Interview Reflection: Tracy Foster, Inconvenience to Business

Last Thursday, I interviewed Tracy Foster, the founder of ONA Bags who was able to find time in her very busy schedule to grant me and interview. While Tracy works from her home, she had a very busy week and was traveling on Thursday so it ended up that Wednesday was the best time for the interview to take place. Tracy’s company, ONA (Swahili for “to feel”) Bags, sells handcrafted camera bags that according to Foster are supposed to please both “the needs and styles of both avid travelers and photographers”. All of her bags are handcrafted, which makes them very unique from many competitors who Tracy says do not provide the same attention to detail or quality that her bags provide. This fact very much sets her company apart from her competitors and is something that ONA focuses on when communicating their market to consumers. During the interview, Tracy gave me insight into the founding of her company and the many communication skills that it takes for her to both manage and expand her business.

Like many entrepreneurs, Tracy essentially found her product because of an inconvenience. Tracy, an avid traveler and photographer, was fed up by the camera bags that were on the market because they did not have any style and were many times not very well made. To try and end this problem, Tracy decided that she would start her own small business to try and make bags that she felt was an untapped market. She concluded that she was not the only one who was in need of better camera bags. Tracy said that she always that she might start a small business, but since her job at the time was in education, she never anticipated that it would be in camera bags and accessories. The way that Tracy started her business is the way many entrepreneurs have, by trying to fix her own problem and realizing that it might be useful for many others.

Throughout our interview, Tracy talked about the many different communication skills that she has had to use in order to both expand and manage her business. First, Tracy explained to me that one of the most important skills to have as the leader of an up and coming business is passion. She elaborated by saying that if you are not passionate about your product, neither customers nor potential investors will be enthused about your product. She said that if you’re passionate in all phases of communication, that it will be much easier to convince people something is worthwhile. Tracy used this passion to place 2^nd in the US Chamber of Commerce’s campaign for free enterprise. She won $30,000 dollars towards her business. She said that the main way the she was able to make a winning video and continue to make her company successful was by telling a complete and passionate story. Tracy said that telling a story to potential investors not only shows passion, but will also show investors that you have a vision that will carry through while expanding your business and making your product. She said that another key communication tool that she uses is Facebook. She uses the popular social networking site in order to communicate with in customers to find out what they want in new products. She also uses email to communicate with many of her business partners. Tracy said she also has not been without problems communicating while starting her business. She explained that when she first began the manufacturing phase of her bags, she had problems communicating with her manufacturers in China. Many times things would be lost in translation, and she would receive prototypes that were nothing like she what she designed. She said that this has taught her to be very clear and concise in all her current and future communication with outsiders in all phases of her business. She said this is a very important communication skill and it is one that some people overlook.

In the end, Tracy was a great person to interview. She provided outstanding insight into the life of an entrepreneur. She gave complete answers throughout the interview and I did not need to ask incredibly detailed questions for her to give me good information. I did not have to interview her for that long because of how good her initial answers were. She explained many different communication skills that any person starting a new business would need to pitch there product and run their business. If you need a camera bag that fits your style check out ONA Bags because I am sure after talking to Tracy, that she makes an incredible product.

http://www.onabags.com/

http://www.gazette.net/stories/06232010/busiplo154152_32548.php