One of the best signs of a future-proof business is attention to trends. We believe this is what sets this business apart from others. Sean Kelly was able to build Jersey Champs from the ground up, while still attending school. Here’s a peek behind the real champ.
How Did It All Start?
Sean Kelly started Jersey Champs when he was still a freshman at Rutgers University. Like others whom we have featured here, Sean began his journey when he was still a young kid. He began showing flashes of entrepreneurship by selling pokemon cards, candy, and other toys. Sean was even suspended at one point for selling candies, undercutting the sales of the school vending machine.
The young teen started off with $1,000 as capital and since then, it has multiplied by thousands. He established his company inside his dormitory at Rutgers University. For his first release, Sean took pre-orders for a Drake-inspired jersey. He opened 100 slots for the jersey and immediately sold out during the first week.
He dropped out of college during his sophomore year to focus his attention on Jersey Champs.
Struggles and Successes
He told Everipedia the biggest challenges he had faced so far. First is when his product’s demand shot up during the Black Friday sale in 2016. He delivered the products a month late, resulting in a lot of refunds and chargebacks. Another challenge he faced was when a festival ordered 100 jerseys from him only to run away upon receiving his products. According to him, he has learned lots from these lessons.
As for successes, his list just goes longer. Sean makes it a point that his products appeal to the masses. Check the website, you would observe that his jerseys do not only focus on the sports’ side of jerseys. There are also pop culture and TV show references.
View this post on InstagramThank you to my favorite Shark from Shark Tank, Mark Cuban, for loving his Jersey Champs Jersey!
A post shared by Sean Kelly | Jersey Champs (@seanmikekelly) on
We have observed that Jersey Champs’ success could be attributed to a key factor. Marketing. As you could see, Sean makes full use of marketing materials to spread the word out there. He used Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram to build a following for his brand.
He also leveraged on the following that music artists bring. They have linked up with music artists over the few years. He admits that he paid some of them to appear in their advertisements, but some do it for free because they love his products. The list grows every day as he releases new designs.
Social Media
Sean currently has 1.1 million followers on Instagram while Jersey Champs has 1.9 million. What could we say? He definitely put in the work to bring his company to where it is right now. Check out Jersey Champs’ bestsellers to browse their expansive catalog of awesome jerseys. You may want to follow Sean Kelly and Jersey Champs on Instagram too.
If you wish to see more young entrepreneurs working on their apparel company, you might want to read more about Habits 365.
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