Name of your website?Sugar Plum Princess
Your name?
Kelly Savard
Your Location (city, etc)
Saginaw
What type of business is this?
Wholesale : Sugar Plum Princess Brand Dancewear, Dress Up, Accessories, & Room Decor.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I am a designer and I have always wanted my own line of clothing. My daughter's inspire me everyday and add a creative twist to my designs.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My 1st website was Sugar Plum Princess. Prior to running a design and import business, I sold retail on ebay through my store. Too much headache so the next logical step was to create a wholesale website for retailers.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Our brand name is Sugar Plum Princess so it was pretty logical to name the website after our name.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
Most wholesale sites are pretty plain and simple. We have made our site fun & it pops with color. We receive compliments everyday and have been told that we inspire many. Our products are upscale and boast superb quality. There are many sites/businesses out there selling very similar items but the quality just isn't there.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Great question! My husband and I run a leadership development business and within 2 years, I can retire (woohoo...I am only 30!). Sugar Plum Princess generates tremendous business and is highly profitable. Some changes are in the works which will make it even better. We are becoming recognized as a name brand and that continues to improve our reputability. We plan to sell the company in 2010.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Thanks to our leadership business, I have learned how to systematize the inner workings of this business. When I first started out, there was no balance. Today, I work part-time with a full-time plus plus income.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
Another good question! I would launch Sugar Plum Princess retail stores in all major cities across North America & Europe. We currently supply retail boutiques, department stores, etc. I would also put more designs in front of our tailors and present the world with the most amazing clothing line for children!
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes. No doubt about it! We are prepared for that and hope for that.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Importing is an expensive business to run. You have hundreds of barriers to break through. You are constantly being threatened by other's selling similar products....trying their best to put you out of business.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Customer loyalty. If it's 25 cents cheaper somewhere else, the other business gets the sale, regardless of quality or business ethics. There is a saturation of lower quality merchandise out there that really is nothing more than junk.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Organic SEO. I know businesses pay big bucks for SEO but I am self-taught and it's working quite well. I've listed for free with many directories and search engines & that helps quite a bit.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Well, I initially thought that if I built a website, my targeted buyers would just magically find me. That is so not the case! There are so many facets of having a website: web design, databases, SEO, keywords, html, and blah blah blah! Getting the right people to your site doesn't just happen. You have to work your tail off see and be seen!
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I've had this site since 2005. Just gave it a facelift this week :) It's an income generator for us so we will keep it indefinitely and when the business sells, the site goes with it.
How much will you sell for?
Hmmm! I'm not sure. If we sold today, $250,000. The business will grow substantially by 2010 so it will probably be a bit more.
What is your website address?
Sugar Plum Princess
