Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Hurricane Sandy delays Men's line launch!

Well just add some more unforeseen drama to our story. Our manufacturing facility was all ready to start the Men's line when Hurricane Sandy hit New York! The damage as you very well know was crippling! Our hearts go out to all who were personally affected. NoNetz are made in Brooklyn, NY, and the factory was flooded, but spared, thankfully! They are getting back on track and should have the line ready by Christmas. This road has been a bumpy one, starting off with the car being impounded with the boys line in the trunk and ending, thus far, with Hurricane Sandy holding off the launch of the Men's line. Come Hell or High water ( pardon the pun ) We will prevail!
Stay tuned Men, we are almost ready with your Anti Chafe swimwear!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Award Winning Product

We could not be more thrilled that our boy's bathing suit, The Wipeout, has earned the Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) award! Earning this coveted seal of approval from PTPA is so exciting for us especially since this is our first line of NoNetz bathing suits. The testers as well as our customers have given our Anti Chafe swimsuit rave reviews. The anti-chafe, super comfy liner that we have designed prevents the inner thigh chafing that so many boys and men experience after spending time at the beach or pool. As our tag line states, "Ridiculously Comfortable Swimwear" has been put to the test and we have passed with flying colors! We are now working on the men's line which we hope to have available very soon.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Slow and Steady Wins the Race -

So, sales are slow and steady and we have finally had all of our press opportunities hit at the same time! It has been so fun to see our story in the local papers and even a few popular Magazines have done ads and write ups. Thank you to FOLK and Westchester Family, and to LoHud and The Putnam Courier for the great exposure !

Yesterday we did our first Event, and did some great networking at our local Schools Kick off to Football Blitz Event. We got some great feedback from many Mother's of boys who suffer from the terrible chaffing rash and the dad's were also very candid with us and gave us great ideas for the men's line ( which we are currently working on now )  We now have a waiting list of Men who want Anti chafe Swimwear and they aren't afraid to tell us all about their wishes. We know from the awesome feedback, and many reviews of our product that it does prevent the painful, irritating, chaffing rash on the inner thighs, and sensitive areas that the male population suffer while spending time in the water. We are suddenly getting last minute vacationers who read about us in the paper sending us messages ( local folks ) and asking for favors of hand delivering them our product. ~ We, of course are doing so without hesitation as we continue to strive to be the very best. Once again, we thank you for your trust in our brand and we hope to see our business continue to grow.


FOLK link here                        Westchester Family link here
Lohud article                                                          

                                                  Putnam Courier Article here     

Hang In There Men, We Hear You and We are Coming...............................www.NoNetz.com


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Our First Month in Business

Wow!  To say things have been crazy since we launched in June is an understatement.  There have been so many ups, downs and hurdles, our heads are spinning.  Slow and steady wins the race is our motto- like the Tortoise and the Hare.  Our customers are raving about their sons' new swimsuits.  The kids don't want to take them off and we are happy to report that there has not been one report of a rash-even after multiple hours and days spent playing on the beach and in the ocean!  NoNetz is a success!

Now to get the word out there about this great product.  Hmmm...we have been relying on social media and word of  mouth to get our name out there.  There are many people and groups following us at this time.  We've been fortunate enough to have a few stores and swim schools excited to sell our suits.  We had our first few interviews (radio and newspaper), which went really well.  It's all so exciting, but we need to spread the word about our Anti Chafe swimwear.....any ideas?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Anti Chafe Swimwear For Boys

We are open for business! And what a ride it has been to get to this point. Our product has been tested in the ocean, by boys who get the terrible chafing rash on their legs and thighs from conventional swimsuits. Our suit helps prevent the rash sometimes experienced from boys swimsuits with a different type of liner. We are so excited to have our product ready for purchase on our website. We hope that everyone whose son has this problem will find us and try our swimsuit! Better bathing suits for them means better vacations for you! Find us at NoNetz.com

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Selling and Spreading The Word

So we are heading to Brooklyn in a few days to pick up all of the swimsuits....now what? All kidding aside, we are ready to sell but are wondering what the best way is to get our name out there. We only have so many friends and family! The social media outlets have been very helpful in spreading the word, but to get to 1000 followers is a full time job in itself. After much research and interaction with other people, we know that the irritating, swimsuit chafing rash that boys and men get every summer is a very common problem, yet how do we spread the word to all these people that we may have the solution? We actually created the first Anti Chafe swimwear for guys!

