Steve Nanino and his co-founders launched Kid Dangerous in 2008 with one goal: create bold graphic apparel that stands out from mainstream fashion.
What started as a passion project out of a Los Angeles living room has grown into a multi-brand apparel powerhouse, now sold nationwide in premium retailers like Nordstrom, Free People, Revolve, and most recently Whole Foods.
From Living Room Hustle to National Retail Shelf
Kid Dangerous initially bootstrapped their growth, navigating wholesale trade shows, boutique placements, and in-house printing to keep margins strong. But when they introduced their women’s line, Girl Dangerous, the company’s trajectory changed dramatically. What began as a small test quickly accounted for over 90% of their sales.
However, scaling from small print runs to fully custom, cut-and-sew production brought new challenges. Big-box retailers like Whole Foods, which placed a nationwide order as part of a national rollout spanning hundreds of stores, required larger production runs with longer lead times. This created massive cash-flow gaps, sometimes up to 150 days from factory invoice to retailer payment.
We knew we could land bigger accounts, but we needed financing that matched our production cycles and retailer payment terms. Traditional factoring wasn't cutting it. We needed something better, faster, and more flexible.
Why Traditional Financing Was Holding Them Back
Initially, Kid Dangerous used traditional factoring but found it inflexible and restrictive. Annual minimums, personal guarantees, and third-party interactions complicated retailer relationships and slowed their momentum.
Switching their financing approach transformed their operations:
- Confidently fulfilled a large-scale national rollout with broad retail placement without giving up equity
- Seamlessly bridged cash-flow gaps of up to 150 days, aligning financing directly with their business cycles
- Retained full control over retailer interactions by eliminating third-party factors
- Simplified vendor payments and improved internal efficiencies
Settle became our financial lifeline. Switching from traditional factoring to Settle gave us the flexibility we needed to grow confidently. During critical periods when cash flow was tight, they stepped in quickly—without the red tape—giving us full control over our business relationships
The Cash Flow Strategy That Unlocked Scale
Kid Dangerous adopted a financial strategy tailored specifically to their operational needs, enabling them to:
- Effortlessly manage large production runs and extended retailer payment terms
- Streamline financial operations through seamless QuickBooks integration
- Free up internal resources to focus more on creative innovation and market expansion
With these strategic improvements, Kid Dangerous successfully:
- Delivered on a national launch spanning hundreds of Whole Foods stores
- Eliminated factoring complexities and significantly reduced operational friction
- Invested more resources into product development and market growth
The streamlined integration with QuickBooks has made payments, approvals, and reconciliations effortless. Our finance team can now focus more strategically, driving our business forward.
What’s Next for a Brand That’s Scaling Smart
Kid Dangerous is now exploring further expansions into major retailers and strengthening its direct-to-consumer presence. By strategically aligning their financial and operational strategies, they’re positioned to build not just a successful apparel brand, but a financially resilient business poised for sustainable long-term growth.
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