Anyi Lu Nordstrom

This essay sample on Anyi Lu Nordstrom provides all necessary basic info on this matter, including the most common “for and against” arguments. Below are the introduction, body and conclusion parts of this essay.

High fashion shoes without the pain Article summary on Entrepreneurship Kathleen A Grant Business Administration 382 Professor Susan Craver Entrepreneurship 2 Making the choice to become an entrepreneur can be a challenge. You need many qualities to be a successful entrepreneur. Some of these qualities include commitment and determination, and good leadership skills.

You must have a good tolerance of risk taking and uncertainty. You must be creative and able to adapt to everything that is thrown at you.

Having the passion and motivation to excel is very important, and knowing your customers’ needs and what it is that they want is important as well. As my article summary I chose the article “ANYI LU: High-fashion shoes without the pain”, which goes in line with chapter seven, Entrepreneurship in our book.

Anyi Lu has always had a passion for art. She wanted to attend art school but her father wanted her to pick a profession that would provide a more secure future for her. She ended up getting a degree in chemical engineering and landed a job with Dow and Chevron.

Did Anyi Lu Die

In the male-dominated world of corporate giants Anyi Lu wanted to maintain a professional appearance but was uncomfortable in her high heel shoes. With her artistic mind she knew there had to be a way where women could be comfortable and still look beautiful in their shoes.

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Having experience as an engineer she wanted to find a solution to the problem. The fact that she lived and experienced the discomfort and pain of high heel shoes while working gave her the head start to a great innovative idea of developing comfortable shoes for women in the workforce.

If she would have gone straight to art school she may have never experienced this discomfort and never have thought of the idea for better more comfortable shoes. Having a great idea for a product that is in need is a start to becoming a success. While working as a chemical engineer Anyi Lu had a chance to work in the marketing department. Working in this department really gave a jump start to her creative process. When she returned to the engineering department she was inspired to take some fashion drawing classes at San Francisco Academy of the Arts to keep those creative juices flowing.

Her first inspiration was when her sister got engaged. She wanted her to have comfortable shoes for her wedding. Finding her the right shoes was the moment that sparked the connection between her artistic ability, engineering background and love of fashion, especially footwear (pg. 2). Starting a footwear company is not easy there are many barriers and costs to get through. Lucky for Anyi Lu she had a great partner to help get her started. Her husband David Spatz believed in her talent and her passion and became her first investor to her business with $500,000.

Starting out Anyi Lu went to the Italian Trade Committee in New York and found an agent to take her to Italy (pg. 2). Refusing to compromise on quality Anyi Lu chose to have her shoes manufactured in Italy. This makes her the only shoe designer at the price point of ($345 and up) to be still manufactured solely in Italy (pg. 2). Entrepreneurship 3 Anyi Lu spent a year of researching and interviewing different factories and leather makers in Tuscan, Italy. Good quality couture shoes are always made in Italy and that is why Anyi Lu chose to keep her products from there.

Using hand sewn techniques ensures comfort and quality. Starting out with 12 to 15 styles on six lots was enough to get the attention of Nordstrom’s (pg. 2). If you’ve made it to Nordstrom’s you really have made it big time. Nordstrom’s only sells high quality products. ANYI LU shoes feature professional support, proper fit toe box, cushioning Poron, balanced heel and breathable Nappa leather (pg. 2). I can speak for these shoes as being more comfortable than the average pair of shoes, because I have a pair myself.

They are meant to be worn for long periods of time while providing a great look to finish your outfit. As I stated earlier being passionate is an important quality to be successful. Anyi Lu has that passion and she knew she had a great product. When she took the chance to exhibit her shoes at The Collections, in Las Vegas, she sold her first collection to Nordstrom stores (pg. 3). Starting back in 2005 ANYI LU shoes were sold in five of Nordstrom stores, and by spring of 2011 they will be sold in 60 of Nordstrom stores (pg. ). Anyi Lu has also expanded her sales network to include Bloomingdale’s and more than 50 independent retailers across North America (pg. 3). ANYI LU shoes main focus is on fit. They start with 20 to 30 different shoes designs. The shoes go through an extensive elimination and development process to determine the ones that have the best fit. Only the best make it to the selling point, offering the most in comfort and design. Anyi Lu is proud to know what her customers want.

Her experience in the working world brings her first hand in the knowledge that a good comfortable shoe that can be worn from day to evening, without sacrificing style, is high in demand. One good quality of a successful entrepreneur is keeping up with demand. Anyi Lu is on top of that by staying in contact with her retailers and customers always searching for feedback. Anyi Lu loves to reach out to customers by going right where they are at. She loves to visit the stores and speak to the customers directly, even helping them try on their shoes.

Participating in trade shows is also a great marketing tool that she uses. She is also featured in many fashion magazines and business publications. Seeing her product in a fashion magazine is how I first learned about ANYI LU shoes. Getting the right advertisement and recognition is important for spreading the word about your product. Anyi Lu is truly a success story of a woman entrepreneur. After five years ANYI LU shoes boasts an annual revenue topping $5 million, with shoes being sold at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and fine boutiques throughout North America (pg. ). The company recently celebrated their fifth anniversary when they added Bloomingdale’s as their customer. When Anyi Lu started out in this adventure she underestimated just how challenging running an international business can be. Being a mother and keeping a balance between family and business is a challenge itself. Besides her workload, traveling to Tuscany keeps her on her toes, and she finds creative ways to keep her life in check. Anyi Lu was recently selected as Women Entrepreneur of the Year in San Francisco (pg. 4). Entrepreneurship 4

It goes to show that if you have a good idea, the right opportunity and the right qualities of an entrepreneur you can be a success. With hard work, self-confidence and the ability to adapt to stress and change you can make it. There are many success stories of women who got lost in the male dominated work world who wanted something different and followed their dream making a successful business.