How does your business look different now vs when you first started?

[tranguyen]

Happy Wednesday, everyone 🎉

For May, as we celebrate Small Business Month on the Seller Community, we will be sharing a Question of the Week that has been suggested by other sellers!

To start, let’s talk about how your business has grown! This week, we have a question from @JUYBoutique20: 

How does your business look different now vs when you first started?

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This week’s question is part of our Small Business Month celebration! Join this conversation and you’ll have the opportunity to earn a special achievement – a snazzy new badge for your community profile!*

 

 

*Badges will be rewarded periodically throughout May 2023. In order to earn the badge you must reply or comment on one or more Small Business Month 2023 posts between May 1 - May 31, 2023.

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Have you always wondered how other business owners handle slow sales? If you have a Question of the Week you'd like to ask the Seller Community, share it with us on this thread!

[ECB]

We are celebrating our sweet 16! When we launched we were a manufacturer supporting our brick and mortar retail stores and then started wholesaling. Now we're a wholesaler selling nationally into specialty stores and an online retailer only. 

[Helen]

Wow, congratulations @ECB! Was it your intention to become a wholesaler from the beginning? Do you miss having a store?

[ECB]

It wasn't my intent to be a wholesaler, it was a pivot to gain additional revenue. I do not miss the stores largely because I was able to move the operation under one roof which helps me with staffing issues. 

[JUYBoutique20]

Wow...Congrats...Do you prefer the wholesaling side of business?

[ECB]

I enjoyed the creativity side of retail, just not the overhead costs. I really like the wholesale and helping to promote the business through strategic marketing opportunities such as our great resellers!

[HC_Charlie]

Thanks for your post...I just started last year to expand my business to do more wholesaling. The overhead for a storefront can be VERY overwhelming! I'm with you in that I do love the creative side of retail, but I'm afraid of having all of my "eggs in one basket" lol.

[Doran]

Went from my garage to a small closet in a salon to having my own three-room studio.  

[ECB]

Congratulations, that's impressive!

[JUYBoutique20]

That's definitely impressive...Congrats

[Helen]

Moving up in the world! 💖

[AlarraG]

I just crept on your website, I absolutely love it! Congratulations on all of your success!

[Shbb]

Celebrating our 5 Year Anniversary next month. I have changed so much since the beginning. From expanding my product line to this year offering services to help the customer holistically and naturally! I need more room 😉 Each year I learn so many new things that help me to make the next year even better! Oh, and my customers are amazing!

[Helen]

Congratulations on 5 years! 🎉

[rtfulk]

This could be long :). We started in 1985 as a ceramic business for 1 year our kitchen was the shop, we pulled the oven out to share the 220 outlet with a kiln. Then we built a shop and worked out of it for years until the dollar trees starting popping up. All of a sudden everyone wanted to buy 1.00 China ceramics and not handmade. We pivoted to graphic shirt designs and embroidery after doing that for 20 years we wanted to slow down (or so we thought we would). We contracted sewing facilities from 3 factories in China and now we design and sell children’s clothing. The only thing, we are working harder now than we ever have which I guess is a good thing.

[DinaLRosenberg]

What an excellent question!

When my business partner and I began almost five years ago we had a teeny tiny store and it was just the two of us running it... taking turns so we didn't need to work every day. I remember if we had $300 in sales in a day we were so happy! We had about $25k in merchandise.. our shelves were so bare!

Now we have eight employees and occupy the entire building.. we are known nationally (even internationally) and are pushing to broaden our reach. It's been amazing to see what we've been able to accomplish in 5 years.

I want to wish continued success to all ... especially the retailers!! 

[ECB]

Congratulations Dina that is so inspiring! #retail

[Renie1]

I went from selling out of my living room, basement, truck and now brick and mortar.  

[Helen]

That's brilliant @Renie1! Are you in retail or the food business, or something else?

[Tom13]

It looks completly differnt and i have a new webpage things are finally starting to cpme to gether

[Helen]

Glad to hear that @Tom13!