Impressions - Digital Decorator - Fall 2015 - 8

Bling Dat currently operates a GCC
Jaguar IV, which is the first piece of equipment that Louviere purchased. She still uses
it almost daily for heat-transfer vinyl as well
as making rhinestone templates. She also
occasionally uses the stencil method.
Other equipment includes two CAMs (1V6P) and an AASP-300 sequin machine. An
EPSON WF 7010 is used for sublimation, and
Louviere recently purchased an OKI laser
printer to print laser heat transfers.
"We will do anywhere from one piece to
more than 1,000," she says. "We offer retail
and wholesale pricing. I think it is important to work with retailers that need custom
orders for their clients, but not necessarily
a large quantity. I will bling just about anything, or at least give it a try.
Marketing can be challenging for
Louviere as she strives to keep strategies
fresh and creative. Not everyone needs bling
all the time, and many need it seasonally or
for an event, she says. Reaching out to people
who don't yet know about Bling Dat is important. Louviere follows up with old customers
daily via phone and email, while identifying new customers along the way. Spending
time efficiently is a company goal as wasting time means wasting profit, she says.
Louviere schedules her day ahead of time to
maximize production flow.
"I reach out to new customers via social
media," she says. "If I notice a company
taking interest in my product, I pick up the
phone and call them. Likewise, if I come
across someone I think would benefit, like
a gym or fitness team, I reach out to them
via phone."

STANDING OUT
Louviere describes two things that are
of great importance to New Orleans residents: the fleur-de-lis and Mardi Gras. The
fleur-de-lis is a symbol for New Orleans
that represents both state and city pride,
she says.
"I specialize in fleur-de-lis designs,"
Louviere says. "I have a huge selection and
even get creative with them for the holidays.
Every year, I add a few new holiday designs
incorporating a fleur-de-lis."
Louviere says that, while the fleur-delis designs were meant for local sale, they
have become best-sellers, shipped just
about everywhere. Her other specialty,
Mardi Gras-themed items, are huge sellers
throughout the year in-store and online.
8 § FALL 2015

Bling Dat has an extensive collection of designs using fleur-de-lis, a New Orleans icon.

Louviere uses fleur-de-lis themes for unique Christmas designs.

To stay on trend with design and equipment, Louviere attends trade shows whenever she can. A few she has found useful
include ISS and SGIA. When she cannot
attend shows, she tries to keep up with
everything online.
"Facebook groups are great for that,"
she says. "When I see a post about something new, I search for it immediately. I
also love YouTube for the same reason."
Louviere says she finds social media to
be a great way to reach new customers, using
Facebook and Instagram as trusted platforms
to engage people. She uses sponsored ads on
Facebook and posts exclusive social-media
specials. Louviere encourages customers to
post pictures and reviews online, but feels
that getting people to do so on the company's
actual Facebook timeline is difficult.
"I get private messages all the time saying how happy they are," she says. "I am very
appreciative for that. I just don't know how to
direct them to post to my wall."

The shop conducts the majority of its
business online through blingdat.com primarily within the United States, but also has
shipped orders to Canada and Australia.
Louviere is a firm believer in recycling
and re-purposing. R hinestones and sequins
do not generate a lot of waste, other than
Hotfix tape, which she reuses when making transfers for shirts. And, when packing
transfers to ship, the Bling Dat team repurposes boxes by cutting them in sheets
and shipping transfers between two sheets
of cardboard.
Louviere would like to get into other
apparel decorating techniques, specifically
direct-to-garment. She also is considering
the ProSpangle machine.
"As I grow more, I hope to become more
of an apparel decorating distributor, too, by
offering instructions, materials, supplies,
etc." Louviere says. "I already offer design
services, so this would be a good next step
and a way to share my knowledge, too."

http://www.blingdat.com

Impressions - Digital Decorator - Fall 2015

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