Inc. staff

The Inc. Network

 
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Designs on Design
I need to know how to design the packaging for retail-store display of my product. Is it cheaper for me to package the product myself after I have the artwork done professionally?

Robert Uss

President

Sheryl Laur Products

Bayside, N.Y

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You can't design any of your marketing materials well without really understanding your company first, says David Hertz, president of Syndesis, in Santa Monica, Calif., a maker of lightweight concrete and an Inc. Design Award winner. That means you, the CEO, are acting designer-in-chief because you're the one with the clearest vision of how you want design to celebrate your business and its values.

To see how Syndesis uses design to its competitive advantage, read "The Medium Is the Message" (January 1993, [Article link]). For more advice, contact Boston's Corporate Design Foundation (617-236-4722), which provides educational and research materials.

You'll need to make decisions quickly about two aspects of packaging: its physical makeup (for instance, whether it's a box, a wrapper, or a bag; whether it's plastic or paper); and its "look." Another Inc. Design Award winner, Judy Jordan, managing partner with Jordan Sparkling Wine in Healdsburg, Calif., says that the visual theme of your package should be simple, recognizable, and relatively consistent with other product lines and the rest of your marketing tools (such as brochures, mailers, and business cards). The visibly coherent message you send will strike a positive note with customers. For additional guidance on issues of corporate and brand identity, you might consult with specialists at Package Design Council International (703-318-7225).

But you don't need top-dollar market research to tell you that the battle for retail shelf space is more brutal than ever. You're well advised to enlist a professional package designer before you attempt to stuff boxes with product and cart them to market yourself. A designer can offer creative advice as well as innovative, responsible, and economical ways to ship your "three-dimensional ad," says Greg Erickson, editor and publisher of Shelf Presence (708-215-8910, 14 issues for $259), a newsletter that uncovers trends in the packaging industry. What's more, you'll get plenty of leads by ordering a directory of the 2,200-plus members of the Industrial Designers Society of America (703-759-0100; the directory is $85).

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Importing on the Cheap
I've been visiting foreign countries, collecting art and jewelry that I'd eventually like to sell out of my own shop. How can I import more cost-effectively?

Lavon Sajona

Owner

Full Circle Imports

Litchfield Park, Ariz.

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You should start gradually. "Import from one country and see how it goes," says Yen Lu Wong, president of Global Consortium, a Los Angeles company that facilitates international business. Wong also advises that you do plenty of homework: you'll save time, energy, and money, she says, by familiarizing yourself with a particular country's credit and accounting practices, cultural nuances, and export restrictions before you go abroad.

You must take a disciplined approach to bargaining with foreign merchants. Gerald Cerce, chairman of Accessories Associates, a manufacturer and importer in North Providence, R.I., offers a proven strategy for resisting goods you don't want (and being overcharged for items you do like): "Keep in mind who your customers are, buy within your own specialty, and know your top dollar -- the highest amount you can afford to pay," he says. As a rule, your final retail price for an item should be two to three times more than what you paid for it. When it comes to setting prices for your items, be sure to factor in your personal travel expenses, duty fees, and later, freight costs, if you ever decide to buy in bulk.

Your shipping costs can be reduced sizably if you hire a freight forwarder instead of shipping through your own channels. Plus, a forwarder can save you the headache of handling packing and customs-clearing paperwork. You can find freight forwarders through export-management associations or by calling the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (212-432-0050).

To further your education, contact the Organization of Women in International Trade (call 301-953-0676 for membership fees), a national organization with regional chapters that holds "cram" courses on the issues, updates, and dos and don'ts of international trade. For more money-saving strategies, read How to Be an Importer and Pay for Your World Travel (Ten Speed Press, 1993, $8.95), a fun and informative guide by world travelers and savvy importers Mary Green and Stanley Gillmar. It includes a glossary of terms; current customs regulations and tariff schedules; and explanations of monetary transactions. n

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Reported by Karen E. Carney, Louis Carranza, and Vera B. Gibbons.

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