But what Craig was also pleased to find was the ease with which Stores Online
allowed him to build-and even rebuild when necessary-his own e-commerce Web
site.
Craig is now the proud owner of www.AllSafetyProducts.biz,
an online business based in southern California that specializes in selling
safety equipment to customers across the United States and internationally.
Although a marketer at heart, before starting his business Craig had spent the
previous 20 years working in data communications and information technology
for several aerospace companies. What finally convinced him to strike out on
his own was a job he took with a law firm in Los Angeles.
"I was under a lot of stress, and I finally decided, you know what, if
I'm going to endure stress, I might as well start my own company and see it
grow," he says.
Craig discovered Stores Online while he was searching the Internet for hosting
providers. He contacted the company and was invited to attend a Stores Online
workshop. At the workshop, he was impressed with Stores Online's technology
solutions-particularly its hosting platform.
"I was very impressed because I came from a background where it was very
critical for computers to be up and operational with no down time," Craig
says. "I figured I didn't want to spend a million dollars on my own data
center, so I decided to go ahead and give Stores Online a shot."
After purchasing Stores Online Web site licenses, Craig and a friend immediately
began building an online store. Their first business attempt-a Web site offering
a variety of hot sauces-did not prove to be as profitable as Craig would have
liked. Rather than give up, however, Craig rebuilt the site with a new focus
on safety products-a product line his wife was expert in because of her employment
for a safety equipment manufacturer.
His wife's employer soon became one of Craig's suppliers-although the arrangement
did not come easily, says Craig.
"They put me through the grill and made it a little tough on me,"
he says. "But I proved I would be able to sell their products, and as a
result, most of my suppliers have actually contacted me."
Craig says good supplier relationships have been one of the keys to his company's
growth and success. He works on maintaining good relations with his suppliers
just as much as he works on maintaining positive customer relationships. Craig
makes a point of negotiating with his suppliers and screening out those that
would not be a good fit for his business. Consequently, his chosen suppliers
are those that will support him when times get tough. Many of his suppliers
drop ship for him.
Craig says his new business has been much more rewarding than his original
venture. He now operates the company out of a warehouse and has hired two sales
representatives-one who handle sales in California and another who handles sales
in five other states. Craig also has distributors scattered across the country.
Whereas his hot sauce Web site made only USD $20,00-25,000 in first-year sales,
Craig projects his current site will make some $300,000 in sales by the year's
end. On average, his business receives some 50 orders per week with an average
order size of $300-400.
Through all stages of his business, Craig has appreciated the flexibility,
ease of use, and functionality of the Stores Online Store Builder. Although
an IT person by trade, he considers himself a novice programmer. The Stores
Online product and service, however, have removed the need for programming expertise
when setting up a Web site.
"It's really been very painless to get up and running very quickly,"
he says. "I've had a very positive experience. Stores Online has been with
me all the time-it's been a team effort. . They've been very helpful with
me, and I think it's really showing. They've made some improvements on my Web
site that have been incredible."
Craig has put his fair share of time into building, optimizing, and improving
his site. Both he and his customers are pleased with the result.
"I've received comments that my site is very good looking," he says.
"A lot of people have told me that, and I don't want to take the credit,
because I think a lot of that is due to help I've received from Stores Online.
. I think they have a world-class design template, and I can say that from
years of working on things that didn't work. It's a good, good product. I'm
very excited about it, and that's why I'm still here and why I'm still doing
business with them."
Although Craig doesn't consider himself a programmer, he says he does know
a lot about encryption and data integrity, thanks to his time working in the
aerospace industry. When it comes to security, he is very pleased with Stores
Online's hosting services.
"Stores Online is keeping right up there with everyone else. They're not
lagging behind. They're making changes to keep up with technology-and it definitely
shows. When it comes to security, I have a very secure site."
From the standpoint of his business experience, Craig has a number of useful
pointers for those who are seeking to start up a new business for themselves.
The first tip is to actually get started.
"It's easier to work for somebody else and collect a paycheck, but you
never really realize your potential," says Craig. "Starting your own
business is really the way you can put yourself to the test."
But along with getting started, it's important to remember that true success
takes a lot of time and effort.
"It does take time. It takes time to get into search engines-to rank high.
It doesn't happen overnight," says Craig. "What has really been good
is that Stores Online recognized that and told me to take some time. They were
very up front about how long it would take, and their approximations were right
on target."
In deciding what type of business to open, Craig suggests conducting careful
market research and developing a marketing plan before developing a Web site.
Once a product is selected, he recommends following the advice he received at
the Stores Online workshop: Do not feel the need to be the low-price leader
on the Internet.
"I initially tried to be the cheapest to get customers, and that really
hurt me," says Craig. "I'd be a lot further along today if I hadn't
tried to go the cheap route. I think it's important to stress your quality."
Craig says it is also important to be unique-either by offering unique products
or by offering them in a unique way. For example, there's nothing all that unique
about safety products, Craig says, but he packages them in a unique way. Stressing
one's uniqueness through effective marketing is especially important.
Last of all, Craig recommends getting experienced help.
"I really would encourage you to seek out Stores Online. I think that
with their record and experience, they can actually shortcut and save you a
lot of money on unnecessary fees that you would pay consultants."
With Craig's business now making sales globally, he says he is looking forward
to more growth with Stores Online.
"I've had other opportunities," he says. "I've been approached
by other people who have wanted me to come along on their ship. They've begged
me, basically, to come across, and I won't do it, because there comes a point
where you have to evaluate the relationship you have, as well as the support
and everything else. It really is a team effort, and I really do attribute a
lot of growth and a lot of my success to Stores Online.
What
first impressed Craig Gunderson about Stores Online was its million-dollar
data center. An IT professional for 20 years, Craig understood the importance
of having a secure, reliable hosting platform on which to establish
a new online business.
