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TV shopping has evolved into a giant. Though still a lot of people are wondering why a home shopping network would be a marketing place for anyone, it is now a fact that home shopping networks are the perfect place to start and enhance a business.

Make Millions on QVC author, Nick Romer said that his impression in the beginning about HSN is that it is some kind of a late night joke found on Saturday Night Live. He didn’t think anyone would trust HSN and buy anything from them. Now, QVC and HSN with its billions of revenue and an audience of nearly 100 million, Romer, who has also found his unusual success through selling arts and crafts products on QVC, has changed his perception.

With the success of QVC and HSN, the demand for convenient shopping and the affordable yet quality products have also increased. Celebrities joining the action on home shopping don’t hurt the company’s image. In 2007, actress Tori Spelling and celebrity fashion stylist Wayne Scot Lukas started their lines on HSN. In addition to HSN’s cool factor is its strategic partnership with Elle magazine and Sephora. On the side of QVC, Jessica Simpson and Heidi Klum had engaged with them. Also in 2007, QVC teamed up with Oprah Winfrey where they obtained submissions from more than 6,000 investors.

Way to Success

To address issues that celebrity vendors have advantages on the market, Marilyn Montross, QVC’s director of vendor relations, said that with the customers love of the kind of innovative product that vendor base are bringing to QVC, the company is open and is eager in looking for entrepreneurs to do business with. She said that customers are also interested with the back story that entrepreneurs come with.

Time allotted waiting to be discovered varies. It can be short or long. A simple phone call to HSN’s CEO gave Feltheimer, 42 years old, an opportunity to present to the network her concept.

There was also an instance where fame wasn’t even solicited like in the case of Laura Geller. More than a decade ago, Geller ended up networking with QVC’s head of health and beauty which happened when she attended a networking event for professionals in the industry of cosmetics. It started with an on air demonstration of a three-piece face structuring kit that can aid women to look more polished and defined, and is now among the highest three color cosmetic brand on QVC- US and is one of the highest ten brands on QVC- UK, the Laura Geller Makeup.

On the other hand, for the inventors of FoldzFlat pen, Barry Farber and Gary Johnson, it took couple of years and numbers of phone call before the got the go signal from QVC. The Entrepreneur columnist, Faber, said that he got rejected by different buyers. But it didn’t stop him from selling his pen which can be folded flat to the size of a credit card. From the “whys” that he asked from every buyer that rejected him which he took note of, and after tweaking the product accordingly, in November of 2006 the two had achieved their goal on QVC. In less than four minutes, their product sold more than 7, 000 units.

Polishing your Product

Despite discovering the formula of QVC through hard ways, Faber learned that in QVC, people know what they want, know what works, and know that a product needs to be unique, demonstrable, convenient, and valuable having a lot of benefits to them. These clues are what he used in making it to the top. He used this in their own product. By offering two pens, a gold and a silver tone, packaged in an attractive gift box, he was able to increased its value.

Montros said that in QVC, they find products that is new, different, enhanced and something that can’t be found anywhere. Though, it may not be an exclusive product sold only on QVC, he said that in lots of cases, it becomes an advantage.

On the part of HSN, Lynne Ronon, HSN’s vice president of merchandising said that what works for HSN is somehow similar to what works for QVC. They look for a product that is unique, is visual with a broad appeal, and with a story to tell. He added that the product must not compete with other products that already exist at HSN.

How to get into the network may be one of the goals but it doesn’t stop there. Being able to stay on top of the consumers’ mind is another. Keeping updated with the needs of the consumer is what Geller does to be on top of the mind of her consumers. She had created makeup lines that can be applied in a simple way. Geller said that new products are what the consumers always want, so she continuously develops products that are eye-catching.

Success Leads to Success

Riding on someone’s success can bring into another success. In case of HSN, it has kept other businesses afloat. Faltheimer became successful with her fashion business through riding the coattails of HSN. Despite several inquiries from retailer who wants to stock her product, she opted to remain doing business with HSN saying that with HSN her business can prevent having further complications.

On the other hand, others consider QVC or HSN as just one part of the ladder to success. Geller was able to launch her makeup line in Sephora, has regular appearance in QVC-UK, and now has her own studio in New York, which all started because of QVC.

Farber kept the momentum of his success through a kid’s version of Foldz-Flat pen. This was made possible through a deal with Sandylon Sticker Design, a sticker company which produced and promoted Snappy Writers. Farber said, “Success breeds success, once you’re on and you have success, you need to make sure you leverage that.” Before each appearance on QVC, he sends email to all his contact to spread words of his success.
Perseverance and unwavering determination might all it takes to get a big break and overcome the challenges on making a debut on a home shopping network. Romer said that your life can be changed with the simplest concept that you have