K I & D R E W Minimal Watches- CEO Interview
Introduce us to your business, how you got the idea, and how you sourced any materials.
Ki & Drew is a new and upcoming watch brand that aims to be the “Apple” of the minimalist watch style. As a fashion and watch enthusiast, I noticed two factors about the minimalist watches out on the market: One, they all look exactly the same with just their brand names printed on the watch and two, if strayed away from typical minimalist design, it honestly did not look that attractive. After months of design and sampling, we have come with a solution to stray away from the typical minimalist design and create a very attractive watch.
How did you go about manufacturing your product, as that is a major obstacle for many entrepreneurs?
Research played a big part in this entire manufacturing process. Looking into the best manufacturers in the watch business while being cost efficient was difficult but we found a very good balance between the two and succeeded after narrowing it down. Communication is always one of the biggest keys in business and we created a very good relationship with our manufacturer to ensure good quality products as it has shown through our samples.
How do you handle the logistics and inventory management of a crowd funding campaign, not knowing how much product you will end up needing?
With every mass purchase from the manufacturer, there is a minimum order quantity needed. Based on the price I can purchase my product per piece opposed to how much we sell it for, I can estimate the needed funding and quantity. Majority of the time, crowd funding campaigns won’t exceed the minimum order quantity but if it does, we could just order more and still keep the set price per piece.
Tell us about the backend of your business and if there is any online tools or apps you use to stay organized?
We have just started out so to maintain finances to the minimum while maintaining good quality control of our business, we use free organizational platforms and tools.
How have you been able to get the word out about your product? Any direct or online marketing tips?
Instagram has been our main platform to reach out to potential pledgers. It’s important to engage with people on social media to have them feel like the brand is relatable.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
The best investment you could ever make is in yourself.
What tips do you have for crowd funders and entrepreneurs, from making a crowd funding video to making a website and selling product?
First, do your research. See the level of performance the campaigns execute at and see what works and what doesn’t work. Have a vision in what level of video, website, and marketing you wish to do and actually aim higher. It’s good to explore many options such as outsourcing professionals for marketing and videography/photography but be smart with your expenses. There are many free platforms out there that can teach you how to start a successful campaign so learn to be resourceful.
Lastly, what should consumers know about your product that is different from what is already on the market?
Ki & Drew brings a unique twist to the minimalist watch game. The elevated double dial along with the non-traditional dot indexes give our watch an overall classy look. We give great color combinations along with a great price point. As the designer, I have more potentially great designs in mind and plan to bring more awesome watch designs which I’m sure our consumers will be very pleased with.
Thanks so much for talking with us!
-The Create Team
