Turning a great business idea into a startup is no easy task. As the Australian Department of Industry points out, it takes opportunity-driven motivation to get an idea off the ground.
When it comes to gaining a customer base, young firms today have a distinct advantage at their fingertips that their business forebearers could only dream about.
It’s through social media that young business owners are creating their own opportunities for growth.
This is true of team-based startups, like sports wear provider Elite Armour Sportswear. Established in 2012, Elite Armour was founded by then 19-year-old Richard Caballero-Soto. Inspired by a trip to Chile, Caballero-Soto saw the need to find and nourish young sporting talent.
Elite’s vision is to support kids who have no opportunity. “We want to help kids and support the underdog”, Caballero-Soto says. Fittingly, Elite’s motto is “The Superstar Within”.
Once profit is sizable, Caballero-Soto and his associates intend to give back and nurture young talent. “We’re entrepreneurs with a social conscience”, Diego Andres adds, an associate of Elite Armour Sportswear.
Selling sports tops, Elite Armour has grown to be more marketable through self-promotion.
Caballero-Soto and his partners have made use of social media platforms as a low cost, effective marketing tool.
Elite Armour has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instgram and LinkedIn. Their Facebook page already has an impressive 6,000 ‘likes’. Their Twitter and Instagram accounts also inform customers with updates like new photos and inspirational content.
Whilst their social media growth has been gradual, Caballero-Soto is keen on making 2014 the year of the growth sput. “I’ve told Diego and the guys to look after Twitter and Instgram, and for me, well I’m going to concentrate on Facebook and increasing likes and engagement there”, Caballero-Soto says.
The effort has proven successful with a surge in growth. “This year [2014] has started off really well, only in this year, we’ve had a massive jump in likes [on Facebook], a 4K jump, from 2K to 6K”, Caballero-Soto explained.
On judging their success, Caballero-Soto says he’s pleased with the progress. “We’re doing well, in only 2 years, we’re really surprised”. Being a young startup, a lot of Elite Armour’s growth is contributed to numerous counts of trial and error.
In the next 2 years, Elite Armour envisions to be a known brand, not just for it’s clothing but for its vision. Merchandise expansion is in the process and its hoped that trading occurs Australia wide in major cities as well as online on popular retail sites like The Iconic.
Image: (Left) Elite Armour Sportswear founder Richard Caballero-Soto and associate Diego Andres.
