From the minds of children come… great business ideas? That’s how it worked for Lisa Leake! One day her daughter asked for a butterfly shirt and from there a business was born. As her tagline says, “clothing inspired by a child’s imagination.”
It may have been inspired by her daughter, but the business has since grown to include other shirt designs that individually inspire all minds alike. Lisa was kind enough to chat with me a little about fliggity and share some of her own experiences in an interview.
What is fliggity, what are some of the styles and sizes your clothes come in?
fliggity offers clothing inspired by a child’s imagination. The products are not typical for children’s clothing because the idea is for the shirts to be fun for kids to wear. Available in sizes 6 months up to child large there are four different product categories: “shirts that fliggity fly”, “how old am i”, “stylish superheroes”, and “tiggity tie dye”. Moms tell me all the time that their child will not take off their fliggity shirt because they love it so much!
What is the inspiration behind the design?
My 3-year-old daughter, Sydney, initially gave me the idea for “shirts that fliggity fly” and the company was born shortly thereafter. Sydney still provides me with ideas for new designs that I am working on!
Are there any particular favorites amongst your customers?
Yes there are definitely products that have proven to be very popular. Here they are for each category: “shirts that fliggity fly” - fairy princess shirt, “stylish superheroes” - blue superpower, “how old am i?” - retro rain puddles, “tiggity tie dye” - pink delight.
What sets your clothing apart from other clothes on the market?
Again the aspect that there is something fun for the kids built into each product! Also aside from that, all of the styles and fabrics are carefully chosen so the appeal to the moms too!
Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
I thought my daughter’s idea for the shirts with wings was so good that I could not pass up the opportunity to see if it would take off into something big. What are some of the things you’ve learned since the launch of Fliggity that have had a positive effect on your business? It is definitely important to listen to my customers and continuously tweak product offerings based on their feedback.
Did you have any previous experience that you were able to bring with you into your start up?
No, I have never had my own business or made a single piece of children’s clothing prior to starting fliggity. Until I tried it first-hand I never knew I would enjoy doing this so much!
What are some of your long term goals?
I would love to eventually sell fliggity shirts through a nationwide (or worldwide) retailer.
What were some of the necessary steps you had to take to get started?
It was important to put some thought into the look and feel of the company and the overall theme of the product offerings and to also spend some time on the business side of things like setting up the website, shipping options, business license etc.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share with others looking to start a business in the world of ecommerce?
It is a lot of work, but it is absolutely an attainable goal for anyone. The web offers an endless number of opportunities for new businesses so it is definitely worth it to give it a shot!
cassy on August 1st, 2008 at 10:11 pm
The designs are very cute, i think teenagers can also wear her fliggity t- shirts if they have a bigger sizes.
jaeda on August 3rd, 2008 at 7:06 pm
woh! so colorful, love to have one.. only if they have it on my size.. so cute and so attractive.