
The Trilogy Sisters Shares 3 Business Tips
Trilogy co-founders Sarah Gibbs and Catherine de Groot launched natural skin care brand Trilogy in 2002 and has since been an international success.
Sarah and Catherine would like to share 3 Trilogy business tips to those that are interested in creating their own brand and have the ambition to make it an international success:
1) Pick up the telephone. Don’t be afraid to ask someone who’s done it before for help. There’s a wealth of business knowledge in Wellington and most people are only too willing to answer your questions and share information on subjects such as distribution, PR and exporting.
“Our family is from the Wellington region and having been involved in a number of other Wellington-based business ventures before launching Trilogy, Catherine and I knew this little city was a fantastic base for a dynamic international business.”
“The reasons why Wellington works as a business base are countless, but the main one for us is the people: their wealth of ideas; their ambition, their generosity; plus their eagerness to collaborate and go the extra mile for locally based brands.”
“There’s a host of innovative companies here in Wellington. Catherine and I have found their stories wonderfully inspiring and extremely helpful when looking at how to grow our own business domestically and internationally.”
2) Don’t rely on email for everything. People are often busy and don’t have the time to reply to every email. If you want to really connect with someone, pick up the telephone and invite them for a coffee.
“We also love the great sense of collaboration and loyalty of Wellington businesses. We chose local design company DNA to design our launch packaging as we believed they could create the simple, unique look we were looking for. Nine years later we’re still working together, hanging out around the boardroom table and discussing the latest Trilogy packaging.”
3) Choose partners carefully and build strong relationships. Shop around and choose partners who you believe understand your business and will become passionate about your brand.
“Most of our key partners have been with us since the beginning. We believe business is all about relationships, ensuring that you treat people fairly, openly and honestly and with respect. This is the key to creating powerful word- of-mouth networks that will help grow your business.”
It’s a long long road, with many hurdles and heartaches before business success comes. Be patient, be hopeful and be confident. Don’t ever loss sight of your dreams.