It's an idea whose time has come - Springleap is part social media meets crazy online creative meets online community meets trendy retail.
Created by successful serial entrepreneurs Eric Edelstein and Eran Eyal, co-owners of eSquared Fashion, Springleap is a place where local creatives can create incredible t-shirt designs, then watch as the Springleap community decides which design is the best, and then share in the profits created by Springleap sales. It's harnessing the power of the Internet to showcase South African art to the world, empowering the little guy and creating community commerce.
Winning Springleap t-shirts are sold over the Internet, in eSquared stores in Cape Town and Durban, and in a number of Big Blue stores in Johannesburg. And that's just the beginning. Retailers around the world have applied to be a part of Springleap's wholesaler programme, which kicks off in a couple of week's time. The site is already trading internationally and is shipping order to the United Kingdom, Netherlands, United States and a couple of other countries.
And the artwork on Springleap is inspiring. World-class would be a better way of describing it. Each month, the winning designer gets R7 482.18 in cash, 20 t-shirts, a limited edition poster of their work, tons of sponsored prizes as well as recurring revenue on all their t-shirt sales and any of the sales of any items that Springleap ever produces using the artwork. Small wonder that Springleap is a win-win story.
[Springleap] breaks all the rules in an industry that believes in tried-and-tested models and is often not really interested in making a change.
Eran Eyal, co-owners of eSquared Fashion
But there has been a lot of learning along the way. "Good lord, there have been some steep learning curves," says Eran Eyal, co-owner of Springleap. "There is an enormous amount to learn about the in intricacies related to this industry, ranging from garment construction and manufacture to printing, packaging and logistics. The industry is in peril for a darn good reason - it took us quite a few passes until we settled on our current CMT [cut, make and trim], fabric supplier and silkscreen printer. There is a terrible lethargy that underlies the industry and, make no mistake, sharks patrol these waters."
What Eyal has learned along the way:
1. Have a team of dedicated people who share the same vision.
2. Always get more quotes and samples than you think you need; if someone drops you - drop them now - they will drop you again and you let it happen.
3. Words are just that - product is a symptom of the causality - and that causality is action.
4. Deal with whatever hits your desk as it hits - make a decision and move on.
Eyal says his biggest challenge has been the learning curve, coupled with getting people to understand the longevity of Springleap's model. "Basically it breaks all the rules in an industry that believes in tried-and-tested models and is often not really interested in making a change. It took us a while to find the right partners who would share our vision. We have taken a slightly different angle of absolute empowerment, from the microscopic to the macroscopic level. On the microscopic side we have our service and content providers: the CMT, printers, fabric manufacturers and the artists themselves. On the macroscopic level (the most publicly visible level) we have partners and vendors. Our dilemma was how do we empower everyone, right through from the grassroots level."
And Eyal's view on creativity in South Africa: "It is huge. Barely tapped. About to explode," says Eyal. "South Africans' creativity has often been held in check and constrained by the lack of a vehicle to help them monetise and actualise that talent. That time is over."
To my mind, Springleap is an incredible business model, one that speaks to creativity, community, commerce, and is all about enabling entrepreneurs. It's the one start-up I hope will grow from strength to strength to become one of the most talked-about and successful local businesses on and off the Internet.
Mandy de Waal is a freelance journalist, columnist and writer for hire. A former broadcast journalist, de Waal has worked as a brand consultant and helped launch M-Web, Mosaic Software and 24.com. She's worked with Microsoft, Motorola, British Telecom, Verizon, Consology and Nashua Mobile. She writes about branding, technology, new media and whatever else grabs her fancy for a number business titles including this new column for ITWeb.
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