Cover Story
Horse sense
When Lisa Bollin, CEO and director of design at Cowgirl Tuff Co. in Cokato, set out to launch a line of women's jeans, she bought and ripped apart jeans from 12 different brands to measure the widely varying fits, then made her own size chart rather than using the retailing standard. The result, she says, is jeans that fit women of every size.
She also targeted the customers she describes as herself: barrel racers, horse fanatics and other "cowgirls" who couldn't find jeans that fit from traditional Western-clothing retailers, never mind high-fashion jeans with rhinestones on the pockets.
Her company posted revenue of $3.02 million in 2008, the first year Cowgirl Tuff sold jeans in addition to its original line of screen-printed tops, $4.79 million in 2009, and $7.8 million in 2010. Her authenticity, retailing savvy and devotion to profitable growth make her the Upsize Business Builder of the Year. Continue reading →
Letter From the Editor
True blue
I pulled on a pair of Cowgirl Tuff jeans in the dressing room of a fancy boutique at 50th and France in Edina. For once, I could call an afternoon of retail therapy "research," because this is the brand made by our Upsize Business Builder of the Year, and I was duty-bound to check them out. Continue reading →
Focus
Winners’ circle
When Upsize this fall asked Minnesota small-business owners to submit their best business-building practices, four finalists rose to the top of an impressive roster of entrants: Bridgz Marketing Group, Cowgirl Tuff Co., IBuyOfficeSupply.com, and Intertech Inc. Continue reading →
Business Builders
When reporting to stakeholders, slimmer is better
When reporting to stakeholders, slimmer is better Continue reading →
Step one to smart marketing: Write your ‘brand map’
Step one to smart marketing: Write your 'brand map' Continue reading →
How to make clients stick to your firm, again and again
How to make clients stick to your firm, again and again Continue reading →
Who will lead your company? Find out now
Who will lead your company? Find out now Continue reading →
