Many designers dream of designing their own collection—be it fabric, furniture, lighting, rugs, bedding, tabletop, hardware—but don’t exactly know where to start and what’s involved. Whether you partner with an established company or go it alone, developing and marketing a collection is no task for the weary. But when done right, the payoff can be huge—both for your bank account and for elevating your brand.

If your 5-, 10-, or 20-year plan includes building an empire, complete with licensing deals, brand extensions and possibly becoming a household name, then you’ve come to the right place. For this two-part series we’ve enlisted licensing guru Kate Verner of Kate Verner + Associates to lead the charge and share her expert knowledge. She has worked with clients like David Easton, Laura Kirar and Rockwell Group to develop and launch countless product lines and is well-versed in the crazy worlds of wholesale, retail and trade commerce.

In Part I, Kate will focus on the process of creating a licensed line, from finding the right partners through to launch.

In this class, you will learn:

• Which product category makes sense for your business
• How to connect with the right partners for your brand
• How to present to potential partners
• Your responsibilities in a licensing partnership

By the end of class, you will have:

• Clarity on whether you will want to pursue licensing as part of your brand diversification, how to market your potential product line, and a jumping-off point for how to identify and approach brands to explore partnership in a smart way

Additional Information:

After class you'll have the chance to meet the team behind IVY, the community and business management tool for interior designers. Get to know the Ivy team face-to-face and and schedule your Ivy demo to learn how to use Ivy to propose product to clients, generate tear sheets, invoice clients, track & bill for your time, send purchase order to vendors, and more. Can't make it? Schedule a demo with Ivy at your convenience.