The last 12 months in business....
Christianne James (40) founder of the highly successful online baby gift and nursery furniture retailer, 4little1s.com assesses her business over the last twelve months.
Website (http://www.4little1s.com)
We invested heavily when we set the website up as we wanted to relay the message that we were not a small ‘fly by night’ company that would compromise on quality. We used a web design agency that managed the whole project in terms of structure and design, although we had decided from the offset we wanted full control to be able to add and remove products ourselves, rather than having to rely on the design agency each time. I am quite technically minded and felt more than confident to be able to keep this up and have more control. This was a good decision and gives us complete control over our site today.
Stock
We are always very careful with selecting stock although we did take a risk with a more unusual line recently called Deglingos. These are very unusual looking soft toys that take the form of animals However, there is clearly a niche market for these and we get regular orders from Denmark and the UAE for some reason. We have pretty much kept to the same lines when we first started up, although some lines definitely sell better than others. We plan to review one or two lines that we are struggling with and probably just do a straight swap out with another line.
Sales
Some lines we make better margins than others and this has driven the marketing plan with time / effort as to which products to market more than others. Our main sales channel is the Internet and we are glad to making a small profit this year. We have been experimenting with School Fairs and Craft Fairs which have also been very successful. Apart from meeting customers ‘face to face’ any transactions are not usually credit cards as they are cash or cheque based, therefore avoiding any transaction costs. Finally we now have a shop front in one of the larger towns near us which works well and covers its costs as well as bringing in a small profit.
Marketing
We have marketed on a number of campaigns on and offline this year. Thinking back we have had a balloon marketing exercise which produced about a 1% sales, I personally delivered leaflets to a vast number of houses (non targeted) and I don’t think we produced any sales ! (lesson learnt). We also have done a couple of more targeted leaflet campaigns which both produced about 2 % sales. We have also been trying to consider a couple of alliances but nothing came of them; however I suspect will come together over the next few monthsWe have invested a great deal of time in SEO which we are now starting to see some real improvements. The strategies have been quite far and wide including Blogs, Forums and Social Networking amongst others. We may need to make a judgment call on the sheer volume of time this is taking up and if our time could be spend better elsewhere and then outsource this effort.My bookcase has grown quite significantly over the last 12 months with everything from Marketing for Dummies to Guerrilla Marketing as well as some other more structured methodologies for Marketing. I am beginning to wonder if I should be concentrating on PR more than Marketing as from the last few months we have been seeing more results, i.e. hard sales, from PR than Marketing. Food for thought.
The future
We have a combination of a stock and a drop ship model. The margins we make on stock are larger than the drop ship items. However, in some cases the space needed and not having to worry about importing and distributing are big benefits to us. I think we will continue to have a combination of the two to ensure a healthy balance but margins will dictate this.
Lessons learned
I certainly need to learn to be able to delegate more. Working for yourself in a start up means you usually end up being the Finance Director, Managing Director, Operation Director, Sales and Marketing Director …….and the list goes on. Having come from a corporate background where each role had been headed up by one person and a team of people, suddenly it was just little old me! While not too much of a problem initially, I now recognise as we grow it’s just not possible to do each role, well do it efficiently anyway. I need to consider giving more responsibilities to my business partner and also third parties in some of these areas in order to allow me to have a more watching brief.I have also realised the importance of ‘getting out there’ and seeing people, whether that’s at trade fairs or a marketing or PR stunt, staying inside is not always the best use of timeInvestigate alliances and benefits of, in particular with marketing.
4little1s.com provides a great range of Izziwotnot Nursery Furniture such as Humphrey’s Corner , Hemingway II or Vanilla nursery sets, as well as Izziwotnot Nursery Bedding such as Humphrey’s Lottie Fairy Princess, Hide Away Bay or Baby Pilot
Friday 20 February 2009
Wednesday 18 February 2009
International orders from 4little1s.com
4little1s.com are proud to process their first order from the USA (New York) today. That makes Denmark, Spain, Brazil, UAE and USA in the last few months...wow these guys are on fire !
4little1s.com for all your Nursery Furniture and Baby bedding . Looking for Humphrey's corner, Lottie Fairy Princess or Little Red car, we have it at 4little1s.com
Friday 13 February 2009
Free Nusery Tip Sheet
FREE Nursery Furniture Tip sheet from 4little1s.com
OK, so baby is definitely on the way, you have had the scans and now you need to get organised. If you have a spare room or already have a room in mind for babies nursery, hopefully the list below will help you gather your thoughts as to what you might need. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but is a good place to start as there is so much you could buy, the list and amount you can spend is endless !Buying a complete set of nursery furniture is quite common, with a typical nursery furniture set including all the major pieces you may need, Cot, mattress, changing unit etc. These are generally more cost effective than buying individually, as you don’t end up mis-matching furniture or looking for a discontinued set a few months or years later .
