a strong departure from your existing brand. But if you have a successful fashion line and want to launch an offshoot collection that is more sustainable, you can market it to your existing customer base.

## Build Your Sustainable Fashion Brand

In this market, it's not enough to say that a company is sustainable. They have to back up their claims. Up-and-coming fashion brands in this area need to find sustainable suppliers for their small businesses. They also need to connect to sustainable apparel suppliers and sustainable makeup suppliers. Each part of the manufacturing process should be eco-friendly.

Customers might research suppliers and distributors, so it's important for these to live up to a brand's sustainable reputation, particularly if it's a key part of your branding like these sustainable brands. Pietra Studios can connect sustainable businesses to these suppliers.

We can help find the right manufacturers and distributors for fashion and cosmetics products. Our supplier database is easy to navigate. Clients can filter suppliers based on their needs, whether they want to concentrate on materials, sustainable practices within the factory itself, or any combination of factors. All of our suppliers are hand picked. We can answer questions and connect each business owner with the right supplier.

Pietra also offers eCommerce tools. Anyone operating a shoppable website with us can highlight sustainability in their bio and product listings. They can integrate their shop with Instagram and other social media feeds. Pietra can help find the right suppliers to meet each customers' needs.

Sustainable fashion brands are on the rise with customers looking to minimize their impact while remaining stylish.

Sustainable Brands are winning consumer's loyalty through authenticity | Pietra

As the world continues to deal with the climate crisis, more consumers are focusing on how they can make better choices in every aspect of their lives, including fashion. Customers are also concerned about the human rights of those who manufacture their clothing, and more of them are starting to buy sustainable, ethically made fashion. These sustainable fashion brands are on the rise with customers looking to minimize their impact while remaining stylish.

Sustainable Brands are winning consumer's loyalty through authenticity

Before the advent of social media, a business owner had to establish their company and build their brand before becoming successful. With the rise of the influencer, many content creators are using their established brands to branch out into business. From makeup to clothing to food, popular content creators are leveraging their social media followings to launch businesses and make money in the creator economy. The following are content creators who have successfully transitioned from content creation to establishing their own creator economy brands.

## Emma Chamberlain (Chamberlain Coffee)

Emma Chamberlain has been a YouTube personality for much of her life. What started as a fun hobby for friends soon
ballooned into a channel with over 11 million subscribers. Emma is known for her style and her fun sense of humor, and each video she posts receives millions of views.

But Chamberlain was not content to simply rule YouTube. She created Chamberlain Coffee to share her passion for coffee with her followers. Chamberlain Coffee is an ethical and sustainable brand founded with the intention of connecting people over a cup of coffee. Chamberlain shared in an interview with Refinery 29 that her focus is more on product quality than branding. She wants to appeal to her fan base, but also to people who appreciate fine coffee.

Chamberlain Coffee now offers subscription services people can use to stay restocked. Emma largely keeps her two brands separate but occasionally shares content featuring her products. Her social media savvy has led to an Instagram following of 389,000 for her company.

## Hailey Sani (ILYBABY — A Pietra brand)

Hailey Sani has 1.37 million YouTube subscribers and over 700,000 followers on Instagram. Sani is originally from Turkey and has built her following by connecting with young women all over the world. She posts videos featuring advice and life lessons along with personal glimpses into her life.

Sani's followers love her carefree personality and the fact that she likes to tackle topics that would often be
considered taboo. Sani knows that growing up as a young woman can be tough. She offers a big sister vibe to her
followers and answers their burning questions honestly.

Sani founded the clothing company ILYBABY to serve as a uniform for people who wish to embody her kind spirit, earning money in the creator economy in the process. ILYBABY brands itself as attire for people who approach life from a place of love. She crafts pieces that are comfortable and easy to wear.

ILYBABY uses Pietra to manufacture and ship its clothing to customers. Our self-service platform meets Sani's needs, connecting her to the manufacturers and other suppliers that can help bring her vision to life and fulfill orders without having to research each supplier individually. For content creators who want to branch out into their own branded merchandise, Pietra makes it easy to connect with the suppliers they need to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.

