The company had its beginnings as a side project for Howard’s wife, and focused solely on women’s accessories. He followed suit with men’s cuff accessories in 2008, and eco-friendly shopping bags in 2009. Eventually, Howard formed the parent company Trend Nation LLC. Its wide online presence and expansive control of distribution channels means that Trend Nation LLC can literally provide its products to all parts of the world. It has the market segmented; however, this wasn’t always the case. Trend Nation LLC has had to learn how important it is to spread out and diversify your product offering, and it’s a lesson from which they hope other startups can learn. “I think the most important lesson for startups to learn is: don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” he says. During the earlier stages of the company, 50 percent of the Trend Nation’s inventory was comprised entirely of one product category. Unexpectedly, they were later faced with a patent lawsuit that almost shut down their entire business. But, as Howard recalls, “it was also the single most positive moment in our company’s history.” The experience taught them to diversify their product offerings. However, it’s also important to recognize that diversification itself can be a problem; if a company is unable to reign in what it’s offering, then it risks over-diversification and losing grasp on the initial mission or target. Trend Nation LLC has adapted to such a risk. It has designed a “demand-focused approach,” from which other companies can hopefully learn: Trend Nation’s decision to diversify their market and product offerings has led them to achieve great things. In the past three years alone, the company has gone through a 1100 percent growth. Last year, they were included on Inc. Magazine‘s list of fastest-growing companies in the country. Trend Nation LLC presented at Tech Cocktail’s Vegas Startup Showcase and Mixer this past April.
