Shop This Way—How 3 Entrepreneurs Are Leveraging Their Websites for Profit
Let’s get down to business.
All successful businesses start somewhere and it takes just scratching the surface of a new idea to get the ball rolling. But with that ah-ha! moment comes a lot of hard work, late nights, and coffee to make your new business venture happen. Oh, and a digital platform to make your new idea look beautiful and profitable, too. Think you’ve got what it takes? Well, we partnered with Squarespace for a three-part series called From Scratch to Success: How to Turn Your Side Hustle Into a Thriving Business to find out what really goes into launching a company from the ground up. To do that, we interviewed three female founders—Michelene Auguste Founder and Owner, Dem; Karen Rose, Owner and Herbalist, Sacred Vibes Apothecary; and Gina Correll Aglietti, Yola Jimenez, and Lykke Li, Co-Founders, Yola Mezcal—to share their story from that lightbulb moment to selling their products online, and everything in between. And don’t forget to keep scrolling to the end to read about our exclusive Squarespace offer for Create & Cultivators.
So, you have this incredible idea to turn your passion into a profitable business—now what? Where are you supposed to begin and who is going to help you reach your end goal? Well, in the beginning, when you don’t have any capital, all you really have is your idea, so the only person you can rely on is you. But the good news is there are a plethora of online tools that can help you get started. Does your new business idea include a product line? If you answered yes, then say hello to the world of e-commerce! To put yourself on the map (and find customers) you’ll need a website that will showcase your unique products in a way people just can’t resist. The rest will come from you, your vision, and your drive for success—but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
In the first chapter of our three-part series, From Scratch to Success, we introduced you to some incredible women who are crushing their business goals online with the well-known platform, Squarespace. We asked them about their new business venture, how they got started, and why they chose Squarespace to launch online. In part two of this series, we’re diving a little deeper into the commerce side of their business and how these three unique businesses—Dem, Sacred Vibes Apothecary, and Yola Mezcal—use Squarespace to turn their passion into profit. You’ll want to take notes for this one!
Create & Cultivate: Squarespace makes it easy to start a website from scratch. Can you walk us through the process you took when creating yours?
Gina Correll Aglietti: “Anticipating YOLA’s launch, we felt a video was the best way to communicate our brand story to depict our farm and team in Oaxaca. Squarespace gave us the platform to share this story with a new audience and made it easy for us to help curate first impressions of our brand. We've been using Squarespace for over three years now. I especially love the marketing tools we can use to create newsletters, collect emails, and keep our audience engaged.”
C&C: Squarespace has great features for brands that want to introduce e-commerce. What commerce features do you rely on the most and advise others to use too?
GA: “We will soon be launching our merch store through Squarespace. We had initially looked at embedding a third party e-commerce platform on our website, but then realized how simple it was to add e-commerce tabs into our Squarespace without straying from the brand’s aesthetic. We have also had the opportunity to embed a link to sell YOLA direct to consumers, which is often very difficult to do because of strict alcohol compliance laws.”
C&C: There are so many websites online—how do you make your website unique?
GA: “Squarespace allows us to maintain a simple and minimal design that aligns with our brand's aesthetic. We have been able to incorporate our own fonts and imagery to customize the experience.”
Create & Cultivate: Squarespace makes it easy to start a website from scratch. Can you walk us through the process you took when creating yours?
Michelene Auguste: “When I started building my site, it was very easy to navigate. I started with an e-commerce page, a homepage, and basic information—I’ve been adding to that ever since. I love that I can easily move things around and change the site. I also love that I can rearrange the products on the e-commerce page so it looks the way I want it to.”
C&C: Squarespace has great features for brands that want to introduce e-commerce. What commerce features do you rely on the most and advise others to use too?
MA: “I have the Squarespace app which helps me edit on the go when I have to. I’ve found that the app is very helpful.”
C&C: There are so many websites online—how do you make your website unique?
MA: “The Dem site is a curated experience of the clothing and objects I’ve discovered throughout my life. It’s a bit personal and I think that’s what makes it unique. I love taking photographs and updating the site often with new material.”
C&C: Do you have any shortcuts you can share with other users for making their website?
MA: “My advice would be if you can’t figure out something or you’re stuck, don’t stress—all the information and help is there for you on the site which has helped me out a lot.”
C&C: What are some more advanced tools that you use for building out your website?
MA: “My favorite thing about Squarespace is that I don’t need to know any coding tactics or use any advanced tools. Everything is already there for you to create and run a beautiful, successful site.”
Create & Cultivate: Squarespace makes it easy to start a website from scratch. Can you walk us through the process you took when creating yours?
Karen Rose: “I started with Squarespace about five years ago. I saw how beautiful other Squarespace sites were and wanted mine to be just like that.”
“I have come so far. I have an online shop now and in many ways I have grown that on Squarespace. We are currently working on creating an online membership/educational portal utilizing Squarespace’s collaboration, Memberspace to offer global access to our work.”
C&C: Squarespace has great features for brands that want to introduce e-commerce. What commerce features do you rely on the most and advise others to use too?
