Saturday, September 12, 2009

History in the Making...


Today was exciting! It has been a few months in the making, but today is the day that Beckett & Robb went public. We're not talking an IPO (yet,) but Derek gladly agreed to an invitation to participate in a local business fair. If it were up to Mayor Jackson her whole office would be outfitted in Beckett & Robb custom suits. Surely a few will be. The response he and his business partner, Jason, have received up to this point from family and friends has been favorable, but it was definitely exciting to get a public response to their business and a fruitful one at that.

Their business...
For those of you who don't know what Derek has been working on let me explain. Derek and Jason have made custom suits affordable and available. Their look is far superior to the ones bought off-the-rack and the details are something special. They found amazing tailors in Bangkok, Thailand and have paired their craftsmanship with really nice fabrics from Italy. The result is amazing and I couldn't be more proud of him. They will be traveling to Thailand next month to source other accessories like cuff links, ties, belts, as well as fine tuning the process they've already put in place. Like I said, I'm so proud. They have plans to shortly have their Beckett & Robb website e-commerce ready which would allow for suits to be ordered online. The prospect of having a self-sustaining sales system in place is a real achievement. They have a great program in place for trunk shows. When a person invites them to their business they receive a commission of the profits, usable toward merchandise. I've been so impressed with the business model these two have come up with. I think it's brilliant! They've recruited sales people in several states and have created a beautiful product presentation manual. They are creating a Facebook and Twitter presence, and their Beckett & Robb blog, that Derek is constantly updating with well-researched tips and advice, gets hits from all over the world. He has worked so hard and it is a blessing to our family to see his efforts resulting in success.

4 comments:

Jenni said...

this is all so exciting! Congratulations! Ever since Rod served in Italy he has been a suit snob. fitted Armani is his deal. Im sure he will be excited to hear all about more affordable options as right now we are...well broke. :) med school doesn't pay much. haha. again..sooo exciting! what a great peek into your future! you must be thrilled!!

Natalie said...

That is so awesome guys! Congratulations! I love the website.

Mark and Kris said...

Derek, that is way cool. Good work! We will tell everyone about it! We are proud of you.

SarahAnne said...

What a remarkable story! Best of luck to Derek, and peace to you, Tara, as you support him through starting his own business. I know it can be hard in the beginning, but I'm sure it will become huge success!