“Believe in yourself and your business!”
– Julie Austin, Inventor of Swiggies
Julie Austin is an inventor and founder of Swiggies, wrist water bottles for children and adults. One of the hardest things Julie did as an entrepreneur was to look for a manufacturer to make her product. She started off preparing the mold for her product in the United States and making a small run. However, she could not make any money because the cost to make the molds, prepare the product, and assemble them was too much.
Search For a Manufacturer
So she started looking for a manufacturer in China. However, Julie didn’t know anyone and didn’t know who she could trust. She ended up at a trade show where she met a sporting goods manufacturer who worked with a Chinese factory and they happened to have them at the trade show that day. The company was pretty well known, therefore, she figured it was a safe bet.
She shipped her molds to China, together with a huge deposit. Julie says, “You have to order large volume from China and I wanted them in multiple colors.”
“ So I sent a wire transfer and crossed my fingers.”
No Money to Promote the Product
The product came and she kept them in a warehouse for some time. She didn’t know how to sell them and didn’t have any money left to promote them.
So, Julie put a few samples in her car and drove to sporting goods chain stores. She didn’t have an appointment but boldly asked to see the head buyer. Fortunately, he placed a huge order. Her willingness to go beyond her comfort zone resulted in incredible results.
Taking Risks is Essential to Succeed in Business
Julie advises budding entrepreneurs to take risks if they want to succeed. She maintains, “Playing it too safe won’t get you very far.” She adds, “Take risks… and don’t listen to the naysayers who will tell you it won’t work.”
About Julie Austin
Julie is an innovation speaker, futurist, inventor and an award-winning author. In addition, she has been featured in the books “Girls Think of Everything” and “Patently Female”.
Julie’s product, Swiggies, is sold in 24 nations. Julie has appeared on FOX News, CBS, NBC, ABC, Lifetime, The Queen Latifa Show, The Today Show, HGTV, Fast Company, and the Wall Street Journal Inc. magazine, together with many radio shows, magazines and television shows throughout the world.
