1. DON’T GIVE UP
This applies to any business, on or offline, but it’s essential: Be unbelievably persistent, motivated and believe in your idea. Perseverance and hard work are the ingredients to success, sometimes even more than talent.
2. TAKE A DIGITAL COURSE
“I’m a Finance and Economics graduate, but my professional background is styling. I am by no means a digital expert (although my co-founder Lia Kislev is), but I work hard to educate myself in this area. If you want to successfully take your business online, spend time learning the basics: take courses in digital marketing and learn about SEO, read blogs and articles about selling online, familiarise yourself with the social media channels that your audience is using.
3. USE EXISTING TOOLS
“Leverage the tools that are already available online. If you are selling products, then learn about the platforms that will help you do this. If you’re selling a service, then look at online platforms where you can promote your expertise easily, for example at WiShi, people who want a job as a stylist can try out their skills via our app., if they demonstrate their ability and get approved by the crowd, they are awarded a “Stylist Badge” and can begin to earn money. Other examples include Fiver.com (a freelance marketplace offering services for $5) or 99designs (a graphic design market place). Look for the digital tools that are already available to you online and think about how you can use them to promote your business smartly.
"Perseverance and hard work are the ingredients to success, sometimes even more than talent."
4. GET SOCIAL
“Grow your social media business with unique content. For example, at WiShi we provide unbelievable content: beautiful pictures, interesting articles (from our blog), fun contests etc. I truly believe that every single person should have the possibility to feel their best and reach out to those who can offer advice – our social media channels have helped us communicate what WiShi is, attracting visitors and recruiting stylists.
5. FIND YOUR UNIQUE EDGE
“It’s so important to know what makes your business unique. I began my career in styling at Net-A-Porter, and that’s where the idea of WiShi first came about, but before I pursued the idea, I worked at Belstaff, styling the likes of David Beckham and Katy Perry. I knew the market place and could see that there was a demand for WiShi within it: a destination where anyone could go to get styling advice, irrespective of net-worth. At WiShi we’re very clear on what we offer: you can both get styled or start your own styling portfolio to become an approved stylist - this has been invaluable.
