Recently I sat down with a team of four businesswomen to learn more about their international company, Bee Inspired, LLC. What is notable about this woman-owned business is the founders had no formal international business experience prior to starting the company. Yet they successfully launched their first product and globally sourced the main components in less than one year. The bright women behind Bee Inspired will tell you conducting international business can indeed be challenging. But with passion, resourcefulness and determination, absolutely no challenge is insurmountable.  

Case: What was Bee Inspired’s first product?

Sue Dickinson: Our first product is a decorative box that contains 365 individually wrapped and rolled scrolls that have inspirational quotes printed on them. The scrolls provide a daily dose of inspiration and include a call to action related to each quote.  It makes for a personal gift that can be given for numerous circumstances. The Bee Inspired box delivers a true sense of thoughtfulness by the giver and has been cherished by recipients time and again.

Case: What was the inspiration behind Bee Inspired?

Kristen Novak: I first came up with the idea when my sister was going through a difficult time and could use some inspiration. I decided to write individual quotes on pieces of paper, roll them up, tie them, and put them all in a box as a gift to her. She loved it and soon I was making them for family and friends and started selling them. Marsa quickly became my biggest customer. She gave a couple boxes to Sue and Leigh, her business partners in 3 Pretty Smart Girls. They all recognized my idea had the potential to become a viable business, well beyond what I ever imagined.  We soon struck a business deal and now we are four equal partners in Bee Inspired, LLC.

 Case: How did your company get involved in international business?

Sue Dickinson: After talking with several local manufacturers, we soon realized domestic production costs would keep us from pricing the product competitively. So in order to get to a lower price point we went to Alibaba.com and explored foreign production partners. We connected with a manufacturer in India and worked through all the details, specifications and quality over e-mail and the Internet.  Actually, we never even spoke to our contact on the phone until after we imported our first 500 units. In a relatively short time frame, they delivered the products we specified, at the quality level we required, and at the right cost. 

Case: What’s the most challenging part about working with global partners?

Marsa Truscott: When developing a product, it’s natural to want to touch and feel the samples firsthand, right away.  But working internationally, you have to look at prototypes online and wait for samples to be mailed. There’s the time zone difference, additional paperwork and cultural differences.  But it was fun for all of us to learn and our team didn’t see it as burdensome at all. Working with other cultures in developing countries is something we all wanted to do anyway.

Case: What has been one of your most rewarding international business experiences?

Leigh Kraushaar: It’s extremely rewarding to hold the end product, which is better than we had envisioned it to be, knowing all we had to learn and do to get to this point. And to have people eager to buy our product and sell out our first shipment so quickly is also very exciting 

Case: What resources have helped Bee Inspired grow your company?

Marsa Truscott: Family and friends have been a tremendous resource. It was extremely helpful that we already had jobs that allowed us to use office space, copier and all the things we would normally have had to pay for upfront. Barbara Hranilovich is the local artist that designed our box and we’ve used a local Web designer, marketing firm, customs brokers and other contacts through the Lansing Chamber of Commerce.

Case: What is your vision for Bee Inspired?

Marsa Truscott: We have multiple new products under development and are looking at global markets to sell into. It’s all happening very fast and has amazing potential. We all grew up in Michigan and are committed to growing in the region. Someday we’ll need warehousing, maybe production, and have to hire new employees.

Case: If you were going to give other entrepreneurs advice about going global, what would it be?

Sue Dickinson: Talk with your family, friends and coworkers, and explore connections…you will be surprised at the ones that turn out to be most valuable.

Kristen Novak: Start with a passion and you’re more likely to reach success, regardless of the market.

Leigh Kraushaar: Use all the resources you already have at your disposal to the best of your ability.

Marsa Trustcott: Create a team environment of openness and people will be eager to contribute.

In less than a year this group of ladies took an idea, made global connections and launched their first product—and a promising international company. They make it look simple by leveraging local and global resources along with technology. Visit www.portlansing.com to learn more about Bee Inspired and how Greater Lansing is going global.

Featured Company: Bee Inspired, LLC

Founders and Partners: Sue Dickinson, Leigh Kraushaar, Kristen Novak, Marsa Truscott

International Involvement: Global Sourcing

Products: Inspirational Gifts

Address: 2339 Jolly Road, Okemos    

                 www.beeinspired.com

		Brent Case is the director of Foreign Trade Zone No. 275 and international market development at the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. In this role, Case works with the Capital Region Airport Authority to increase the amount of global commerce being conducted in the Greater Lansing area.