Month: December 2024

Cofounders Heather Aiu and Rachael Leinaʻala Soares are former roommates who each contributed $2,000 of their own money to start Aloha Collection. Considering it was a sizable chunk of their respective savings at the time, the investment symbolized their commitment to solving what they saw as a gap in the market for waterproof bags. After…

Call it a resurgence in home cooking, but the meal prep industry has been steadily growing in recent years, and it’s expected to reach $28 billion by 2028. Whether you’re a hungry entrepreneur or a gifted cook ready to share your dishes with the world, the market appears ready and willing to give meal prep…

Positive customer interaction is something that is difficult to translate from brick-and-mortar shops to online retail. For example, when picking out books from a local independent bookstore, the cashier might notice you’ve chosen a book by one of her favorite authors. She strikes up a conversation and recommends a similar book to read. You exchange…

Want to turn your passion project into a profitable business? Understanding your direct costs is one of the first steps. From raw materials to labor, every penny you spend to create your product or service directly impacts your bottom line.  By clearly understanding your direct costs, you can make more informed decisions about your pricing…

Running an ecommerce store might seem more straightforward than operating a brick-and-mortar store. And it’s true, ecommerce businesses avoid some of the headaches of having a physical location, but they still require inventory management, HR, email marketing efforts, and other processes. Running an ecommerce business doesn’t need to be overwhelming, especially with the right ecommerce…

As the Robert Burns saying goes, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” While the adage aptly cautions against an expectation of smooth success, it fails to acknowledge why we need plans in the first place: to serve as a North Star, guiding action to reach a desired outcome. Read on to…

AI technology seems to be everywhere these days. AI-powered tools can generate social media posts, AI video editing software can help pump out YouTube videos, and AI-generated images provide fodder for online memes—or even serve as album covers. As the AI landscape expands, ambitious entrepreneurs are devising innovative ways to use these tools to make…

More than 20 billion packages—50 million a day—are delivered each year in the US. Businesses spend nearly $200 billion per year shipping orders to customers, a growing market that represents only part of what companies spend on fulfillment. In your ecommerce business, shipping and fulfillment probably represent a significant expense. Consumers expect rapid delivery and…

Let’s say you’re trying to start an ecommerce jewelry brand to capitalize on the success you’ve experienced selling handmade earrings at art fairs across the country. You already have a growing legion of followers on social media, where you’re known for your five main earring styles, each with different colorways and patterns. As you look…