- Avg. revenue /month$7,108
- Avg. sessions /month5,330
- Avg. profit /month$2,410
Business Story
Why this business was started
In 2006 I started to research the idea of developing an online business, tapping into what was the upcoming ‘new’ method of shopping – e-commerce. We quickly came up with the idea of wedding favours and party keepsake gifts simply due to the lack of availability, not only online, but also within local brick and mortar stores. There weren’t any places at the time that offered party favours/gifts in large quantities to supply a wedding or large event without having to order them months in advance. Also, it was rare to find favours or gifts that were prepared in elegant gift boxes ready to hand to guests – with no work to be done! The idea was to offer small packaged favours/gifts that people could easily purchase in volume online and have shipped direct to their homes. After preparing a comprehensive business plan, the business took off and grew. The idea was a great success for myself as an owner-manager and have reaped benefits and balanced lifestyle.
As it grew, I introduced my own brand of giftware (the wholesale component) and grown the SKU count over time. This brand enjoys strongest margins and adds unique products to the shop that are in demand.
Simply, the sales process goes like this (drop ship model): *Customer places online order > order accepted and placed with supplier > order ships from supplier to customer
Automations are in place to provide all order confirmations and customer tracking information. Customer pays at time of order so there are 0 accounts receivable - ever. Most suppliers are paid monthly so the cash flow remains excellent.
The reason of selling this business
I have done well in this business and now with children and another family business, I'm in the fortunate position to stop working "formally". As a young entrepreneur, this business was an excellent livelihood over the last 15 years. I would love to see another young(er) entrepreneur do that same for her/him self and their family on an even greater scale. We’d love to see our retail business continue with a person or group that is passionate about its future and that have a creative vision beyond what it has grown to be today. Note: There is an opportunity to also purchase a wholesale component of this business (for which sales figures are not included here, but can be shared). * The owner is happy to support the purchaser with some transitional help and guidance as requested/agreed. *** The website itself is beautiful and simple, fast and customized for success and EASY use for both visitors and owner! Infinite design opportunity to add your touches or add capabilities. ****This is a "day 1" profitable opportunity that the current owner has done well with and likely undervalued. Her intent is to find a buyer to enjoy the success she has had and harness the opportunity ahead in the market. Coming out of COVID, it's exceptional. Energy and creativity will mean success!
What's involved in running this business
Daily tasks include monitoring order status (accepting new orders and fulfilling them as they come) and handling any customer inquiries (most come in online). Order fulfillment needs to be simply overseen, as it’s largely automated (orders approved simply “push” to the suppliers/warehouse who ship the orders). Beyond that, marketing and sales growth activities are what will drive growth (expand and market sales channels).
Traffic and Performance
- Avg. revenue /month$7,108
Verified
- Avg. sessions /month5,330
Verified
- Avg. profit /month$2,410
- Profit Margin35%
- Avg. sales /month80
Expenses
- Shopify plan
- $29/month
- Domain
- $15/year
- Shopify Apps
- $106/month
- Some Google Ads and FB Advertising (est)
- $450/month
- Communication expenses (internet and phone) which potential owners would already have, yet can now use them as business expenses.
- $80/month
Sale Includes
Physical inventory
Not IncludedLogo and branding assets
All graphics, banners and social media accounts and content will be transferred within sale.Personal support after sale
Willing to provide transitional support to ensure new owner is well equipped to manage day to day (est. 30 days or as otherwise agreeable). We want to see new owners succeed! > Includes walking through the entire, easy order receipt through to fulfillment [and any backorder management/handling, i.e., where supplier is replenishing supply and you are waiting to fulfill to customer) > Includes handing over all accounts, passwords and access credentials > Review sample customer inquiriesDomain
Product photos
All product photos that are owned by the corporation will be transferred in sale All suppliers allow use of their images to support sales of the productsSocial media
Suppliers
We've established preferred supplier rates with an solid reputation as a reliable, honest seller. In this sense, we have established monthly terms, discounts and have also been able to leverage our own discounted courier accounts in some cases (often unheard of in this model). We will support a smooth transition for any buyer to continue and grow. This business has been built perfectly for the next owner to take over. We've built current ecommerce website platform (2020) which has lowered costs, increased performance.Mailing List
4,500subscribers
Seller‘s Advice
How to grow this business
Many opportunities to pursue growth. 1) Tap into sales/marketing channels not leveraged to date (either at all or meaningfully). Eg.:
Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook Increase email marketing to list of thousands of contacts/customers Greater focus on SEO and online campaigns across channels/platforms 2) Increase site capabilities (further leverage personalized tags; more product personalization) 3) Develop/grow "in house" branded products at higher margins 4) Add new suppliers and scale infinitely with more product that are similar and complementary (Eg. more wedding supplies, add gift baskets, Holiday gifts, etc). 6) Maintaining up to date site with new products and fresh content (blog); improve product categorizations and populating products 7) Targeting the USA market (and international) for retail sales, which has not been pursued (Canada focused to date) 8) Leverage more tools within Shopify to promote sales across channels 9) It is very much time to increase prices as the shop offers the lowest prices as it stands and can keep doing so while increasing (and customers are not as sensitive to these increases)
Skills to have
Ideally, web and digital/social marketing savvy. Positive attitude communicating with customers. Obviously, someone with experience in ecommerce would benefit, however, the transition will be easy (we’re on the best/easiest ecommerce platform already fully set up and automated for fulfillment). With a will to learn and have some savvy computer, organizational and customer service skills, the new owner will excel. Work remotely anywhere - simply requires a computer/internet and phone.
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