INTEL SOURCE LINK: LAtimes.com
The Fullerton company is following a recent trend in business models — for-profit firms that donate a major percentage of their revenue to charitable causes. In Sevenly’s case, it’s nearly 30%.
By Ricardo Lopez
At Sevenly, a business started by young entrepreneurs in Orange County, a key to the operation is the number seven.
Each line of T-shirts and hoodies designed by the company goes on sale for exactly seven days. No more, no less.
The Fullerton company donates to seven causes: anti-slavery, hunger relief, clean water, medical help, disaster relief, anti-poverty and miscellaneous aid.
And for every item sold, Sevenly donates — you guessed it — $7.
“It’s a great number,” said co-founder Dale Partridge, who holds the title of chief world changer. “We just happened to be able to break down the world’s greatest issues into seven causes, seven days in a week, etc.
“It had tons of parallel brand play.”
Partridge, in the hallowed tradition of entrepreneurs, is always looking for an edge and an opportunity. At 26, he already has created and sold a small fitness company, and he currently co-owns a chain of rock climbing gyms in the Inland Empire.
The hook at Sevenly, which he co-founded last year with Aaron Chavez, 19, goes beyond the number gimmick. The company is following a recent trend in business models — for-profit firms that donate a major percentage of their revenue to charitable causes.
In Sevenly’s case, it’s nearly 30%. That might seem like a huge cut of revenue, but it’s also a way to generate sales.
“Consumers want to do business with brands who do good,” said Loren Solomon, founder of Advertising for Good, an agency that creates marketing campaigns for nonprofits.
Since launching in June, Sevenly has sold more than 29,000 items and donated more than $200,000 to charities including Cure Childhood Cancer in Atlanta; the International Justice Mission, which fights sex trafficking abroad; and Hope International, which provides micro-financing for developing businesses in Africa.
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