Online Seller Experience, Small Business Success Stories
… The most challenging aspects of running our own business are balancing a full-time job and running the business at the same time. The way that we overcome it is basically to not think about our business as work, but more of an escape.
… I enjoy creating! Mixing oils and creating my own scents. I have the most fun when my daughter asks to help me. Watching her creative juices flowing. Figuring out what smells good…. and what definitely doesn’t. HAHAHA! The hardest moments are marketing. Finding the right customers and getting the word out.
… It’s very difficult to find the time to do the more routine Monday and tasks, but then also think big picture and globally and manage all of the marketing. When you have a small business, you are the customer service and you are also the CEO. This can make time management and priorities challenging.
… Our biggest challenge is keeping up with demand. We have had a huge increase in sales due to the pandemic and more people shopping from home. Though sales have increased we have to juggle the increase of sales and adding new employees to keep up with demand. We recently added another full-time employee and one part-time employee to keep up.
… I sell pillows, petballs, and dresses. I try to use the most possible recycled fabrics, the recycled fabrics will have a new life and they have better quality and better design than the new fabric produced. Despite they are recycled, I always keep the absolute high quality and the fabric is the most important factor of my product.
… I am currently selling unique and personalized beach accessories including hand fans, beach towels, handbags, and sun visors. I use different manufacturers to create the products that resonate most with my brand and then I add my own flair to it.
… I sell many of the basic haberdashery goods and sell a wide range of fat quarter bundles as well as craft kits. I love craft kits as they are a great introduction to creating, and you have everything you need in the kit to make it, so it makes it so simple and they are a great way to introduce children to creating and sewing.
… Our best selling product is the Origami Mask. We use cotton fabric with the inclusion of a melt-blown non-woven filter for extra protection. We made countless prototypes to make sure we came up with the most comfortable masks while being stylish at the same time. We offer over 20 designs, consisting of solid colors to unique prints.
… My best selling products are probably my fish stickers. I illustrated them embodying human activities for example bowling or riding a bike to symbolize the equality of life on earth. By accepting that they’re living creatures as well as humans are, there is a chance people will stop eating fish and our oceans will recover from overfishing.
… I have had a couple of postage issues which is really difficult as once the item is out of my hands the control over the process is in the hands of the postal system. The best way to overcome this is by doing everything you can up to the point where the package is handed over and then making sure the customer is happy.