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Talon Faire
December 29, 2009
Category: Business Reviews
"EYELASHES! Talon Faire Fashions & Home Decor; Art Gallery"
Whenever newcomers arrive to the world of Second Life, they are greeted by the avatar selection screen, along with the hint they can change their initial looks instantly upon entering the Grid. I have done this myself upon arriving and successfully deleted the texture of my shirt, which I couldn’t retrieve anymore. Some people seem to have achieved even better results than myself; however, during my travels, I have encountered an in-world art of a McNoob doll, depicting a guy wearing a box on his chest and another one on his head.
Once you get use to the environment, however, you will be able to change your avatar or clothes very easily, and the vast majority of people will do so. Some people don't stop at just choosing an avatar, but take the time to refine every little detail of their appearance.
Many fine details are available, an example; "eyelashes", and the following article deals with a SL business dedicated to such additions, to enhance your avatar's appearance. There is much more, so please keep reading to find out, as reporter Vazul Neximus, made a visit to: EYELASHES! Talon Faire Fashions & Home Decor; Art Gallery, in-world http://slurl.com/secondlife/Misto Presto/205/33/155 where owner Amaranthim Talon, provided an insight to the business secrets of fashion-themed ventures.
Talon Faire
The shop is located in a two-story building, surrounded by a flourishing garden. A stylish sign, a few exotic birds, as well as a bathing tub outside, ensures you get in the proper mood for entering the realm of luxurious fashion. I assure you, you can find the same artistic designs inside the building, as well.
As usual, first I asked for a short introduction to the place. Amaranthim told me that "Talon Faire" is an eclectic mix of fashion for both the home, and offers items to enhance your female avatar. They have everything from art pieces to garden items in the "Home" section. In the "Ladies Fashions" section, there are tattoos, jewelry, shoes and clothing. This year though, took Talon Faire, in a whole new direction with "Eyelashes". That really is the main focus of marketing now, and is what Talon Faire is best known for. They have been at the same location since 2007.
Getting into Business
In the beginning, she told me that similar to many residents out there, she was just like "Oh look, I can make stuff"! and it just grew from there. She did not set out to start a business, but just to make some things for herself. In retrospect, she thinks her first dress was a nightmare, however, she did not get discouraged. Her current focus is a niche market and one she thinks she has filled very well.
"Really, is it so easy"? "Does one just find an unexploited niche, build stuff, and keep trying"? I thought for a moment, wondering if I took the wrong turn when I abandoned my initial sandbox project, the infamous Cat-On-A-StickTM (Hey, I could sell some for a few pennies, mostly in postapocalyptic sims). She related further on the requirements which she thinks is essential for a business to succeed.
A true business needs true talent and dedication, in her opinion. She thinks her view of the products, her fire and vision makes them special. A good indication you are on target is when others like your product as well. She knows she has succeeded, as she receives many compliments and the products do sell well. Also, she has great traffic numbers and only the highest expectations for the future.
The concept, "If you build it, they will come", does not apply to Second Life, however! If no one knows about your product, you can't sell any of it, which makes marketing so very important. She told me she is in several groups and sends out group notices regularly. Personally, she feels the Midnight Mania groups have been a great success for her, as it brings many people to the shop. Her biggest advertising is "word of mouth", but of course, that takes time to build, and it all takes a lot of work.
Detailed Services and Support
Ok, it has been already revealed so far what they offer, but let’s stick to this question a bit longer, as exploring it from a different viewpoint may yield further important information. Since Amaranthim underlined the importance of maintaining a special, artictic touch, I was curious about the depth they go into customizing their products, and how exactly they sell them.
She told me they do custom lashes, but not exclusives. Being a man I usually hate shopping in real life, but when I do buy (well not eyelashes), but lets say "clothes", even I like to take my time to try them on before purchasing. I was curious, as well, if customers in SL have similar needs, and if they do, how a SL fashion business deals with them?
She told me they do not have demos of their products, but up to now this has not been an issue at all that she is aware of. She thinks it is because their items are reasonably priced and extremely easy for customers to wear. In an instance when a customer has not been able to fit them, she does offer custom fitting for a minimal fee, and also she have been known to give impromptu lessons to people that have never ever opened an "edit box". As for discounts, she offers Fat Packs of related collections, which is a win/win situation, as it gives the customer a discount and of course a bigger sale for herself.
Closely related to this, she pointed out the importance of taking care of your customers. She is convinced that any business; regardless of type, that doesn’t offer support is destined to fail. Since all her items are copy/mod/no-transfer, she does not offer refunds, however, she goes to all possible lengths to ensure her customers are taken care of. She feels her willingness to satisfy her customers has paid off in spades, as happy customers equal great word of mouth advertising and further product awareness.
Partnership, Plans and Tips
Amaranthim told me she feels the newest thing Talon Faire is involved with right now will be a huge success. They just partnered with a leading shape maker, "Sophistishapes". They aim to produce the first of its kind; "eyelashes custom fitted to a shape"! You just wear and go, and nothing could be easier than that.
While we were conversing; of course I did not miss the opportunity to inquire about other partnership or employment possibilities that our readers could benefit from. She told me, other than this one, she has no plans for affiliate programs or other types of associations at this point. "The same goes regarding hiring employees", she said. At this point, she can and will handle all her own needs by herself and her alts, if necessary. Who knows what the future may bring, but you may have the chance later. One thing for sure, you can now see that it is possible to run such an extensive business all by yourself!
Tips? Well, I hope you noticed she gave a lot of useful tips during the course of introducing her trade, but she had some final advice for newcomers looking to start their own business.
Assuming that you have done the ground work, as far as knowing what sort of product you will offer, the first thing should be "networking".
Get out there and be seen, join forums; such as the official Second Life forum available off the Dashboard, third party sites like Second Life Universe, etc., she advised. Exposure is crucial! You should join in-world groups that are related to your niche. Talk, ask questions, get to know your target audience. As in everything, conduct a lot of research.
She also recommended to take a look at a great thread in the SL forum called, "Advice on Sales”, that chronicles the growth of several successful businesses in SL. It can be found at http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=27474&highlight=Advice+on+Sales
Still enchanted by the artistic sights that can be seen all around the place, I almost forgot to ask one of the most important questions. "If they make a profit, how do they pay the maintenance costs"? Amaranthim told me, she has been a Premium member almost from her Rez Day, so she owns the land. The business covers the costs now. It took a long time to get here, like all success takes work; but even more now, she feels that Talon Faire is a success.
While climbing out of the fountain through which I initially attempted to leave this realm of artistic fashion, I thanked her for the interview and set out to let all the newfound knowledge settle in my brain.