We are excited to announce our new "Guest Speaker Advice Column!" Mooncakes welcomes our first guest speaker Kimberly from http://www.snapdragonsbaby.com/ a successful online boutique. We asked Kimberly:
How long have you been in business? I have been in business for 5 1/2 years now. It will be 6 this October. I can't believe that it has been that long.
Biggest start-up challenge? At first, the world of retail can be overwhelming. I had no idea what I was doing when I went to my first show to buy clothing. Luckily, I meet a few great reps who helped me learn the ropes. Being on-line only was a challenge at first as I had to prove myself to both the manufacturers reps and the clothing lines that I was a "real" store and that I wasn't intending to sell their lines at a discount on an auction site. The other big challenge is that it takes a while for your website to be listed in the search engines, like google and yahoo. It can take several months before you are really getting good traffic. That can be difficult at first.
Biggest challenge now? The biggest challenge for me now is adapting to the ever changing retail climate. Just because something sells well this season doesn't mean customers will like it next season. You have to anticipate what is going to sell months in advance to help guide your buying. Currenlty, I also have to adapt to very real economic changes which affect the way customers buy clothing. These are my biggest challenges right now.
Best marketing tips? I love google ad-words. This is where I spent the bulk of my advertising money.
Favorite part of business? I love so much of it -- I love the buying, opening the boxes when the new shipments come in, getting new things up on my site, sending out the packages. The biggest part of my business is new babies and I love helping new moms, new grandmas, and friends put together layettes for their new babies. I have always enjoyed children's clothing, so I think I am definitely in the right field!
Least favorite part of business? 99% of my customers are wonderful, awesome people to deal with -- but there are always those occasional ones who just seem to drag you down by their rudeness --that is my least favorite part of the business.
Favorite trade show? I tend to be a homebody in this regard. I only attend my nearest show, in Charlotte NC, which is two hours away. I have yet to visit any of the larger ones. I find that I can get most of my "shopping" done at the local show and then I have several lines which I buy via the web.
Tech suggestions for new websites? Put a lot of effort to the decision of who hosts your on-line store. Make sure that their tech support is accessible to you when you need it and also make sure that they have room for your store to grow. We just changed servers earlier this year -- which is not a fun thing to do. I wish I had asked more questions before going with the first company -- then I would have realize their customer service was lacking and would have gone with someone else!
Kimberly with 3 boys, how to do you keep it all together as a successful momprenuer? I think that having an on-line business is perfect for me -- I absolutely love the flexibility I have. It can be hard at times juggling everything, but knowing that I can be wherever I need to be for my kids makes it all worthwhile. And, I couldn't do what I do without the support of my wonderful husband. He has supported me and believed in me every step of the way and that is priceless.
Advice to new e-tailers and new stores? Try to find something that makes your store different and makes your store special so that customers will seek you out. I think on-line stores have a unique opportunity to really let their personality show in their store -- they don't have to cater to everyone who lives in a certain area -- you really have the world as your customer. I find that I am most successful when I go with brands and items that reflect what I like best. Customers who have similar styles are drawn to my store and then keep coming back.
Final Comments? I really feel blessed to live in a time where I can have an on-line store and be an at-home mom to my kids. I love how the internet has opened up so many possibilities for women who want the flexibility to be home with their children and also to have a career they love. - Thank you Kimberly for sharing your experience and tips! Visit http://www.snapdragonsbaby.com/.
How long have you been in business? I have been in business for 5 1/2 years now. It will be 6 this October. I can't believe that it has been that long.
Biggest start-up challenge? At first, the world of retail can be overwhelming. I had no idea what I was doing when I went to my first show to buy clothing. Luckily, I meet a few great reps who helped me learn the ropes. Being on-line only was a challenge at first as I had to prove myself to both the manufacturers reps and the clothing lines that I was a "real" store and that I wasn't intending to sell their lines at a discount on an auction site. The other big challenge is that it takes a while for your website to be listed in the search engines, like google and yahoo. It can take several months before you are really getting good traffic. That can be difficult at first.
Biggest challenge now? The biggest challenge for me now is adapting to the ever changing retail climate. Just because something sells well this season doesn't mean customers will like it next season. You have to anticipate what is going to sell months in advance to help guide your buying. Currenlty, I also have to adapt to very real economic changes which affect the way customers buy clothing. These are my biggest challenges right now.
Best marketing tips? I love google ad-words. This is where I spent the bulk of my advertising money.
Favorite part of business? I love so much of it -- I love the buying, opening the boxes when the new shipments come in, getting new things up on my site, sending out the packages. The biggest part of my business is new babies and I love helping new moms, new grandmas, and friends put together layettes for their new babies. I have always enjoyed children's clothing, so I think I am definitely in the right field!
Least favorite part of business? 99% of my customers are wonderful, awesome people to deal with -- but there are always those occasional ones who just seem to drag you down by their rudeness --that is my least favorite part of the business.
Favorite trade show? I tend to be a homebody in this regard. I only attend my nearest show, in Charlotte NC, which is two hours away. I have yet to visit any of the larger ones. I find that I can get most of my "shopping" done at the local show and then I have several lines which I buy via the web.
Tech suggestions for new websites? Put a lot of effort to the decision of who hosts your on-line store. Make sure that their tech support is accessible to you when you need it and also make sure that they have room for your store to grow. We just changed servers earlier this year -- which is not a fun thing to do. I wish I had asked more questions before going with the first company -- then I would have realize their customer service was lacking and would have gone with someone else!
Kimberly with 3 boys, how to do you keep it all together as a successful momprenuer? I think that having an on-line business is perfect for me -- I absolutely love the flexibility I have. It can be hard at times juggling everything, but knowing that I can be wherever I need to be for my kids makes it all worthwhile. And, I couldn't do what I do without the support of my wonderful husband. He has supported me and believed in me every step of the way and that is priceless.
Advice to new e-tailers and new stores? Try to find something that makes your store different and makes your store special so that customers will seek you out. I think on-line stores have a unique opportunity to really let their personality show in their store -- they don't have to cater to everyone who lives in a certain area -- you really have the world as your customer. I find that I am most successful when I go with brands and items that reflect what I like best. Customers who have similar styles are drawn to my store and then keep coming back.
Final Comments? I really feel blessed to live in a time where I can have an on-line store and be an at-home mom to my kids. I love how the internet has opened up so many possibilities for women who want the flexibility to be home with their children and also to have a career they love. - Thank you Kimberly for sharing your experience and tips! Visit http://www.snapdragonsbaby.com/.
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