Mini-Biz Buzz

I learned about Debra and her online shopping mall, Shabby Cottage Shops, on the Dreamers Into Doers social network. Debra has set up her site to be pleasant for shoppers (all important) and affordable and accessible for sellers (you guys). Below is a description, in Debra’s own words (edited for space considerations).

“My dream was to have an online shopping mall, to give stay at home moms, work at home moms, and all artists and craftsmen an affordable venue to sell their creations. A lot of the online auction sites, shopping malls and marketplaces charge store fees, commissions and selling fees. Shabby Cottage Shops gives new entrepreneurs a way to showcase their product without spending a fortune.

The site was created for individually owned webstores and e-boutiques, allowing them to gain exposure, and enhance their online presence. Though this is not a new concept, it is more affordable than other similar sites.

I wanted to design something clean, fresh and pleasing to the eye to attract customers and new members. Easy navigation was also important, so I eliminated frustrating and confusing layouts. I want shoppers to enjoy their visit to Shabby Cottage Shops.

Another consideration when creating Shabby Cottage Shops was helping the members/sellers to become more familiar helpful online features, such as meta tags and meta descriptions. For those that don’t know, meta tags provide information such as who created the page, how often it is updated, and which keywords represent the page's content. Many search engines use this information when building their indices. You can have the best designed website, but if you don’t have these important elements, the search engines won’t find you.

We are advertising in National Magazines, through networking and on the internet. The most important aspect of having a website is it allows you a focul point for your advertising. If you don’t allow for advertising in your budget or join an online shopping community, you might as well be a “stand alone” store on an island with no tourists. Becoming a member of any online shopping mall enables everyone to benefit from each other‘s presence, ensuring all will receive the optimum number of hits and sales.

At Shabby Cottage Shops, there are three different levels of membership, starting at $35.00 per month, and there is a six month commitment.  Each progressive level offers additional features and you can choose what works best for your product and your budget.”

I want to thank Debra for sharing her story and creating such a great online venue. Please check out the site, as a shopper and a potential vendor. If you start selling on Debra's site, please tell me about your success story so I can share it with everyone.  Shabby Cottage Shops

As Plato said, necessity is the mother of invention, and that is exactly how The Body Patisserie came about. Founded by Shermaine Davis, the company sells pastry scented body lotions and bath gels. She initially created the products for herself. Because she has eczema, even the scented “for sensitive skin” products irritated her skin.

Shermaine started testing natural products for herself and discovered Avocado Oil and Green Tea Extract moisturized her skin without irritating it. Not wanting to be stuck using unscented products for the rest of her life, she took it a step further and started introducing fragrances into her formula.

Because she's trained in the pastry arts, she decided to blend her two loves, infusing her products with the scents of her favorite pastries. Tiramisu, Iced Lemon Danish, and Grasshopper Mousse are a few of the gel and lotion flavors. Eventually, she started sharing her products with others. Like so many companies, what started out as “homemade” gifts and samples for friends and family, turned into a business.

Sensitive skin is not a requirement to enjoy Shermaine's creations. I bought the Key Lime Tart gel and lotion and l-o-v-e the light, fresh scent! Check out her entire line. www.thebodypatisserie.com

Passion and enjoyment play such a huge role in the success of any business.  You must like what you're doing and believe in it.  So take a look at the talents you share with your family and friends. There just may be a business opportunity in there, somewhere.

At the end of April I attended the Women’s Small Business Expo, in Los Angeles. There were some very good speakers and the fellow attendees were great. It was definitely one of the more enjoyable business conferences that I’ve been to. This is an annual event put on by Wealthy Bag Lady, a company that coaches and supports small businesses. Even though it’s called the Women’s Small Business Expo, men were there too, and are welcome. I highly suggest that you go next year, if you can.

Be prepared to network. Bring business cards and promotional flyers because the best part of this event is interacting with a variety of people. From seasoned entrepreneurs to people just thinking about starting a business, the range of guests was huge. The energy level was high and the format of the event offered many opportunities for conversations. Check out info from the 2009 Expo here: www.womenssmallbusinessexpo.com

Also, throughout the day, there were prize drawings. The two I was interested were the 4 hours of housecleaning (didn’t get that one) and a beautiful silk robe. When I put my name in the bowl, I just knew it was mine, and I was right. The robe is from Bones and Roses, and designed by co-founder, Emy Hovanesyan. It was a great bonus to an already productive day.

I waited to write about this event until I received my robe so I could include a photo of it.  Bones and Roses designs are inspired by old Hollywood glamour and the robe feels as beautiful as it looks.  It is gorgeous, expertly crafted and definitely one of the most luxurious things I own, now. Check out their entire line at www.bonesandrosesbrand.com