Freebird of California | Artisan Leather goods

Freebird of California's Mission & Vision

My Mission is that Freebird of California creates timeless leather pieces, of uncompromising quality built to last. Skillfully handcrafted in Oakland, California. These handcrafted leather goods are ethically sourced and manufactured with minimal waste and up-cycling, offering options for goods at various price points.

My Vision is that we reinvigorate the apparel production industry in the Bay Area, reintroduce high earning construction skills and cultivate artisanal craftsmanship. 

Freebird of California’s Values lie in 

Ethical sourcing 

Sustainability 

Artisan Made Goods

Renewal

Why do we exist?

Our customers see a Lack of custom options with other leather goods.

They are looking for Leather Goods made with high-end details at a lower price point

It's Hard to Find Trusted Leather Repair services in the local area or online. 

The Value of our products lie in:

• North American solid brass hardware, and ethically sourced leather in bright bold colors
• -HandStitched details found only in one luxury leather goods
• Custom option and bag development. repair and renewal services
• Minimal Waste Production Through up-cycling
• Engaging Leather working And Sewing Classes In The Studio.

Our Competitive Advantage

Strengths are that FreeBird original designs manufactured in California in our studio. A crucial part of FreeBird’s design philosophy lies in products being sourced locally and made with the hand of your neighbors. Since everything is designed in-house, development and sampling can be done quickly.

We own and operate our own machinery, thus we are in complete control of our manufacturing process, & can deliver new products to market faster and close supply chain issues quickly. 

Our Market

The total available market of handbag sales in the US last year  accounted for  13b according to Statista.  Consumers are shopping more and more with intention.   A good product is no longer enough to win a consumer's favor.  Shoppers want more than just quality, often looking for products and brands that align with their personal values. 

The leather goods market has seen a similar change to other product categories. Production waste and sustainability are huge on consumers' minds when purchasing goods. Personal Products that had a sustainability claim accounted for 16.6% of the market in 2018, up from 14.3% in 2013.

Due to the pandemic, consumers care deeply about supporting the local economy, 82.76 % of shoppers say they would rather support a local business than a large corporation. Increased shopping online due to the pandemic has stayed consistent throughout the 2021 holiday season. 

I am looking to capitalize on those trends & expand our online shopping channel’s presence to capture more of our target market nationally. Under those assumptions I see that the Serviceable Obtainable Market will draw in $720,000 in sales within the next 5 years.

Our Freebirds

Our customers are segmented into three categories from with 

• 50% being Sustainably conscious Professional female consumers  in their mid 30-50's. 
• 30% Retired or stay at home Luxury female consumer segment. 
• 20% of sales are wholesale local shops with plants and home goods. 

For socially and locally conscious consumers, finding locally made, well-crafted custom options can be scarce. While style and color options can be limited. Connecting with the customer and gaining confidence is a key focus for FreeBird.

Our Products

Our product line ranges from $15-$450 in the following categories that have a contribution margin between  61-74%

• Machine stitched leather bags & Hand stitched Leather clutches and wallets.
• Home Accessories like desk accessories, hanging planters, coasters, and our Small Up-cycled Accessories: Like jewelry and keychains 

We also offer the following services:

• Custom leather pieces made at a 4-6 week lead time.   
• Repair and renewal service offered locally in the studio
• Starting in Year two, our Leather making workshops

For growth, in the coming years we will tailor our products and add new product categories to better serve our customers like: leather making classes, vegan leather accessories, Corporate wellness gifting and team workshops

Growth Strategy

To facilitate growth, our Sales and marketing strategy going forward is to generate content and invest heavily in digital marketing in the next three years and increase online conversion rates.  The focus of the marketing plan will be in branding the company as fresh, timeless, with a focus on repair, revitalization of community and artisan craftsmanship.  Organic Social Media stories and videos will add personality and depth to the brand image.

Advertised posts will continue to be pushed through:

• Affiliate Marketing. With both blogs and influencers
• Paid & Email Marketing -
• And Local and Regional Magazine Publications

Goals for sales and marketing are to increase our following in social media, engage with VIP customers in meaningful ways to create buzz, boost consumer confidence and increase our “shop now” channel sales. 

Use of funds for the product will be for Marketing expenses, cash flow infusion for wholesale partnerships and machinery for production

7500- When viewing my sales and marketing data, KPI trends and customer feedback I decided that for continued growth, efforts will need to be strengthened online.  Goals in marketing will be to increase our online sales by 25%.

10,000-For our wholesale channel, purchasing materials & replenishing cash flow between wholesale payables is needed. This added funding will help to meet the goal of increasing our wholesale segment into 30% of our yearly sales. Estimated wholesales sales for year one is $23,850. Added benefit of Increasing our presence in other retailers, is it opens us up to a wider audience and furthers our brand identity.

2500- Machinery for us to scale production and expedite turnaround and increase monthly production output for wholesale.

To implement these plans in addition to myself as product developer and production supervisor, there's 

Adira, my Social Media Content Coordinator - Contract

And in year two, the Freebird of CA team will include: 

• Part time production assistant and sewing tech to expedite orders
• Seasonal Part-time sales associates as our Summer and Holiday market team
• Bookkeeper- Contract.

Throughout the Pandemic Pivot, we have had a consistent wholesale client base which we are looking to expand upon. In our online retail presence we are planning to build our customer base through social media initiatives,  and capture more of our target market by building an influencer network, ad campaigns to set us apart and brand partnerships to develop future sales opportunities that allow for continued growth of the business.

I am looking to secure and initial $15,000 through grants and crowdfunding to accomplish these goals.  This is a great way to get in on the ground floor of a growing company looking to disrupt the manufacturing industry and  shift the narrative on  american made production.

Thank you for taking time to view my pitch. If you would like to know more about Freebird of California please reach out to me at [email protected].

Thank you!