Created for her, by her, we are a chic co-retailing space designed to empower, inspire & showcase women owned products and services.
Project Description
The Collective is a chic and vibrant space that can compete with any major retailer in terms of design aesthetic and product offering. Serving as an incubator for women with product-based businesses; and as a one-stop shop for women looking to purchase unique gifts, beauty products, home goods, accessories + more, the core vision of The Collective is to serve as a hub of innovation and inspiration for women with product-based businesses.
About the Founder:
With more than a decade of experience in the field of marketing and communications, Traneisha has led more than 200 clients through the creative challenges of crafting messages, creating viable marketing strategies, and maintaining solid branding that better positions them and their products in the global marketplace. Her client list spans the globe from the U.S. to the U.K., the Bahamas, and St. Lucia. It is her work with clients in the global marketplace, coupled with her extensive experience in retail management and merchandising that has sparked her newest venture, The Collective, a retail incubator that not only offers small businesses a brick and mortar location to sell their products, but also one-on-one consulting and business workshops to help them leverage their brand offerings and position themselves for success in the local and global marketplace.
Why Support Us:
If the "Future Is Female", we want you to be apart of making that future a reality.
We are excited to partner with a platform like iFundWomen, which shares our passion and desire to empower women entrepreneurs. Your support will take the vision for The Collective from concept to reality; and will ultimately help us to create a collaborative environment where women entrepreneurs can connect, thrive and grow. More specifically, we'll use the funds raised for merchandising, marketing and to build out the space.
What We Offer:
Our business has five core components:
Incubation: We offer small, women-owned brands the opportunity to sell their products in a brick+mortar store. Doing this affords women the opportunity to infiltrate a new market, and showcase their products in a way that engages their target audience and procures feedback to aid in perfecting their brand offerings. In addition to this, we also offer marketing services, small business consulting, and product placement assistance to help brands infiltrate both local and international markets.
Retail: Located in a prime-retail district in the heart of Beverly, just steps away from the historic Adriana Furs, and the newly redeveloped Evergreen Plaza, The Collective will offer the option to shop in-store 7-days a week, and online 24/7 at www.thecollectiveon95th.com.
Events: A super chic and vibrant space, The Collective will host fun themed pop-up shops, business workshops, networking events, makery + diy classes, and social events monthly.
Conference Room: Location! Location! Location! The Collective is the perfect space for those looking to host a small workshop, book signing or product launch event. In addition to this, our space is available for photographers looking to rent studio space for a shoot, fitness coaches wanting to host a weekly class or two, and artists wanting to display their latest creations.
Podcast Lab & Production Studio: Content is queen! And we’re empowering our members to produce more of it with our podcast lab and production studio. In addition to the above, we also offer: Design + Printing: At our core, T. Jones Media, the agency behind The Collective, is all about brand identity, so in addition to the above core offerings, we also offer custom design and print services for members and the general public. Custom Lab + Events: Together with our partners, we provide custom decor, flowers, balloons, catering and more for small business and social events.
The Space:
The Collective is located on 95th street, in one of Chicago’s most bustling retail districts. We’re intentionally creating a collaborative environment where women business owners can discover, explore, connect and thrive. In terms of aesthetic the space will include: A chic and energetic retail environment designed to inspire, empower and engage customers. Sophisticated and comfy furniture for both work + play. A conference room for private events; and open seating area for semi-private affairs. A fully equipped production studio for content creation and photo shoots.
Amenities:
Members of The Collective will receive the following amenities:
- Featured Product of the Month
- Inclusion in Marketing Collateral (In-Store & Out-Mailers, Billboards, Signage, Facebook ads, etc.)
- One-on-One Business Consulting
- Free or Discounted Access to Workshops and Events
- Shipping Station
- Product Placement & Distribution (Local & Global)
Products:
The Collective offers a range of products made by women, for women in the following categories:
- Beauty & Skincare
- Gifts
- Jewelry
- Apparel
- Home Accessories
- Fashion Accessories
- Artwork
- Gourmet Items + More
Updates
The Project FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is The Collective? The Collective is a chic and vibrant space that can compete with any major retailer in terms of design aesthetic and product offering. Serving as an incubator for women with product-based businesses; and as a one-stop shop for women looking to purchase unique gifts, beauty products, home goods, accessories + more, the core vision of The Collective is to serve as a hub of innovation and inspiration for women with product-based businesses.
What inspired you to launch The Collective? Only 1% of all U.S. businesses export goods; and according to a report released by The United State of Women, "Approximately 30 percent of businesses are women-owned, but only 12 percent of businesses that export are owned by women." What does all of this mean? That there are untapped opportunities for women with product-based businesses. After working with women owned businesses for nearly a decade, I've witnessed firsthand the loss of opportunity to grow and expand because they lacked resources and information. I was inspired to launch The Collective because I wanted to create a space where women with fabulous products could garner traffic and take advantage of the benefits of having a brick and mortar space, plus also offer consulting and events that would help them to maximize their efforts and grow their brands in both the local and the global marketplace. The world is large...let's go out and seize it... Together!
