Meet the member: Meeta from Story 81
This week we caught up with Meeta from Story 81 on vegan bag designs and the many roles she takes on as independent business owner.
How long have you been in business?
We launched Story 81 in Summer 2016, so it’s been almost 1 year!
Describe your product in 3 words.
Vegan. Stylish. Contemporary.
One thing you wished you’d known before starting your brand.
This could be a long list… but the one thing that stands out most is how many different hats you have to wear. I’m the social media manager, the accountant, the web editor, the parcel packer, the stock checker, the customer service person and more, all rolled into one. Google/YouTube have become my go-to for learning how to do most things related to the brand.
What’s your biggest achievement whilst running your brand?
Launching the brand has been an achievement in itself but the top one has to have been creating our website. As someone who started out with zero knowledge of how to build a website or web design, I had no clue where to start! I did lots of research and found that platforms like Shopify and Squarespace make it really easy for small, independent brands like ours to have a web presence that feels clean and contemporary, while ensuring that the shopping experience is smooth for the customer.
Why do you think PR is important?
I’ve quickly learned about the importance of PR as the link between our brand and the message our customers receive about who we are and what we do. With the massive growth of social media over the last few years, reaching our customers directly has become even easier, but a clear message in a crowded market is key. PR helps deliver that message.
If you could be featured anywhere (print or online) where would it be?
This is tricky – so many on the list but the top one right now would be Stylist magazine. Living in London, I’ve picked up almost every edition of this during my commute into work and often dreamed about featuring in The Style List.
And finally, in the next year you want to…
Grow our core collection and continue developing our brand online. I’d also love to expand our team and move into a studio space.
Join Story 81 and begin your journey - sign up to our memberships here.
Follow Story 81:
Website www.storyeightyone.com
Twitter: @storyeightyone
Instagram: @storyeightyone
Contacts, community, advice & support. You can find out more about our memberships and join our members who are already pitching their products to press here.