I recently had the opportunity to speak with Kelli Nelson of FindFashionRep.com to discuss how she came up with the idea for this terrific website.  FindFashionRep.com provides designers and manufacturers with the information they need to make informed decisions when looking for sales representation.  Using the service is very simple.  Kelli has done all the work to make the process as painless as possible.  A designer or manufacturer logs into the site, answers a few questions about the type of product, the target market, price points, etc.  After selecting a territory a list of suitable reps is provided.  The designer or manufacturer can then view the other lines being offered by each rep to help determine if their products would be a good complement to the existing offering.  It may take several tries to find the right rep, but once the designer or manufacturer selects a rep they will receive contact information, price points and product descriptions of the other lines.

 

What Kelli has done is take the guess work and the leg work out of finding quality sales representation across the U. S.  It’s hard to imagine how much time and energy it must have taken her to develop this database, let alone the time it takes to keep it up to date.  Sales reps are encouraged to update their line lists, price points and other relevant information on a regular basis in order to make FindFashionRep.com the most comprehensive of its kind. 

 

New FBI member Kelli Nelson got her start in the fashion industry in 1988, while still in college.  Working as an assistant sales rep to the West Coast sales manager of Z. Cavaricci, Kelli learned the ins and outs of representing a major brand to retailers of all sizes.  She quickly moved up the ranks at Z. Cavaricci, acquiring more responsibility and more skills.  Kelli started her own company, In Harmony, in 1995.  Using the knowledge she acquired at Z. Cavaricci, she built In Harmony into a multi-million dollar business.  The one issue that always nagged at her was how to find the right sales representation for her brand.  “It’s not enough to know a few good sales reps,” Kelli said in our interview “it’s about finding the right rep for your product.”  The trick to finding a great rep is understanding the labels or products they carry and who they are able to sell to.  Unless she flew to a specific sales territory she would spend countless hours on the phone trying to locate good reps through recommendations and referrals that were already closely aligned with her target stores. 

 

 In 2006, Kelli decided to start compiling an extensive database of independent sales reps in the 12 major U. S. fashion markets.  Her goal was to cover all categories of mens, womens and childrens clothing and accessories across all major U. S. markets. Many hours of work went into developing what is now known as www.FindFashionRep.com

 

We’re excited to have Kelli on board as a new FBI member.  I encourage you to check out her site and services.  It’s a great idea and long overdue.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org