## Ella Rose (Skin by Ella Rose — A Pietra Brand)

Ella Rose is a Swedish model who transformed her fame into a successful Instagram brand. She currently has 787,000
Instagram followers who love to see her outfits, modeling photos, daily life, and daughter, Lily.

Modeling gave Rose access to a wealth of skincare knowledge, so she launched her own brand — Skin by Ella Rose. She takes a minimalistic approach to skincare products with a brightening cream blush and eyebrow gel that customers can use to perfect their 5-minute skincare routine.

On the Skin by Ella Rose Instagram feed, many women are featured wearing the product. The photos present everyday people so followers can easily visualize themselves using the brightening cream and eyebrow gel. Customers also commonly tag their content with the brand's products using #skinbyellarose.

Skin by Ella Rose uses Pietra to manufacture and distribute products to customers. Rose is committed to sustainability, opting for limited packaging to reduce waste. Our platform allows her to connect with sustainable manufacturers who meet her requirements, create high-quality products with less waste, and make money as an influencer.

## Jeanne Damas (Rouje Paris)

French women have been known for their style for centuries. In the 1920s, Coco Chanel revolutionized women's fashion by encouraging women to ditch their corsets for easier styles. French fashion influencer Jeanne Damas rose to prominence by posting on Tumblr. She eventually transitioned to Instagram where she now shares chic and sophisticated content that serves as inspiration for anyone who wants to emulate French style.

Damas' Instagram currently has over 1.5 million followers. She used her popularity and innate style to launch the
fashion brand Rouje Paris and monetize her influencer audience. Founded in 2016, the brand offers clothing, accessories, beauty products, and footwear.

Rouje Paris appeals to people who follow Damas for her style. Her clothing is affordable, giving more people access to French style that is normally reserved for those with money to spare. Rouje Paris embodies Damas' online brand,
featuring pieces that are elegant yet easy to mix and match. The brand highlights how to move an online brand beyond traditional merchandise. Damas' followers can shop this fashion line to achieve her effortless style, and they can find each other by tagging the brand in their posts.

## How Pietra Can Help Content Creators Transition to Entrepreneurs

Pietra is an intuitive platform for content creators who are interested in selling anything from beauty products to home goods. We have raised over $15 million to help content creators create and launch their own creator economy brands.

What started as a marketplace for luxury goods and jewelry has blossomed into a creator hub where content creators can easily spin their existing brands into viable businesses. We provide cost-effective solutions for creators who want to launch a business but aren't familiar with the specifics of manufacturing and other logistics. We help brands started by influencers sell directly to consumers without having to research and interview suppliers.

We thoroughly research our suppliers so each of our creators can focus on producing quality products without slow
delivery tarnishing their existing brands. Any creator who is interested in how to start an influencer brand can contact Pietra to learn more.

With the rise of the influencer, many content creators are using their established brands to branch out into business.

How the Creator Economy Transforms Online Personalities into Business Owners

Before the advent of social media, a business owner had to establish their company and build their brand before becoming successful. With the rise of the influencer, many content creators are using their established brands to branch out into business. From makeup to clothing to food, popular content creators are leveraging their social media followings to launch businesses and make money in the creator economy. The following are content creators who have successfully transitioned from content creation to establishing their own creator economy brands.

You've probably started a clothing line because you're creative and passionate about sharing your designs with others. Becoming a cult favorite might not be high on your priority list, but having a large customer base does make it easier to keep doing what you love.

These inspirational fashion brands have it figured out. Here is how they have appealed to fans and built a following, plus steps you can take to improve your brand visibility.

## Ma®ket

This streetwear label is a favorite with celebrities including Michael B. Jordan, Eva Marcille, and Apolo Ohno. The brand boasts 864,000 followers on Instagram and is known for its signature smiley face basketball and its DNA collection. Founded as Chinatown Market in 2016, Ma®ket rebranded earlier this year following violence against the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

For Ma®ket, this sense of community is key to success. According to High Snob Society, Founder Mike Cherman was inspired by New York's Canal Street and has done a fine job of mimicking bootleg tees and hoodies commonly beloved by shoppers in that area. Cherman commonly references pop culture in his designs, creating bold and distinctive streetwear that often sells out.

After starting his career at Nike, Cherman built this brand with custom t-shirts, hoodies, and sweatpants long before COVID-19 made these items wardrobe staples. Customers like this brand because the clothes are comfy and affordable.

