Business in the Spotlight: Teller
We’re bringing an exciting interview with a new an awesome new clothing company who has a social focus, working with a charity in India. Making the world a better place. Recommendable loves doing these kinds of spotlights since businesses like this make a real difference in the world. Remember if you’re interested in our spotlight, apply here.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m Megan and I started Teller at the end of last year after working in the fashion industry for a few years and spotting things that I would do differently.
I had an amazing opportunity to become Managing Director of a luxury London label at the age of 24, which was an incredible experience. It taught me the in’s and out’s of the industry and showed me how much hard work goes into running a business.
Probably somewhat stupidly, I decided to leave and start my own small venture. I wanted to create a company that helped people in some way, so I worked with a charity in India and helped to train a group of women in sewing and embroidery so they could make the clothes for Teller and earn a good living from the sales.
What is Teller all about?
Teller is based on supporting the people who work on the clothes and respecting the area that the pieces are made. I am interested in trying to change people’s ideas of where and how clothes are made by being very transparent about the whole process. Each label says who worked on the piece and each woman has a picture on the website meaning you can have quite a personal link to it.
It has started in a village in Rajasthan but the aim is to expand to offer training and a good wage to many women around the world.
I’m not interested in seasonal collections; instead collections will grow organically and be added to based on popularity, new fabrics, cool things that I’ve found, places I’ve visited… all following the model of everyone involved receiving recognition and a fair wage.
Why do you think this is important?
Unfortunately, the fashion industry isn’t a ‘good’ industry at the moment – it is very polluting, people have less attachment to their clothes meaning they are being thrown away and workers are being paid next to nothing to make them due to the low price of clothes on the high street. The connection that the everyday person has to their clothing is gone, even if it was just ‘I know the bloke down the road who made my suit’.
The good news is that lots of people are involved in trying to improve things! It is such a huge global industry and I believe it is important to just do what you can, in my case that is offering a small alternative of clothing that are made well and clothes that hopefully you will keep and enjoy for a long time. I think that if pieces hold a story or a personal element they become a bit more important to you than your high street t-shirt.
What do you think are the important factors in running a business in 2017?
I think we are at a really exciting time for small businesses and new ideas, with much more being possible than ever before. With the growth and importance of social media and the endless business tools available on the web, businesses can be started by anyone globally with a good idea and access to the internet.
However, I feel like consumers are so overwhelmed by companies, products and adverts that to become a business that lasts you need to offer a better and more personalised service than companies ever needed to before. It isn’t enough just to offer a good product, so much thought has to be put into all the aspects (at the same time) to make sure that the customer takes something away from their experience to bring them back. I think that social media and customer experience are equally, if not more, important than product these days when running a business.
Why is word of mouth important to you as a business?
Word of mouth is so important to the business as it builds trust. With so much competition on the market, a recommendation is what drives sales and builds a network that helps any company grow. It is definitely the best form of marketing!
