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The Secret Ingredient That Helped This Company Get Its Products on Shelves The co-founder of Blind Barber explains how he got his products on the shelves of big-name stores.

By Jason Fell

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Five years after first launching Blind Barber -- a hipster barber shop for dudes that's fused with a cafe/lounge -- now has three locations as well as a line of men's grooming products sold online and in stores like Barneys New York.

Sounds great, but not so easy. How does a startup get its products onto the shelves of a major retail store? For Blind Barber, it's about creating a community around the in-store experience as well as extending that branding over social media and events.

"That [community] is the secret ingredient to everything we've been putting out there," co-founder Jeff Laub says. "I think stores realized that. All of a sudden, we built upon that community and so now you're not just putting a pomeade in your hair -- you're making a bunch of friends, too. You feel like you're part of something."

It helps when you can give a store a story to tell about your product, Laub says. It can be "the differentiator."

Check out the video above for more on Laub's thoughts on getting your products on store shelves.

Related:

6 Strategies for Marketing Your Retail Business Online

Creating Credibility to Maximize the Growth of Your Retail Startup

How to Find Your Inventory Sweet Spot

Jason Fell

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

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