Success Story Profile - U Jeans
Successful entrepreneurs are good at recognizing opportunities, and Daniel Feuer is a prime example.
Daniel got the idea for his successful business during his banking career days, when he started buying made-to-measure suits from a travelling tailor that he found through a friend. The tailor would set up his swatches for custom-made suits and shirts in a hotel room, and Daniel was impressed by the concept: no overhead, no inventory, payment up front.
When the commute to his job in Toronto began to lose its charms, Daniel felt it was time to execute that concept. He found a company in Thailand who could manufacture the suits and shirts for him, and applied for the Business Basics program though the Business Development Centre to get the training and support that he needed to set up his business.
The manufacturer in Thailand also made jeans, so Daniel decided to add custom-made jeans to his clothing line. As his early fashion shows progressed, he found that women were consistently intrigued by jeans made to fit their own unique build and style preferences, and so UJeans was born.
As Daniel began to research sources for the types of materials he wanted for his jeans, emailing more than 800 companies around the globe, he also started looking into the labour conditions and environmental standards of his potential suppliers.
Eventually he found a company that could create the jeans that he offers today — all made from sustainable growth cotton and earth-friendly dyes, without any harsh chemicals used in the processing. The company pays all of its employees a livable wage and belongs to an association that monitors the working conditions.
All of Daniel’s jeans are created completely to a customer’s specifications. His sample books offer a fascinating variety of cloths, washes, cuts, pocket styles, belt loop styles, and more. His labels all reflect the company’s unique marketing philosophy:
Style: Mine, Size: Perfect.
Customers can order directly from Daniel or from one of the select group of retailers across North America who market his line. Whichever route they choose, customers receive a kit in his signature tin box that includes a measuring tape and a CD that provides information on ordering the jeans. The tin was originally created as a more interesting way of presenting gift certificates, but it eventually became one of the highlights of his business, along with the funky but durable denim bags that all of his jeans are delivered in!
Daniel sells his premium jeans to anyone who finds fitting or buying jeans a problem. He can add a jersey panel for pregnant women, add a high back rise to create a better fit for wheelchair-bound customers, or add a higher back on low-rise jeans to prevent what he calls “plumber’s butt” – his jeans are designed to work for people in everyday life.
Last year Daniel took another leap by applying to and appearing on the hit show The Dragons’ Den. Although he describes the experience as something akin to ‘an entrepreneurial Gong Show’, he feels that the value of the expertise, connections and exposure received from the show’s investors was well worth it. He encourages any small business owner to try out for the show, just to have the confidence boost gained from having someone at an organization like the CBC acknowledge that their business is worthy to appear on the show. Daniel’s business was turned down by the program’s investors, but he got an article in Flare magazine as a result of his appearance!
Two of Daniel's newest ventures are: setting up a section of his website where people would be able to post pictures of themselves wearing a pair of his jeans, so that other people could see how a particular style looks on a real body; and his work with the Kiva Micro loan program. The Kiva program (www.kiva.org) enables donors to lend money to entrepreneurs in developing countries, where even small amounts can go a long way to helping businesses flourish. Daniel donates 5% of all his sales to the Kiva organization, and he supports mainly clothing and retail ventures. He feels it’s a great way to give back to the global community.