Tomorrow's a big day for Taaluma Totes. Since August, we've been designing backpacks, importing fabrics, and working with other students at Virginia Tech to get this project started. Up til now, we've been doing all this in the spare time we have after work and class. As of 5pm tomorrow (Alley's final hour working for THE MAN), we'll both be working on Taaluma Totes full-time.
We're taking paycuts (to a whopping $0.00/week) and neither of us have ever done any sewing, marketing, backpack design, or any of the things you probably need to know to get a business like this off the ground. But we're stoked and we're happier than ever--and THAT is what it's gonna take to make this work.
Wish us luck and let us know what YOU want to see from Taaluma Totes. What countries would you like to see our backpacks paired with? Do you want to see them sold in stores? Online? On your campus? Put the comments section below to use and let's build this business together.
Comments
It’s possible that Facebook (or now FaceFeed?) isn’t rleevant on community college campuses. The original intent of the site was to bring people together across a campus. In a dispersed environment without a campus feel and without the same culture it simple isn’t necessary for students to be part of the site in order to have a social life and keep up.I notice my own usage has plummeted since about 6 months after college for the same reason. Instead of focusing on FB for planning or ocmmunicating, I found it easier and better to email, call or text people to make plans. I still add people as friends on Facebook (though more sparingly) but I rarely log in to check what people are doing or use it as a communication tool.
Bring them to James Madison University!!
Jamie—we’ll keep an eye out for a special edition blue & orange / black & gold fabric for you and all the other UVa/Purdue grads
And Claire—we gotta get you a backpack pronto so you can wear the inaugural #TravellingTote
Also, you could go for the unofficial bookstores if the main ones are too much of a hassle. Like Mincer’s at UVa, for instance. But online and word of mouth is probably a good thing to go for as well. I have to figure out what color I want…too many school colors to choose from. Way to go y’all! Good luck!
I personally want to see them in Thailand :) I’ve been spreading Taaluma Totes by word of mouth any chance I get! Can’t wait to get one!!!!
Spoken like a true PR pro, Sarah! Maybe we could try to tie each school’s colors into the backpacks we sell in their bookstore? For JMU, use purple and gold fabrics—for VT use maroon and orange?
Can’t wait to see these backpacks on the market!! I think you should sell them online and on college campuses. You could get a lot of buzz around campuses if you sold them in bookstores! VT would jump on it since you both are alum… I can help with JMU and Georgetown. Once they’re in the bookstores you can contact school newspapers and their social media websites to get the word out.