While 4B is in the early stages of business, we are very excited about what the future holds for the brand, and we have already learnt a heap of things along the way.
Launching 4B in the middle of a global pandemic has certainly had its challenges. The amount of peoples ‘disposable income has been affected greatly which saw a pivot in how our audience spends their money. On the other hand, we launched as an online business so we were lucky in a way that we didn’t have any rent on shop fronts and offices. We’ve been lucky enough to do my work from home and keep our overhead costs down.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt a lot about since we started 4B, it’s the positive effect that social media has had on our business. We all use social media personally but it has always been just for fun and keeping in touch with friends and family across the world.
As an online business, social media plays a huge role in our marketing strategy. We now understand that when social media is being used for marketing purposes, it needs to be put in front of the correct demographic that connects with us and our brand.
Another lesson in this first year has been to always make sure we do our due diligence when it comes to bringing in external help from other businesses. We have spent this year finding good partnerships that enable everyone to win in their own rights, and help with the growth of 4B.
My piece of advice for anyone who’s looking to step into the e-commerce world is to make sure that you have a good business plan in place, including goals and targets to hold yourself accountable.
Transitioning from the world of sport, into the world of business are two completely different arenas which both require different skills. I would certainly recommend leaning on experts when times get tough.
Business is hard and you will find yourself in the trenches quite often. It’s all about riding these times and getting through the difficult periods that will give you the resilience to keep moving forward and getting closer to achieving the targets you set for yourself/ business.
Luke x