                                              Visit us at NoNetz.com

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

How to Price

We are really struggling about how to price this product. I imagine every designer goes through this at one time or another. I guess that means we're getting close to selling.
:)
We had one price in mind initially. Then we found out how expensive it really is to do business in this country. We get it - there's a higher standard of living here to support.
So we upped the price a little more.

Now we find out all of our design details incrementally increase the labor cost.

Lets talk about grommets - who knew these little metal circles would be such a pain in the ass.
Not many sewing contractors have the machine to install the grommet into clothing. So its vended out to someone else.

Ok, we can handle that. Oh, there's a minimum quantity requirement? Like everything else in this business, the more you buy, the cheaper it is. Well, the grommets (of which we had 4 per suit) added an extra $1 in labor per suit. We didn't want to pass that along to the consumer. So we changed the design at the last minute to only include one grommet - on the pocket bottom center to drain out the water. Well the vendor upped the labor price since we only had one grommet per suit. Sigh.

Then there's bar tacks - which are in essence sturdy bars of thread that anchor stress points in a garment - ie. a pocket flap. Well, there's not a lot of machines here that do that kind of sewing anymore. Again, we go forth to look for yet another vendor. They charge per bar tack.

So our labor costs look like this:
Sewing contractor + grommet vendor + bar tack vendor = total labor cost

What we've decided to do is split the increase between sizes. Small and Medium sizes will be slightly
less than Large and X-Large. Regardless, this is an Anti Chafe ,Pro comfort swimsuit!

At this point, we make $4 per suit.
Its really the best we can do with the current amount of volume we have as well as what we feel the consumer can bear. If we move 1000 of these suits, then we can start to achieve small scales of volume.

We'll keep you posted.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The bumps at the Finish

Who ever said it would be a smooth ride to the finish?  As we waited for  the final shipment to make it to the sewing contractor, unforeseen events really turned up the heat a bit.

This entire process from start to finish has been a roller coaster ride for us newbies. The truck with the last of our materials got stuck at the US / Canadian border. It was delayed by 2 days because of increased border security.  We were totally sweating it since we are on the sewing contractors calendar for only a specific range of days.

Soon after that hurdle was cleared, the same truck found it nearly impossible to navigate it's way through NYC's streets due to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters.  Now 3 days late. Are you kidding me? Ay Carumba. Who would have factored all of this into our plan ?

Final outcome - we missed our spot in the queue on the sewing contractor's calendar.

NoNetz, the first ever Anti Chafe swimwear will be ready to ship its first boys line by June 18, 2012 .

We just have to go with - like everything else . Stay calm and carry on.
We'll keep you posted.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Ready For Production

So....we have been rather busy firming up the production team in Brooklyn as well as sourcing as much as we can from the USA without breaking budget. For our first time out, we are pretty pleased with where we currently stand.

We will be using a sewing contractor out of Brooklyn and were able to source most of our materials from the USA. Our goal is to eventually source our entire materials list from this country. The problem remains that the minimum order quantities are HUGE - like 5000 yards. We'll get there, but its going to take a lot of selling. That's where you people, the consumers, come in.

Our second sample turned out great. We sent it to friendly family in Boca Raton who live at the beach and their boys suffer from bathing suit chafing. It received rave reviews. The kid loved it so much, he didn't want to take it off. No rash, no complaining at the beach - they said it was a must for family vacations. We can now confidently say we are ready to hit the market with this new design. Anti Chafe Swimwear coming your way!!

We should be able to launch by Memorial Day, if not a bit sooner. We'll keep you posted.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Our First Sample


So here it is. Our first sample. While we do have some minor changes, overall, as you can tell from our expressions,  we're pretty pleased. We have designed Anti Chafe swimwear.... ,at last Rash relief!!

We're making at least one more sample, just because we're fussy.

As it turns out, there's no way we can realistically afford to make this in NYC's garment center. The price quote we received was $25 - $27 in labor alone. So tomorrow, we're headed to Brooklyn to make the second sample.