NURSERY FURNITURE
Nursery furniture sets – Look out for good quality and safety tested pieces, a typical package would include cot bed and mattress, wardrobe and changing unit. These range in costs but new ones start from around £700.00
Baby Moses basket - Used in the early days to let baby sleep, some have stands so they are at your waist level.
Babies Cot - Where baby sleeps and seen often as the most exciting purchase. Measure up the room beforehand so when it arrives there are no surprises
Changing mat & covers - Make the changing mat a fun place for baby to be and more comfortable with a cover. Some can even be placed on top of the cot to make it even easier for this difficult task at the best of times
Baby height charts - Have fun while your baby grows with these height charts, bright colours add fun to any nursery. There are a variety of types from wooden handmade charts with sliding tops, to material and plastic ones.
Baby Lampshades - Babies love to watch these and having a bright and fun lampshade is a great way to brighten up a room
Baby Mobiles - Mobiles hanging from the ceiling keeps your babies attention while lying down. From our experience, we have found these great to keep baby distracted during feeding or changing nappies. See our range of bright and fun fairies, trains and shapes mobiles on our website www.4little1s.com
Baby Monitors - A baby monitor is like a microphone that allows you to hear your baby while they hopefully sleep and you are in another room. Popular fun designs can be in the shape of a flower or animal, others using digital have the designer look.
Curtains - You should outfit your nursery windows with two types of curtains: sheers that can be pulled across during the day to keep glaring sunlight out of the nursery and heavier drapes that can be pulled shut to keep the room dark during baby's nap time.
Carpets and Rugs - Not only should your rugs and carpets ideally be steam cleaned to remove any allergens, pet hair or viruses, you should also make sure that rugs have a skid free backing so that nobody is in danger of slipping in the middle of the night while holding the baby.
Chest of Drawers - You will be surprised at just how much you accumulate in terms of baby clothes. Having somewhere to put it all helps de clutter the Nursery. Look for fun designs with no sharp edges or corners.
BABY BEDDING
You will be surprised just how much bedding you will get through. Babies do make a mess, so it’s worth stocking up on a few spares. We guarantee you will be changing something in the middle of the night and you will be glad then that you bought a spare set at the time.
Baby cot bumper- Protect babies head from hitting the sides of the cot. These come in a variety of colours and patterns, and can stimulate attention and concentration. Matching sets make the nursery a great place to be
Baby Cot blankets - Snuggles become part of babies association and attachment. Lots of different styles and materials, look for extra soft.
Cot Duvet and Pillow cases - Makes sleep time fun with these brightly coloured matching sets
Baby Swaddle pod - A small sleeping bag that holds your baby snug and warm, our range is designed by a Neo Natal nurse who obviously has experience in these matters
Baby Sleep suits - Larger than a Swaddle Pod, gives baby more room and allows increased movement as they grow. Hopefully giving you a good night sleep
Baby Quilt for Cots - A variety of different colours and patterns available to made sleep time more fun. Helps baby with colours and pattern recognition. Might be worth considering buying a few of these as they can get dirty
Baby throws - Like regular throws, they provide the finishing touches to the Nursery to give them the matching look. Brightly coloured ones can be used to pick out colours in the nursery
Baby Fleece blankets - Keep your baby warm day and night with these lovely fleece blankets for your little ones. When you are not around, this is what baby embraces and cuddles
Bedding bundles – Like nursery furniture sets, you can buy bedding bundles that usually include sheets, blankets, pillowcases etc and help not having to think about buying items individually. In most cases these are more cost effective.
Finally….Baby Toys - What baby nursery could be complete without a full range of toys to stimulate their brain? Look for brightly coloured and fun to play with toys like wooden toys as well as the soft and cuddly ones. We stock a wide range of nursery toys as well as some qwirky ones, like Deglingos.