Where is The Collective located? The first location for The Collective is set to open in the Chicago market. It borders the Oak Lawn, Beverly, and Evergreen Park neighborhoods, and is directly adjacent to the historic Adrianna Furs.
Can women outside of Chicago showcase their products in the store? Yes, we welcome women within the United States and beyond (internationally) to showcase their products in The Collective.
When will The Collective open? The Collective will officially open for business July 2019.
What kind of vendors are you looking for? We prefer products that are handmade, designed or manufactured for women, by women. Though we support all women in business, we do not accept MLM products (i.e. Mary Kay, Avon, Paparazzi Jewelry, Scentsy, etc.). For a more detailed listing of what we are looking for, visit www.thecollectiveon95th.com.
Why are the membership rates so low? Our goal at the onset was to make our packages as affordable as possible for women small business owners. Our current rates allow our members to grow their business without breaking the bank.
Are there age requirements? While our memberships are available to women who are 18+, we will host events that are open to both men and women, and for various age groups. Members will be notified of any restrictions.
What are the hours of operations? The Collective will be open Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM, Sat 10AM-8PM and Sunday 12PM-6PM. Times are subject to change. Members will be notified of any changes. We will also have a website where customers can shop online 24/7, 365.
Can I receive mail and packages at The Collective? Yes, All-in Members can utilize The Collective as their professional address. We also offer a shipping station for FED EX & UPS services, with pre-paid labels.
Are non-members able to rent space at The Collective? Yes, non-members can rent our conference room, podcast lab/production studio or after-hours rent the entire space for a set fee. There are some restrictions on the type of events that can be hosted in the space. Please inquire for details.
A signed pre-press copy of the founder's debut book, Damn Fear + her 30-day digital devotional, 30 Days of Fearlessness.
I want to support the vision of The Collective...no reward needed! Contribute any amount you wish.
We'll shout you out on our website and social media pages, thanking you for your support.
All of the above + discounted and free access to live and online webinars and events for one year.
All of the above + Logo inclusion in marketing materials and grand opening press release, Brand mention on social media platforms and at grand opening event, brand materials in welcome area and name on event signage, exclusive invitation to soft-opening for you and one guest + host one 3-hour event in our space.
- Products sold in brick + mortar space
- Products sold on The Collective website
- 2 hours of one-on-one business consulting with owner or one of our team of experts*
- Featured product of the month
- Free or discounted access to live events and webinars
- Inclusion in social media posts
- In-store signage with brand story
- Private Label, wholesale and retail opportunities
- Products sold in brick + mortar space
- Products sold on The Collective website
- 4-hours of one-on-one business consulting with owner or one of our team of experts
- Access to podcast lab and production studio.
- Ability to hold private classes and showcase products at special events.
- Featured Product of the Month
- Full, unlimited access to the space, services and programming offered by The Collective.
- Priority access to events and webinars hosted by The Collective; and discounts for special events and private event space rental.
- Inclusion in social media marketing Inclusion in Marketing Collateral (In-Store & Out-Mailers, Billboards, Signage, Facebook ads, etc.)
- Access to Shipping Station (if local, if not we have a brand concierge available to process shipping for a pro-rated fee)
- Product Placement & Distribution (Local & Global)
- Private Label, Wholesale and Retail Opportunities
All the benefits of the All-In membership for one year, 8 credits for conference room, make-over and headshot with celebrity make-up artist and photographer, and profile listed on The Collective website.
Rewards
A signed pre-press copy of the founder's debut book, Damn Fear + her 30-day digital devotional, 30 Days of Fearlessness.
I want to support the vision of The Collective...no reward needed! Contribute any amount you wish.
We'll shout you out on our website and social media pages, thanking you for your support.
All of the above + discounted and free access to live and online webinars and events for one year.
All of the above + Logo inclusion in marketing materials and grand opening press release, Brand mention on social media platforms and at grand opening event, brand materials in welcome area and name on event signage, exclusive invitation to soft-opening for you and one guest + host one 3-hour event in our space.
- Products sold in brick + mortar space
- Products sold on The Collective website
- 2 hours of one-on-one business consulting with owner or one of our team of experts*
- Featured product of the month
- Free or discounted access to live events and webinars
- Inclusion in social media posts
- In-store signage with brand story
- Private Label, wholesale and retail opportunities
- Products sold in brick + mortar space
- Products sold on The Collective website
- 4-hours of one-on-one business consulting with owner or one of our team of experts
- Access to podcast lab and production studio.
- Ability to hold private classes and showcase products at special events.
- Featured Product of the Month
- Full, unlimited access to the space, services and programming offered by The Collective.
- Priority access to events and webinars hosted by The Collective; and discounts for special events and private event space rental.
- Inclusion in social media marketing Inclusion in Marketing Collateral (In-Store & Out-Mailers, Billboards, Signage, Facebook ads, etc.)
- Access to Shipping Station (if local, if not we have a brand concierge available to process shipping for a pro-rated fee)
- Product Placement & Distribution (Local & Global)
- Private Label, Wholesale and Retail Opportunities
All the benefits of the All-In membership for one year, 8 credits for conference room, make-over and headshot with celebrity make-up artist and photographer, and profile listed on The Collective website.