But Cherman truly built his business on relationship management. His earliest clients are young. Instead of ignoring them or responding to customer inquiries with a canned response, Cherman responded to each one. He listens to customers and uses their input to influence designs, often finding pop culture inspiration in his followers.

Interacting with your customers makes them feel valued, which helps increase your brand loyalty.

## Rowing Blazers

Founded in 2017, Rowing Blazers has quickly gained cult status among fashion enthusiasts. The New York-based brand has been photographed on celebrities including Dwayne Wade, Pete Davidson, Tan France, Mindy Kaling, BTS, and many others.

Its founder, Dr. Jack Carlson, is an archaeologist who was once a member of the U.S. Rowing team.

Rowing Blazers offers sporty styles that appeal to the preppy in anyone, and they look good on people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. One way in which this company has built its following is by collaborating with other brands and organizations on limited-edition collections, which lends a level of exclusivity to its clothing. Given Carlson's sports background, it's not surprising that the brand has done collections with the NBA and U.S. Rowing. It has also created a collection with Sperry and Harry's New York Bar, which is a well-known city institute.

These collaborations are not the only way Rowing Blazers has improved its visibility. The company also runs an affiliate program through which content creators and people who run internet shopping sites can earn a commission for referring buyers directly to the Rowing Blazers site.

As a small business owner, you don't always have access to big-name personalities, but you can leverage your current customers through affiliate marketing and loyalty programs.

## Cherry LA

This west coast streetwear brand was founded in 2018 by Joseph Perez and David Levy and has quickly risen to popularity.

Cherry LA has created a sense of nostalgia, its designs are reminiscent of 90s styles that were popular in Southern California 20-years ago.

Cherry LA does not often post to its Instagram page, yet the brand has amassed over 127,000 followers. This notoriety has largely been built on followers like Bella Hadid who tag the brand in their own Instagram feeds. Much like Rowing Blazers, Cherry LA launches limited-edition collections, which makes the brand more exclusive and coveted by its fans.

But the root of Cherry LA's success lies in its designers. A quick glance through Joseph Perez's Instagram feed shows glimpses into his laid-back personality and distinct Los Angeles skater style. Similarly, David Levy highlights trips to the beach or simply relaxing in Southern California's outdoors. These designers create clothing that they would wear and they infuse their personalities into each item. Their authenticity shines through in their clothing, which is also well made and built to last.

## Black Milk

Australian brand Black Milk has been around longer than other cult faves on this list, but its followers are no less devoted. Black Milk offers fun, colorful styles that stand out. New releases often sell out, and the brand's fans love showing off their new items through social media.

Black Milk grew by cultivating an online community. The brand uses its own Instagram followers on its website, which appeals to customers because it's easy for them to see themselves in the clothes. Black Milk also encourages members of its Facebook community to meet up in person and trade clothes or make new friends.

Knowing how to create an online community will help you build word of mouth, and it's an effective customer relationship management channel.

## How You Can Learn From These Brands

Success doesn't happen overnight. Building a small business takes work and dedication. Each of these brand founders spent months connecting with the right customers and building their client base. Their journey could have been simplified with Pietra.

We connect your DTC brands to top suppliers who can help with manufacturing and order fulfillment. You don't have to spend hours creating custom t-shirts like Mike Cherman who built Ma®ket in his off hours following his day job working for Nike. Some of these brands are still experiencing shipping backlogs, even with limited inventory.

You can use Pietra to distribute your orders, so you can focus on design and stop worrying about logistics. Most importantly, Pietra offers you visibility, which is key when you want to start a brand. You can list with us and invite customers and fellow creators to join your community. You can also find other artists for collaborations and exclusive collections.

Starting a fashion business takes time and sacrifice, but our tools can help make it easier. So be inspired by your own community, create clothing that is authentic to your personality, and build a community to elevate your business. Need help turning your clothing line into a well-known fashion brand? Contact us today!

These inspirational fashion brands have it figured out. Here is how they have appealed to fans and built a following, plus steps you can take to improve your brand visibility.

