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to sell only the first one . Today they realize that most people would have probably given up long ago , but they were in the fortunate position to start a business while not being dependent on it from the get go . At that time , they were still studying and Nikke worked a full-time job as a goldsmith at a local jeweler . Luckily , through grace and pure persistence , they started selling a lot more bags .
The first real game-changer came more than a year after they had made their first bag when they started experimenting with leather suspenders and bow ties . One of their friends referred someone to them , to manufacture the suspenders for their wedding . By shifting their focus to these items , that were easier and quicker to manufacture , they were able to increase their productivity and ultimately their profitability . Increasing profitability and improving cash flow was extremely important for them as they only had money generated from sales , to finance any expansion of the business .
Three years after the first Eden & Co . bag was made , Nikke joined Eden & Co . on a full-time basis . This also enabled her to spend more time on her Masters Thesis , as she only had to balance time between her studies and Eden & Co ., instead of her studies , a full-time job , and Eden & Co . This step also proved to be very beneficial for Eden & Co . Up until this point , all of their manufacturing happened after hours . There were many weekends that they were working until 2 or 3 o ’ clock in the mornings just to get their orders out on time . With Nikke ’ s time fully devoted to Eden & Co ., their lead times decreased significantly and they were able to increase the number of orders dramatically .
When they were both done with their studies , they had to make important decisions about the future of Eden & Co . Shortly thereafter , they opened a brand new workshop in the
Karoo and Conrad joined the business fulltime . By that time Eden & Co . had also built up sufficient finances to expand . In order to grow the business , expand the product range , and increase the capacity of the company through , they pursued strategic partnerships with contract workers , suppliers , as well as other manufacturers . They also developed a brand new strategic plan for Eden & Co . and worked extremely hard to execute all of their plans .
They decided that they wanted to build Eden & Co . into a leading world-class leather goods brand . For that to be possible , they had to discontinue all of their old bag designs and replace them with a brand new range of products , while continuing to be the leading manufacturer of genuine leather suspenders and bow ties in South Africa . They spent five months designing and developing a new range of products . The new range , KLASSIK , was finally launched at the end of May 2017 , with a timeless design , one that speaks for itself . This new range includes the following products : A laptop briefcase , a travel / duffel bag , a ladies ’ dual-purpose bag and a ladies ’ purse and will be rolled out within the next few weeks .
Eden & Co are in the process of expanding their Klassik range . They are working on one or two new bags for ladies , as well as another briefcase . The duo also have plans of duplicating their Klassik products in other colours and exotic leathers . They managed to create a range of luxury leather products that represents superior quality and world -class standards , and provide it directly to customers at a fraction of the price other luxury brands do .
Conrad explains that the leather industry shaped his views and expectations by being actively involved therein . The industry is extremely competitive , he explains , this brought about many challenges for them , especially in
EDITÉUR PLUS / THE FOURTEENTH ISSUE