Ecommerce Elite

How COVID-19 caused a service based business, Wisp Lashes, to pivot into e-commerce in order to survive and thrive through the Coronavirus pandemic.

While some business ventures take years of ideation and planning before things get rolling, Abby found her e-commerce path as a happy accident. The Kringle Krate story begins with a Christmas Eve activity box that she created for her family members. Naturally, they were a hit. When Abby branched out to showcase her idea at craft fairs, the boxes went viral on social media.

In this episode, I spoke with Megan Dahle from Discount Catholic Products. Before branching out into the world of e-commerce, Megan’s expertise was her as a contract/virtual CFO for small businesses. She uses her gift for teaching and knowledge to dive into the defensive side of small businesses to help them grow. Her adventure into owning her own business began nine years ago when Meagan and her husband wanted to pay off their loans. In order to achieve this, they bought an e-commerce business. 

In this episode, I enjoyed discussing the experiences of Jeremy Jacobs, owner and founder of Raise Bakery in Brighton, England. Jeremy initially began his business for his mother, but it gained more meaning to him than he ever could have predicted. With the current Covid-19 crisis affecting businesses across the world in ways no one could have imagined, creative adaptation has enabled Jeremy’s company to overcome an unpredictable trial.

In this episode we hear from the co-owners of Flaunt Boutique Autumn and Lara. This dream-team started their successful e-commerce shop in 2012 out of their college dorm room. One night, a discussion about popular statement jewelry turned into a session of brainstorming how they could offer people trendy jewelry for cheaper prices. Starting with 10 poor-quality images on Facebook, their online sales adventure began. 

In this episode we get to hear from Bev Schweigert, owner of Blessed Be Boutique. Bev's boutique began as a way to fund her mission trips, and has grown through her efforts to learn new skills and careful curation of products. In this episode we will be talking about:

• The need to get good traffic on your website
• How to reach your target audience
• Selling what you’re passionate about

In this episode I spoke with Katie Iverson, the owner of Designer Arm Candy. Health struggles have been a part of Katie's struggle to fulfill her dreams of selling designer handbags. Despite this, she faces challenges optimistically and encourages others to listen to your gut and follow your dreams.

When it comes to e-commerce stores, navigating the world of manufacturing to offer custom products can seem intimidating. In this episode, YellowFin Digital founder Keith Heavilin meets with Candice, the founder of Evangeline Rose Swimwear to discuss her experiences in finding the right manufacturers to produce her designs. She cautions that when it comes to the design process and manufacturing, things may take longer than expected. Learn from her experiences how to navigate this part of selling online so that you aren't faced with an unpredictable venture.

In this episode I talked with a good friend of mine, Jill Tanner. She is the owner of Southern Honey Boutique, which comprises two brick-and-mortar storefronts as well as an online store and warehouse– all of which sell women's southern chic apparel at an affordable price. We discuss why Jill believes that e-commerce is the future of her company and how it got her through the pandemic when her storefronts were closed for up to 8 weeks– and people were, “bored at home with stimulus checks”.

In this episode we discuss:

• The benefits of having e-commerce up and running when hit by unforeseen circumstances
• A secret weapon for success in the e-commerce – and general business– world.
• A truth bomb

What is your goal for growth both in storefront and online?

Jill admits that she currently has no goals for expanding her brick-and-mortar storefronts, as both are in comfortable locations with people she trusts to look after them; they are pulling their weight. Each storefront brings in about 33% of sales with online providing the final 33%. Jill wishes to see growth in the online side of her business. Even though she personally enjoys the storefront experience more, visiting a little boutique and trying on clothes, she knows that e-commerce is the future of the store. This is particularly true right now during the global COVID-19 pandemic, when leaving the house for shopping is not a feasible option for many. 

What technologies have you used so far?

Jill informs us that she initially started on Big Commerce for about a year, but didn't quite find it to be the right fit. After that she researched and found Shopify. Praising Shopify for its rich selection and easy operation, Jill asserts that when it comes to online business, you can do everything you need on it without bringing in other vendors. Another way she's made her entrepreneurship easier through technology is by using Market 2 Boutique. This is a software she developed that provides an easier way to input new inventory and know when it's arriving.

What is a helpful tip for people who are just starting out?

If you take away anything from this episode, make it the following advice Jill gives: Be realistic with your goals and expectations. A lot of people see a business blow up in a year or become extremely successful really fast, and wish to be like them. But those examples are the one in a million. Jill encourages people who are just starting to be prepared to not be that one in a million. It might sound negative, but it is truly sage advice. Be ready for the long game; prepare for a 10-15 year plan and work towards that goal.

In this episode we meet Ally Turpen, the owner of Pin It Co. Pin It Co entails both a storefront in small town Georgia as well as a warehouse fronted by an online store, including a website, app, and various social media accounts. Through Pin It Co, Ally sells home decor and more. She got her beginnings when her husband was deployed and her parents got her some power tools in an effort to help her out. For the first three years, she made everything by hand– but when her business started taking off after she had built up more of an online presence, that was no longer feasible and it was time to grow. 

In todays episode we’ll discuss:

• The best method of selling products online
• Something to know before starting a business
• Crucial suggestions for someone trying to get into e-commerce

Where do you sell most of your stuff?

Ally’s first website was done through BigCommerce, and she later switched it to CommentSold. In the beginning, the websites were not getting the sales she wanted. It wasn’t until she started social selling through live streams where she showed what she wanted to sell and talked about it. With her animated personality this was the perfect platform. She sells a majority of her products through these live streams either on facebook, or through her app Pin It Co where everything is in one convenient place and there are less distractions. 

What is one thing you wish you’d known?

Ally’s response to this was one we’ve heard before, but still impactful nonetheless. She wishes she knew more about the backend of business. She attended some college for marketing and communications which came easy to her, but still found that there was a lot to learn. She would have liked to have a mentor to walk her through the business aspects while getting started and making big decisions. 

What would you suggest to someone trying to get into e-commerce?

Ally had a few answers to this question all of which are profound. The first being to not overextend yourself financially. She encourages people not to spend more money than they have. The second suggestion is to grow slow. This piece of advice is crucial for younger start ups. A gradual grow allows for you to build up the resources and manpower to handle larger sales. More time also means more content and brand impact. She encountered a large surge in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic that could have been overwhelming had she not had 6 years of building a business behind her. Ally shared that you can drive all the sales you want, but if you don't have the team to catch you or the resources to follow through then it doesn't matter how many sales you get if you can’t support your customers. The last piece of advice she gives is to not be afraid to ask for help. Socrates’ sound adage “wisdom begins in wonder” comes to mind here. If there's something you're not good at, or even could just use a little improvement in, ask for help.