 |
|||||
|
Casauri
Tell us a little bit about Casauri. What made you go into this business? The company started as the result of my MBA class project at Columbia Business School. My sister Helena, who is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York designed and made a laptop bag for me that people would ask about. Based on the interest in this bag, I decided to write a business plan to start a company that designs stylish laptop bags for women, but now many of our bags also appeal to men. Since there was a shortage of fashionable laptop bags for women, we realized there was a void in the market that we needed to fill. How has being a member of the WBDC and WBENC helped you? There are many advantages to being a member of WBDC and a certified women business with WBENC: 1) excellent networking and relationship-building opportunities with companies with whom you may want to do business and among other women business owners; 2) opportunity to gain access to corporate buyers that otherwise would be harder to contact if not facilitated by being a WBDC member; 3) access to timely and useful information that helps in growing one’s business – expos, conferences, workshops; I also participated in the very beneficial Tuck-WBENC Program at IBM in New York, like a mini-MBA program designed for women business owners; and 4) having a resource dedicated to the success of women-owned businesses that also serves as an advocate on small business issues. How did attending this year's conference benefit you and your business? This year’s conference held at Office Depot was excellent. Not only was the setting beautiful and inspiring, but all the presentations made were insightful and helpful. I enjoyed participating on one of the panels and sharing some of my experiences while benefiting from the experiences of others. In addition to the opportunity to learn and gain exposure for my business, I was able to meet the Office Depot buyer who reviewed my products for consideration at Office Depot. Above all, the conference allows the platform to build and strengthen relationships that have been several years in the making. The key to successful business is the quality and strength of the relationships that you are able to build and maintain. WBDC and WBENC provide the ideal forum in which to do this with people from all over the country, not just locally in Florida. What advice would you give your fellow WBEs about using their certification to grow their business? Certification in and of itself will not grow your business, what will help to grow your business is how you use your certification and how actively you are involved with WBDC community. People need to get to know you in order to really help you, this takes time. So do not get frustrated if all the contracts don’t fall from the sky the moment you receive your certification. There are many other requirements than certification alone that helps a company to obtain a contract. However, for some corporations, being certified is a pre-requisite. Here are some suggestions: 1) display the WBENC certification logo on your website and marketing materials so that companies know that you are certified; 2) take advantage of programs offered and attend as many events as you can; 3) be proactive and positive in what you do, create a strategy of what your goals are and how the certification will assist; 4) be realistic and reasonable, do not view the certification as a panacea, it is one of many tools to be used, but can be very effective if used properly. How does someone get in contact with you at Casauri? Emily McHugh CEO/Creative Director – Casauri 772-460-8978 or 1-877-778-4698
|
|||||
|
UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE NEWSLETTER Newsletter Designed By Doubletake Studios |
|||||
 |
|||||
Featured WBE Interview 
