I’ve told you before about my biggest workplace fashion pet peeve: faded black socks. Samy Liechti, the Swiss entrepreneur behind Blacksocks.com, the international “sockscription” sensation now sweeping into North America, offers his tips on running a successful e-retail business below.
Success Lies in the Small Details
What has been your most memorable career moment?
I started my career as a marketing executive. One day, I was invited to dinner with Japanese business associates. The dinner was a great success, and afterwards we moved to a Japanese tea house where, following tradition, everyone removed their shoes. I looked down, and I had two different socks on – one with a hole in the big toe. I sat cross-legged for an entire evening, trying to hide my foot. It was then that Blacksocks was born.
How has your business grown since its founding?
I knew from the beginning that I wanted to make the Internet the linchpin of my business. This was in 1999, still in the early days of the world wide web. Blacksocks’ first Web site was a single shot of a washing machine. Customers entered their orders into a slot in the machine, which sent an e-mail directly into my inbox. Over time, the site has become increasingly sophisticated, with the most recent relaunch this April. We’ve positioned content more intuitively and enhanced visual communication to make for a smoother and more enjoyable shopping experience for Blacksocks clients. As e-tailers, the Web site is the barometer of our business’ health.
To what do you attribute Blacksocks’ success?
Our attention to detail. Each one of our products is thoroughly tested – 3 pairs of “test” socks are produced from every shipment of yarn that arrives at our factory in Northern Italy. The rest of the yarn shipment is stored until the test socks are extensively examined and put through 20 wash cycles. Finally, the test socks are compared to socks from previous series for wear and color fading. It’s by paying attention to the small things that you maximize your chances of reaping big rewards.
What’s your best career advice for someone who wants to do what you do?
Find a simple business idea, and run with it. My thought was, wouldn’t it be wonderful if men never had to worry about misplacing or matching socks again? Because who really wants to shop for socks? Could we receive new pairs of socks in regular intervals, all in the same style and color, so our sock drawers could replenish themselves? It’s often the simplest business ideas – the ones so obvious that no one thinks of them – that boom. To date, we have over 50,000 customers in over 70 countries who never have to shop, sort, or search for socks again.
Do you have any new goals for yourself?
Work less and holiday more, after a decade of doing the opposite! As an entrepreneur, you’re working all the time. However, you eventually get to set your own hours and create your own vacation time. I’m looking forward to traveling more, and indulging my passion for great wines.
Samy Liechti is the President and Founder of Blacksocks, a Swiss sock subscription service. Blacksocks has sold over 1 million pairs of socks in Europe alone. Former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is a notable Blacksocks customer.
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