Introduce your business and tell us your story: How did you decide on what to sell, and how did you source your products?
Womens activewear is a rising trend but many sites offer more expensive items, and not everyone wants to spend $200 on a pair of gym tights. I wanted to offer women affordable but still fashionable activewear. I have a desire to support Australian businesses and brands, so I search through Facebook and Instagram for new Australian labels that would fit into my target market and selected price range.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
My sister who is a personal trainer (and looks amazing in all activewear) recommended my store to some of her clients. One of them was my first sale which I got on the day my store went live. Facebook is generating most of my sales, followed by word of mouth and Instagram.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
I use Tido chat a free app to speak and chat to customers directly, Yotpo to gain feedback from customers, Facebook store for customers to purchase products from my Facebook site and Mailchimp for Shopify to link customers onto my email list. My business is a dropship model, where the orders are sent to the suppliers to fulfill. This allows me to focus on marketing and sales and not shipping and fulfillment.
What are your top recommendations for new store owners?
Don't be afraid to invest your profits back into your business for growth. I believe this is vital to grow your business faster and more efficiently than others.