Pun-intended, Functional Gifts

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Missy Livingston, Founder of Twisted Wares, located in McKinney, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Twisted Wares is not only a retail e-commerce gift shop but also a wholesale brand of functional (yet funny) kitchen textiles! Half of our customers are locally owned boutiques and shops across the USA & Canada, while the other half of our customers are wine-moms shopping for themselves and shopping for gifts for their friends!

Tell us about yourself

In my previous life, I was a realtor in Seattle who sold houses to anyone who wanted to buy one. And then, the recession of 2008 hit, and no one wanted to buy a house, my husband lost his job, and we lost our house in Seattle. We suddenly found ourselves forced to relocate to Dallas, Texas. All of a sudden, I was a stay-at-home mom who felt like my life was completely out of my control. My son's constantly pulling down the towel was just the push I needed to take back my power and create a product that I knew would resonate with moms and dads everywhere. If I couldn't control my life at the moment, I was damn well going to control the towel. Twisted Wares was born! The Hang Tight Towel Loop allows for your towel to be used as you would any towel, but this one will stay put when you want it to without buttons, Velcro, or snaps!

What motivates me every day? I consistently come up with new product design ideas and thrive working in the creative zone, coming up with new, adult-humored puns to put on her products.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment was getting a U.S. Patent on my Hang Tight Towel Loop invention!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things is learning how to delegate tasks and not take everything on yourself. You may find emotional attachments to your business; I mean, it's your baby! But learning how to release some of that control is totally worth it in the long run - even if it's scary!!!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Just start. You just have to START. It's not going to be perfect the first time out, but you know what? You started. When I look back on how my products looked when I started, they don't even look the same! I made a lot of changes. I also wish I had trusted my gut.
Get really good at your product, and get it in the hands of as many people as possible. It's about testing, testing, testing. Is there a demand for it? Do people want it? Will they keep using it? Will they buy more? And the only way to do that is to get it in front of people. Not selling online, but actually going to Farmer's Markets, Flea Markets, and setting up your booth right in front of the person. You'll get really valuable feedback on your pricing, packaging, etc.
When you're selling your product for a retail store to purchase it, they are expecting a 50% discount. So, if you sell it for $12 to your neighbor, it should be $6 for the wholesale buyer. Then, you should be able to produce the product for $3 (or less!) LOTS of things go into that, and that's the MINIMUM pricing you should be producing and selling your product for.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.twistedwares.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwistedWaresHome
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twistedwares/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwistedWares
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/twisted-wares/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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