Sarah Kauss is the CEO of water bottle company S'well. Her small idea has turned into one of the most successful female-run businesses. She joins Kristen Schoeler at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit to discuss how to build a brand and why S'well is doing so well.
In terms of advice on how to grow a small business, Kauss says to build a strong brand and then try to understand what your product and service can bring to other big companies and brands.
On what is next for S'well, Kauss says S'well is exploring new ways to further product innovation. As they move into new product categories and countries, Kauss does anticipate changing their marketing strategy. At this point, S'well has not spent any money on marketing and instead relies on consumers to be brand ambassadors. Kauss also says that more is spent on legal issues than she would like to deal with copycats.
S'well has not announced any numbers for 2017, but Kauss explains that the company has continued to grow since 2015 and the goals just continue to get higher with each year.
Irrigation might have saved Jackson's hay, but she and her husband rejected the idea about 10 years ago over the cost: as much as $75,000 for a new well and all the equipment. But now — with an extended drought and another U.S. heat wave this week that will broil her land about an hour northwest of Dallas for days in 100-degree-plus temperatures — Jackson said she is “kind of rethinking.”
Children’s advocacy groups including Fairplay and Common Sense Media are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google, saying the tech giant serves personalized ads to kids on YouTube despite federal law prohibiting the practice.
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