Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Alright y'all I need some business advice

So you all know about the purses I designed almost a year ago now. Well I guess being caught up in school and work and everything else I didn't put as much effort into making it work as I could have up until now as far as finding retailers to carry them and such. And not that wasn't motivated because I am just about the biggest overachiever ever, but I am not the "marketing type" if you will and I guess part of me just kinda hoped someone else would come along and make it easier for me by making some phone calls (like my dad who's my investor in the whole thing, or my older brother who graduated school for communications and can get anyone to do just about anything he wants).

Well now the people at the factory are still nagging about us making an order and by September the prices will go up because oil prices are increasing so much, and it takes about 8 weeks from the time I order them until they actually get here - so now's the perfect time to get them here for the holiday shopping season.

Well I finally had a revelation last week that despite the fact that I hate calling people on the phone and being constantly rejected (I definitely have no future as a telemarketer) and the fear that I'll get asked something that I have no idea what the answer is, I've realized that the only way I'll ever be able to overcome my weaknesses is to just frigging suck it up and do it. So I spent all last weekend up every night till like 3am making this huge long calling list. And I got my online brochure all polished up and I was good to go. I figured our best bet for a market for these right now was small individually owned boutiques before I try and break into a huge high-end market like Saks Fifth Avenue or something where it's all about politics and advertising money. The minimum order is 800 purses so I figured if I found 9 places to take 40 purses we'd already break more than even and then my dad would feel secure enough in placing the order and then I could continue to find buyers during the 2 month manufacturing time.

Well Monday and Tuesday I fruitlessly made calls and sent emails to well over 70 places and not one thing! I guess I didn't think it'd be THIS hard. Now I know what a singer must feel like when they're trying to hand out demo tapes to anyone and everyone and it takes 6 years before anyone cares.

And of course my father has many other things on his plate with his company right now and it isn't really his concern right now if this works out now or later or whatever. It's all up to me and while it'd be so much easier to just give up, I don't know where I'll be a year or more from now and I can't see myself having the time to try and make this work then.

So I'm trying to rack my brain for any other outlets for me to try and get these into in the next 2 weeks before the prices go up and before I miss the big shopping season. Can anyone think of any catalogs that sell higher end items? And of course multiple designer names?

Or is there a better method to approach this? I just need some advice or encouragement or something because god knows I'd stand on a street corner and ring a bell and tap dance to sell them, but I'm not seeing that being the best option right now. And the samples they sent are ALWAYS getting me compliments and people want to know where they can buy them. So I know people want these and they'd be popular, but how to people do it?! These little boutique stores could care less it seems. They just go to these big shows and buy the same junk everyone else has. How do you get them to take a chance on your stuff??

Ok so that was some serious rambling. But anyone have any ideas or advice for me?

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