Turning a Small Company into Something Big

It’s funny how starting with a simple idea to make little things can grow to where it bumps up against big things.

The clearest path to super comfortable clothes led to organic cotton, then to made in America, then to superior quality, incredible durability, and  – Presto! – outstanding consumer value.

I’m sure the person who decided to make the Olympic uniforms overseas thought they would save on manufacturing costs. I’m also sure they now wish they had made a different decision.

If from the outset, the key question had been, “How can we make the best US Olympic team uniforms?” Did someone really say, “Let’s make them in China.”  What was their core focus starting out? Generating tons of negative press coverage?

At Teres Kids, everything about our company grows out of our original commitment to make super comfortable children’s clothes. One result of this commitment: Teres Kids is now the leading brand directly serving the millions of children who suffer from some form of tactile sensitivity including autism, sensory processing disorder, eczema and skin allergies, as well as highly sensitive children.

These children and their families, along with doctors and therapists who work with tactile sensitive children, are now among our most important customers, advocates, advisors and investors.

Teres Kids is a young, emerging brand. In addition to friends and family, we’ve been able to raise some seed capital from investors and secure some small commercial loans. The good news here is that Teres Kids sales volume continues to grow. Children and families love our clothes.

This good thing presents us with a serious challenge. We struggle to get the capital and financing to support the increased production we need to keep pace with our growing order volume. Until someone finds a way to free up more capital and credit for small business, we’re doing what many small companies are doing these days.

We’ve launched a crowd funding campaign on Kickstarter to help us make more clothes. Check out our Kickstarter campaign. You can add something small, spread the word and help Teres Kids turn into something big.

Alexandra Merlino is the co-founder of Teres Kids, 100% organic cotton clothing created and produced with respect for the environment. Following a modeling career in New York City, Alexandra Merlino created a widely known line of artisan-crafted leather goods that were produced in India and sold by more the 400 US retailers. After the birth of her daughter, Helena and a move to New Mexico, Alex began developing the Teres Kids concept as an expression of her entrepreneurial drive that keeps her focus closer to home. Alexandra was born and raised in Los Angeles and has a degree in Political Science from Hunter College.