Wish us luck!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Sourcing, Manufacturing and Identity

So each hurdle we clear, we get a little closer to what we're trying to achieve. Its exciting - and like everything else that's exciting, its nerve wracking.

We've tried to be so thoughtful about every aspect, especially when it comes to sourcing materials outside of our country. We really can't find a lot of manufacturing in this country and the decisions we agonize over become choosing the lesser of two evils.

An example.

The liner is a very important part of our product - it solves a very specific problem in the market place , it will be the first Anti Chafe swimwear! Its what sets us apart from the others. As a result,  lots of thought have gone into its creation. We found a fabric for the liner we love love love.  Its a really green factory - environmentally approved by everybody we've aligned ourselves with - people are starting to call us Bluesign groupies. But its from the other side of the world. That's not so green and doesn't employ a lot of people here.

Round and round. Which then leads me to think about what we're doing and why we're doing it.

I realized that my cultural identity has been at risk for some time. The concerns I hear about in the news are completely unaligned with my daily concerns. Since the Trade Center fell, since the mortgage crisis devalued everybody's homes, since we exported not only our manufacturing jobs, but a lot of technology jobs to the other side of the world - What is it to be an American today?

I designed the wave patch on the bathing suit , the logo and even the liner to have the same pantone color as the blue in our flag. All the thoughts about keeping jobs here. Why am I reaching so hard back to this country that I don't feel entirely in step with?

After much internal debate, I really think its because I believe as a country, we have good core , the best of intentions and some genius creativity. The struggle , when we're really against the wall, is what defines us . Its how we redefine ourselves in the face of all adversity.

OK, we're looking at more liner fabrics, we're going with another sewing contractor, in the Garment District, NYC - we're keeping it here, and we're sucking it up to do the best we can with the resources we have.
That's who we are as Americans.


Thursday, February 2, 2012

Our Facebook Page

Click here to check out our Facebook Page

You're Kidding Right?

I guess this blog has turned into a carthartic outlet for all of our  - lets just call it what it is - straight up ignorance.
We have spent 3 days on sales tax for NYS.
NYS sales tax goes like this.
NYS gets 4%.  Sales tax goes from 7% to 8.88% - and that's by county.
Now the cities within those counties can charge (what seems to be) anything they want.
You're kidding right? Who makes up these rules?
Do you know what kind of sales tax table you have to build by city for your online shopping cart?
Do you know how many cities there are in NYS?
Yah. Me Neither.
No wonder people incorporate in states like Maryland.
Places like Maryland have a single rate for the whole freaking state!
Just FYI: The states with a single rate include Connecticut, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

Nothing like 20/20 hindsight.

But we don't want to incorporate in Maryland if our business is located in NYS. That's shyster.

We're trying our best to do the "right thing". Right thing by the customer, right thing for the planet, right thing by our conscionce, follow all the business rules - but let me tell you - NYS doesn't make it easy for small business.

So our accountant advised we should do a flat rate for the whole state of 8%.
Really? Are you sure? Well, ok if you say so.
Just sign here , here and here saying that you're responsible for sales tax if everyone in NYC wants one of these suits.

Oh, not so sure now? Yah. We'll get back to you.
Full speed ahead to creat Anti Chafe swimwear!!




Thursday, January 26, 2012

Origami

Figuring out shipping has been a nightmare. We just can't get over how expensive it is!

I'm really thinking of just getting in the car, and tossing these suits on people's doorsteps, like a newspaper.

No wait, lets check out USPS. Well, if we can squeeze this suit into a 5" box (that can roughly hold 3 DVDs and not a breath more) we could offer a flat rate shipping of $5.35 anywhere in the US.
You know, that's reasonable.

We are now practicing origami (that's gone horribly wrong) on a boys large bathing suit.  We can't fit the suit in the box. God forbid, someone buys more than one.

OK, let's look at the next size box. Definitely roomier - could accommodate 3 or 4 suits. Things are certainly looking up. Holy Cow, its $11 to ship this anywhere in the country!

And I just remembered we already integrated our shopping cart with USPS - shipping labels and everything. If I have to edit that html code one more time, someone is getting a call.
Most likely my mother.

We're going back to the origami.






Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Photos From Our Day In NYC

Here we are in the Fashion District for the first time.  Very excited to start our day!
So many fabrics to choose from!