All the Nursery furniture and baby bedding above can be found at our website http://www.4little1s.comIzziwotnot Nursery furniture such as Humphrey’s corner, Lottie Fairy Princess and Humphrey’s Little Red car as well as a wide range other Izziwotnot baby bedding products
OK, so baby is definitely on the way, you have had the scans and now you need to get organised. If you have a spare room or already have a room in mind for babies nursery, hopefully the list below will help you gather your thoughts as to what you might need. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but is a good place to start as there is so much you could buy, the list and amount you can spend is endless !Buying a complete set of nursery furniture is quite common, with a typical nursery furniture set including all the major pieces you may need, Cot, mattress, changing unit etc. These are generally more cost effective than buying individually, as you don’t end up mis-matching furniture or looking for a discontinued set a few months or years later .
NURSERY FURNITURE
Nursery furniture sets – Look out for good quality and safety tested pieces, a typical package would include cot bed and mattress, wardrobe and changing unit. These range in costs but new ones start from around £700.00
Baby Moses basket - Used in the early days to let baby sleep, some have stands so they are at your waist level.
Babies Cot - Where baby sleeps and seen often as the most exciting purchase. Measure up the room beforehand so when it arrives there are no surprises
Changing mat & covers - Make the changing mat a fun place for baby to be and more comfortable with a cover. Some can even be placed on top of the cot to make it even easier for this difficult task at the best of times
Baby height charts - Have fun while your baby grows with these height charts, bright colours add fun to any nursery. There are a variety of types from wooden handmade charts with sliding tops, to material and plastic ones.
Baby Lampshades - Babies love to watch these and having a bright and fun lampshade is a great way to brighten up a room
Baby Mobiles - Mobiles hanging from the ceiling keeps your babies attention while lying down. From our experience, we have found these great to keep baby distracted during feeding or changing nappies. See our range of bright and fun fairies, trains and shapes mobiles on our website www.4little1s.com
Baby Monitors - A baby monitor is like a microphone that allows you to hear your baby while they hopefully sleep and you are in another room. Popular fun designs can be in the shape of a flower or animal, others using digital have the designer look.
Curtains - You should outfit your nursery windows with two types of curtains: sheers that can be pulled across during the day to keep glaring sunlight out of the nursery and heavier drapes that can be pulled shut to keep the room dark during baby's nap time.
Carpets and Rugs - Not only should your rugs and carpets ideally be steam cleaned to remove any allergens, pet hair or viruses, you should also make sure that rugs have a skid free backing so that nobody is in danger of slipping in the middle of the night while holding the baby.
Chest of Drawers - You will be surprised at just how much you accumulate in terms of baby clothes. Having somewhere to put it all helps de clutter the Nursery. Look for fun designs with no sharp edges or corners.
BABY BEDDING
You will be surprised just how much bedding you will get through. Babies do make a mess, so it’s worth stocking up on a few spares. We guarantee you will be changing something in the middle of the night and you will be glad then that you bought a spare set at the time.
Baby cot bumper- Protect babies head from hitting the sides of the cot. These come in a variety of colours and patterns, and can stimulate attention and concentration. Matching sets make the nursery a great place to be
Baby Cot blankets - Snuggles become part of babies association and attachment. Lots of different styles and materials, look for extra soft.
Cot Duvet and Pillow cases - Makes sleep time fun with these brightly coloured matching sets
Baby Swaddle pod - A small sleeping bag that holds your baby snug and warm, our range is designed by a Neo Natal nurse who obviously has experience in these matters
Baby Sleep suits - Larger than a Swaddle Pod, gives baby more room and allows increased movement as they grow. Hopefully giving you a good night sleep
Baby Quilt for Cots - A variety of different colours and patterns available to made sleep time more fun. Helps baby with colours and pattern recognition. Might be worth considering buying a few of these as they can get dirty
Baby throws - Like regular throws, they provide the finishing touches to the Nursery to give them the matching look. Brightly coloured ones can be used to pick out colours in the nursery
Baby Fleece blankets - Keep your baby warm day and night with these lovely fleece blankets for your little ones. When you are not around, this is what baby embraces and cuddles
Bedding bundles – Like nursery furniture sets, you can buy bedding bundles that usually include sheets, blankets, pillowcases etc and help not having to think about buying items individually. In most cases these are more cost effective.
Finally….Baby Toys - What baby nursery could be complete without a full range of toys to stimulate their brain? Look for brightly coloured and fun to play with toys like wooden toys as well as the soft and cuddly ones. We stock a wide range of nursery toys as well as some qwirky ones, like Deglingos.
All the Nursery furniture and baby bedding above can be found at our website http://www.4little1s.comIzziwotnot Nursery furniture such as Humphrey’s corner, Lottie Fairy Princess and Humphrey’s Little Red car as well as a wide range other Izziwotnot baby bedding products
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