Inspirational Fashion Brands with a Cult Following to Watch this Fall | Pietra

You've probably started a clothing line because you're creative and passionate about sharing your designs with others. Becoming a cult favorite might not be high on your priority list, but having a large customer base does make it easier to keep doing what you love.

Inspirational Fashion Brands with a Cult Following to Watch this Fall

In 2021, Shopify was home to 1.75 million online retailers. The allure for retailers is that the platform is easy to use and offers features that let you sell, ship, and process payments. It's also easy to integrate with tools such as CRM and email marketing software. Below, this guide will offer you top tips on how to design a memorable Shopify website.

## Shopify Themes

Your Shopify design will determine the look and feel of your shop. Choose one that fits with your branding and makes it easy for customers to find their favorite products. You have multiple options from which to choose, so peruse the database and narrow down your choice of themes. Tips for Shopify themes that stand out include:

## Set Your Budget

Shopify has a wide variety of themes at various price points. As a small business owner, you may not have the capital to spend a lot on marketing, but your website is your primary branding tool. Look for a theme that fits within your budget, but make sure it has the features and flexibility you desire.

## Research the Developer

When you've narrowed down your desired Shopify theme, do a quick search for its author. Look for cues on theme functionality and support. You don't want a theme developer who won't be responsive when your site goes down. Also, look at their experience with Shopify. If they have built multiple themes for the site, you might find that yours is more responsive and includes a wider range of features.

## Use the Tutorials

If you have some coding knowledge, you can bypass premade themes and design your own. If you go that route, watch Shopify's tutorials to learn the Liquid programming language and tips on how to improve your designs.

## Photo Tips

One of the best Shopify hacks for getting your site noticed is to elevate your product photography. Including high-quality product pictures is one of the best ways to make your Shopify website better.

## Minimal Background

Product photos are made for showcasing different product features. Your background should be minimal. Either get a white lightbox or photograph your products against a solid-colored backdrop. If you are creating an editorial photo for different site pages, make sure the background doesn't take away from the product.

## Good Lighting

The best light for taking product photos is natural light. If you have a large window, take pictures during the day, preferably when it's overcast. If your products are being hit with direct sunlight, use a large white screen to diffuse the light and soften the shadows.

Also, using a professional lightbox can help you photograph your products in the best light.

## Multiple Angles

Take multiple photos of your products so you can feature different angles in your product catalog. Add an image carousel to your product landing pages so people can scroll through to see each angle.

## What Pages You Should Have On Your Shopify Website

Your Shopify site should include the following pages:

* Home

* Contact

* About

* FAQ

* Collections / Catalog

* Returns Policy

* Shipping Policy

* Privacy Policy

## Shopify Inventory Management With Pietra

Integrating your Shopify website with other software is easy and is one of Shopify's best features. Pietra's inventory management and shipping platform take logistics off your plate, but you need your Shopify site's inventory to be accurate. Integrate your Pietra software so your customers will know the availability of their favorite products in real-time.

When you receive orders on Shopify, your site immediately notifies us, so we can get started on manufacturing and distribution. This automatic updating of your inventory creates a seamless experience for your customers.

If you're a small, direct-to-consumer company, you're likely handling inventory management, shipping, and order fulfillment with a smaller crew. Operating this way can lead to errors that ruin customers' experience. You may find that some orders are being partially shipped when a customer emails to let you know part of their order is missing. Or your distribution time could be longer than your customers want.

## Shopify Orders Sent Through Pietra

With your Pietra subscription, you have the option of selling your products through a custom website or through our marketplace. Since your Shopify website is integrated with Pietra, your inventory will be updated, and you can track and manage all sales.

Pietra takes over this part of your business, connecting you with high-quality manufacturers and logistics professionals. Our platform works seamlessly with your Shopify store, cutting down on shipping delays. If you're ready to hand over inventory management and shipping to improve your customer service, contact us to get started. 

Shopify was home to 1.75 million online retailers. The allure for retailers is that the platform is easy to use and offers features that let you sell, ship, and process payments.

Tips for Designing a Shopify Website | Pietra

In 2021, Shopify was home to  1.75 million online retailers. The allure for retailers is that the platform is easy to use and offers features that let you sell, ship, and process payments. It's also easy to integrate with tools such as CRM and email marketing software. Below, this guide will offer you top tips on how to design a memorable Shopify website.