Thank goodness for Boaz and his expertise.  He helped us choose the perfect, anti-microbial fabric for our liner.


Grommets!  Very important.


This is where the grading and marking will take place.  What a fascinating process this is!


Off to our next stop.  Boaz organized a great day for us to meet all of the people who will make this happen.


Cutting and Sewing.  What a busy place!

Barely a scrap!  They use every bit of fabric.


We call this "The Glitch In The Stitch".  This is where we decided that we need a certain kind of flat stitch for our liner in order to make it as comfortable as possible when against the skin.  This contractor doesn't have that kind of sewing machine.  Thanks to Boaz, we found one that does!
Learning all about the making of the pattern and sample.  Our process is almost complete.

Boaz is adding his expertise to our pattern maker.  We are ready to have our sample made! Our goal...to create Anti Chafe swimwear for guys!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Walking the Walk

During the conceptual phase of this project, we were focused on two things: comfort ; made in the usa ; and oh yeah, we want to be as green as we can about it.

The comfort part has been a very fun, creative effort.  Move a seam here. Try a different fabric. What about this kind of stitching? What do you mean there's no machine that does that type of stitching in this country? We've all learned a ton in a very short amount of time.

The problem we're finding, which we've all heard a million times on the news, is that there's very little manufacturing in this country anymore.

So, how do you really stay green and carbon neutral when you have to import everything?
Ok, so we settle for textiles that are greenly produced and reached out to bluesign to see if they have a product certification process we could receive for our product.
And to put it on a boat to get here, you have to order 1000's of whatever-you're-buying as a minimum.
Ok, so we look at our funding differently or should we look at other materials. Oh but those materials aren't so environment friendly.

Round and round we go. Some of these I can talk myself in and out of, all day.


We're constantly re-negotiating decisions with ourselves in order to remain focused in the same direction - maybe not the direction we would have exactly defined, but certainly the same spirit.


But there have been lots of Aha Moments.
THATs what a marker /grader does. 
The fabric isn't cut by machine but by hand? OH.
Oh so THIS is why its hard to say Made in the USA.
(Btw, we're doing it, but make no mistake, its difficult.)


And really, you do need a model to figure out the fit and see how it looks on a live person rather than your sketchbook.  If your pattern is screwed , then so are you.

The good part is that the sewing contractors and suppliers we've been introduced to (thank you very much Boaz!) have been excellent. Very timely and responsive. Our pattern is being made as we type.
:)
It's very exciting to see something you drew turn into something you wear. Final product - Anti Chafe Swimwear for Boys and Men!


Friday, January 20, 2012

Touring the Fashion District

We spent the day in New York City's Fashion District with our fashion/business consultant, Boaz David.  The man is a fashion genius!  Anyone looking to start a new business in fashion should contact him.  Boaz showed us around the Fashion District and introduced us to exactly the right suppliers we needed to complete our vision for this product. It would have taken us months to find the right suppliers on our own. We saw tons of fabric, picked out labels, met with the people who do grading and marking - it was certainly a whole new world for us.  It was a long and exciting day!  We are now ready for our very first sample to be made.  This dream is starting to become a reality!  We really will be designing, and selling Anti Chafe swimwear for Boys and Men!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Introduction

Welcome to NoNetz Bathing Suits! 
Anti Chafe Swimwear for Boys and Men!

We have developed a swimsuit without the annoying net liner that tends to cause a rash from chafing.
We plan to launch our first line of boys swimwear on April 15th, 2012.
Men's swimwear is coming soon.

For years we have watched our husbands and sons suffer on our beach vacations.  After a few days at the beach, they would develop a rash commonly caused by chafing net liners.  The only solution was to cut the net out and wear their boxers underneath.

We're bringing a new solution to the market to solve this problem.
Our suit has a comfortable, anti-microbial brief inside which replaces the net liner.  We spent a lot of time designing this liner : special high performance fabric with a minimal amount of seams.

Plus, our liner has the highest eco-friendly certification - its bluesign approved.

We're really trying to be as thoughtful as possible to ensure maximum comfort.
Even the care and sizing labels are located where they would be the least irritating - inside the pocket flap of the pocket.


When you're playing in the water, we've got you covered.

Please check back often to see our progress, and visit our website at www.NoNetz.com.