About this idea
Are there already many clothing brands? Yes. Is there one like mine? No. Express U is a unique combination of the owners style and the trendy fashions all over Pinterest. Spending a lot of time on the internet, TikTok was actually one of the deciding factors into how Express U LLC came to be. Alina has always wanted to be an entrepreneur but thought she was "too young". Slowly realizing it would be a better idea to start now, she has no regrets. In high school everyone loved her style so finding pieces that people liked was not a problem, she just had to choose what she'd wear! Express U has worked with a few other college influencers, wanting to keep the small business working alongside other creators that are just starting out to give them a chance to at what their dreams are. The Express U logo was also created by a small business that was just started out and can happily say we helped them grow after showcasing them all over our social media. This brand is all about Girls supporting Girls and receiving the best customer service!
Impact
Clothing can be very costly, especially for high schoolers and college students who don't always have the extra money to spend. I've taken inspiration from brands I love shopping at and made sure to find pieces that carry style, are affordable and good quality. Even though there so many different clothing brands out there, mine tailors specifically to customer service. I love helping customers out through Instagram DM and emails to make sure they get the shopping experience through an online service! With my shop being over Shopify and fully online, it's easy for new customers to find out about new arrivals, fan favorites and most importantly, sales!!
What I'll do with $5,000
With a yearly plan in place, Express U wants to customize and place ads all over snapchat, Instagram and google. Being the main platforms that are used for the business, this is fitting. Not only that, but a 2022 summer collection is in the works but sadly shipping costs on previously used websites has gotten too high to be able to keep a good profit margin as well as low prices for the consumer, so new websites are being sourced. Collections can cost around $100 for the sample batch (The owner always tests pieces to see if the quality is something she'd wear and "good enough" to sell in her eyes). In order to keep the website running a monthly fee is paid, but since Express U will continue running, the yearly website fee would be best to purchase financially. Lastly, more shipping materials are needed such as wrapping paper, cards, etc.
Links
About Alina Ladewig
Studying at GVSU. CEO of ExpressU.
