New to the business world

GentleAroma · ‎July 21, 2018

Hi there,

I am brand new to QB's and the business world and was wondering if you guys could give me a few pointers.

So, I first started out my handmade bath and body business April 1st of this year. I had no idea what I was doing, all I knew was that I wanted to be a business owner. Luckily my adoptive mom knew what to do so she showed me all she knows.

I am originally from England but came to the US April 21st 2015 after fleeing for my life. My biological parents are satanic pedophiles who promised to kill me on my 19th birthday. I have seen things most people wouldn't be able to imagine. This business is my way of bringing in money. I'm not able to go out to get a 'normal' 9-5 job because of the trauma and severe PTSD.

At the minute, I'm in need of more customers. Right now, sales are very slow. I brought in close to $2,000 in the first month (that wasn't profit) and if I could do that, I would be able to carry this business on.

Do you guys have any tips? I'm on Shopify - Gentle Aroma - and would really appreciate any tips you guys could give me.

Thanks

EmilyCowan · ‎July 23, 2018

Hey @GentleAroma - a very warm welcome to QB Community. Your Shopify site is gorgeous, I love it! I only wish I could smell all the candles :smileyhappy: When you have a chance, don't forget to add some pictures to your profile page, as well as a business description plus links to your Shopify site, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. QB Community is a great place to meet people and make connections with others who work for themselves and - who knows? - maybe pick up some new customers along the way!

For some real-world tips on getting new customers, you might enjoy this article by our content chief @WillowOlder:

Getting Customers: Four Marketing Tactics to Help Your Customer Base Soar

What sort of marketing and sales outreach strategies are you trying right now? @jmisunas, @cruberti, @flowerteas, @Jennie any ideas? What's working best for you at the moment?

cruberti · ‎July 24, 2018

Hi @EmilyCowan! Since I don't have a product yet, I'm working on growing my community online. Instagram has been the best platform because I can introduce myself to a lot of new potential customers. Hashtags are great, but they encourage a lot of bots (people follow you who are just looking for a follow-back). It's a lot of work, but looking for your potential customers through their hashtags, and then interacting with them, sending them DM's and can tagging them in posts is a great way to start to build a loyal community!

EmilyCowan · ‎July 24, 2018

Thanks for that, @cruberti, and great tip about the potential downside of hashtags!

@GentleAroma, you mention sales goals specifically - are you focused on selling online exclusively or are you selling direct to customers as well (at farmer's markets, say)? How much time do you currently spend on building your social media platforms and what are your strategies for turning followers into customers?

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