Kaans Designs

How This Couple Grew Kaans Designs to $300K Sales in 2024

Founded By

Ashley Green

Monthly Revenue

$25K

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2014

Customer

B2C

Founded By
Ashley Green: Monthly Revenue
$25K

Founders
2: Profitable
Yes

Year Started
2014: Customer
B2C

Who is Ashley Green?

Kenny Green, a former social worker with an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, and Ashley Green, a former high school teacher from Fort Wayne, Indiana, co-founded Kaans Designs in 2014, drawing on their passion for family values and education.

What problem does Kaans Designs solve?

Kaans Designs helps families cherish memories by offering stylish, matching outfits, making it easier to capture and preserve special moments together.

Kaans Designs homepage

How did Ashley come up with the idea for Kaans Designs?

Ashley Green's inspiration for Kaans Designs arose from a deeply personal experience. At 21, she lost her mother and was left with only a single photograph of them together. This loss highlighted the importance of capturing family memories, particularly through photos, which led to the idea of creating a clothing line designed for family photo ops.

While on maternity leave, Ashley was motivated to find a unique side hustle that aligned with her family-focused values. Seeing a trend of message tees on social media, she noticed a gap in representation for families of color. This observation, combined with her desire to see her own family reflected in the retail space, prompted her to design family-matching apparel with heartfelt and empowering messages.

Ashley and her husband Kenny initially started by designing a shirt for their son, capturing his spirit with a playful slogan. They listened to customer feedback and expanded their product line to include clever family-themed collections. Early sales success and viral social media moments validated their idea, helping refine their designs further and confirming the market need for inclusive family apparel.

How did Ashley build the initial version of Kaans Designs?

Kenny and Ashley Green began building KaAn's Designs right from their garage with an initial investment of $200 from Ashley's father. They started with eight T-shirt designs, using print-on-demand techniques to minimize upfront costs. By maintaining a stock of blank T-shirts and hoodies, they could quickly print designs upon order, with adult T-shirts costing $5.12 to produce and selling for $26.

The early prototypes focused on capturing a sense of family unity, drawing inspiration from their love of music and personalized themes. Over time, they encountered challenges like scaling manufacturing to meet increased demand, especially after features on platforms like Oprah's "Favorite Things." The experience was both rewarding and arduous, requiring consistent iteration to expand their product lines and maintain quality.

What were the initial startup costs for Kaans Designs?

Initial Investment: The founders used a $200 investment from Ashley’s dad to kickstart Kaans Designs.
Funding: They secured a $75,000 loan from Todd Graves in exchange for 10% equity on "Shark Tank."

What was the growth strategy for Kaans Designs and how did they scale?

Kaans Designs gained significant traction through social media platforms, particularly Instagram. The founders leveraged the power of visual content to showcase their matching family apparel, which naturally aligned with the platform's emphasis on photos. A pivotal moment was when a viral Instagram post of a father and daughter in Kaans Designs' T-shirts significantly boosted their visibility.

This post, which received thousands of interactions, demonstrated the effectiveness of showcasing real-life family moments in their marketing. This approach worked because it created an emotional connection with users and promoted inclusivity, resonating with a broad audience.

Amazon Partnership

The decision to partner with Amazon, specifically leveraging Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), was key to Kaans Designs' growth. This partnership allowed them to handle increased demand efficiently, especially after their products were featured on Oprah's "Favorite Things" list. Selling through Amazon provided them with increased credibility and boosted sales almost overnight, thanks to the platform's vast customer base and trusted logistics. By utilizing Amazon’s infrastructure, they were able to focus on scaling their product range and maintaining quality, while FBA managed the logistics.

Oprah’s Favorite Things

Being featured on Oprah's "Favorite Things" list provided not just immediate sales spikes but long-term brand recognition. This endorsement offered a form of social proof that elevated the brand’s status, making it more appealing to a wider audience. Such a feature works because Oprah’s list is seen as a curated selection of unique and high-quality products, providing exposure to a vast audience who trust her recommendations, enhancing both credibility and desirability for Kaans Designs' offerings.

Return Customer Engagement

Kaans Designs has excelled in maintaining a 30% customer return rate, bolstered by a blend of engaging products and consistent communication. They achieved this by offering a range of matching family products that encourage repeat purchases. The significance of matching sets for growing families means their product lines naturally encourage previous buyers to come back as their families grow, while the emotional connection tied to family photo ops strengthens the bond between them and their customers.

What's the pricing strategy for Kaans Designs?

Kaans Designs offers family-themed apparel, with prices ranging from $2 to $58, selling adult T-shirts for $26 and kids' T-shirts for $21, leveraging print-on-demand.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Kaans Designs?

Embrace Feedback and Pivot: KaAn’s Designs adapted their strategies based on customer feedback, utilizing platforms like Amazon's Fulfillment and Prime services to meet high demand after being featured on Oprah's Favorite Things list. This flexibility was crucial for scaling up efficiently.
Stay Authentic: The success of KaAn’s Designs is deeply rooted in personal stories and values. By focusing on authentic family representation, they built a relatable brand that resonated with a wide audience, establishing a loyal customer base.
Value Mentorship: Even without a direct investment, securing mentorship from industry experts like Daymond John provided valuable guidance, helping Ashley and Kenny navigate complex business challenges and expand intelligently.
Seize Opportunities: Recognizing the impact of media appearances and cultural trends, KaAn’s Designs leveraged viral moments on social media and platforms like Shark Tank to boost their visibility and credibility.
Keep Innovating: By constantly updating their product lines and incorporating creative slogans, KaAn’s Designs kept their offerings fresh and engaging, maintaining customer interest and encouraging repeat purchases.

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