KR: “I rely on our online shop greatly. It is super easy to track inventory and monthly sales.”
C&C: There are so many websites online—how do you make your website unique?
KR: “We make our website unique by using it to tell the story of our brand. When folks are on our site, we want them to get the whole picture of who we are: not just an online shop but a community.”
C&C: Do you have any shortcuts you can share with other users for making their website?
KR: “I decided to hire a designer familiar with Squarespace for the initial site design. This allowed us to use our time and resources in a way we felt our business could benefit from most. We still work together closely. He was able to show us a lot of what he has done. But now, most of the everyday maintenance we do is on our own.”
Head to squarespace.com and use the offer code CREATE2019 to save 10% off your first purchase. And or more information around Squarespace’s commerce feature and to understand how you can start selling online today, visit Squarespace Support here.
And don’t forget to tune in next week for part three of our From Scratch to Success series for everything you need to know about SEO and ensure your website ranks in Google.
C&C Classifieds Nº20: Be Social, Fringe Studio, Trendera, & more!
The hustle don't stop, even if you're in holiday mode.
HOLIDAY BREAK IS SO CLOSE. SOOOOO CLOSE.
If you're counting down the days till you can kick your feet up and relax, hang in there. Just because you're already in holiday mode, it doesn't mean the hustle has to stop, especially if you're looking to kick off 2017 with a new gig.
Sign up below to get full access to our C&C Classifieds this week featuring Be Social, Trendera, Fringe Studio, Squarespace, and more!
If you have signed up for access to the C&C Classifieds before, click here.
The 411 On The #CreateCultivateATL Break & Pop Ups
Prep yourself before you wreck yourself.
Photo by Arnelle Lozada
The countdown is on for Create & Cultivate Atlanta this month, and while we're planning what places to visit, who to meet and even what to wear, we want to make sure you're ready for the big day too.
We have so much in store for C&C ATL, including all of the pop-ups you'll be able to check out during our break (5PM-6PM)! Check out all of our sponsors that will be hosting amazing pop-ups and treats for you to check out and shop below!\
Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
A special treat for all of our VIP guests from Jeni's! Head over to the VIP lounge during break for some splendid ice cream!
Dove
#ShakeSprayGo with Dove at their booth and snap a pic at their featured GIF photo booth!
Squarespace
Learn how to step up your blog game and make the most out of your website and the Squarespace Studio.
Amazon Fashion
Take a break and at the Amazon Fashion booth and treat yourself with a black and white mani with a special design, and enter to win one of their amazing giveaways!
Crown Royal Vanilla Pop Up Bar
Grab a sip of Crown Royal's new vanilla-flavored whisky, and check out Adrianna Adarme's (A Cozy Kitchen) cocktail workshop in a special breakout session during break!
Kendra Scott
Stop by the Kendra Scott airstream and shop their winter and signature collections, create your own custom piece of jewelry at the Kendra Scott Color Bar™, or spin the prize wheel for a chance to win!
Papyrus
Get inspired with Papyrus and stock up on stylish cards to create a lasting impression! Visit during Happy Hour to enjoy coffee, cards, and sweet treats.
Simon G. Jewelry
Visit their booth and check out their try-on station to check out all the diamonds (and even snap a pic of them) and their "king pop" popsicle stand for a cool treat!
bebe
Visit bebe to enter to win a $500 gift card by taking a photo at their floral photo wall, grab a boozy popsicle, get a free key chain pom-pom and mini bebe Bubbly champagne, and meet and greet with Jessi Malay during the break!
it bed by Sleep Number
Visit Sleep Number to check out their newest brand it bed (and dream in it too), and also take a break by recharging and refreshing yourself at their relaxation lounge! Did we mention that they'll also have a great swag giveaway?
Iconery
Visit Iconery to shop their on-trend pieces from their most popular designers (Stone Fox Bride, Luv Aj, Victoria Six, Anne Sisteron, Mata Brenner, Mara Carrizo Scalise) including pieces few collections. They'll also be holding a giveaway for a chance to win one of their top selling necklaces!
Daniel Wellington
Daniel Wellington is on tour and the mobile pop-up shop is making a VIP stop at Create Cultivate! The Time Traveler will be showcasing all DW collections, including it's newest Classic. The pop-up is fully equipped with a coffee serving station, complimentary leather embossing, and an interactive Photo Booth. You can also enter to win a watch by snapping a pic in the Photo Booth and posting to Instagram using the hashtag #DWonTour!
Simon Malls
Not only will Simon be welcoming you to our attendee happy hour on Friday, but their pop up at Create & Cultivate will allow you to shop from their highlighted brands. Not only that, but they'll also be hosting a giveaway for you to enter!
Mark & Graham
Head over to Mark & Graham's pop up to get a sneak peek at their new fall product, and get on-site calligraphy from ATL calligrapher Ashley Buzzy with the purchase of a new leather zip pouch! You might want to get your monogram, or favorite short saying on it (Rosé all day, anyone?) Also, make sure to shop and pick up a glass of champagne during break!
Framebridge
Visit Framebridge for a chance to win a gallery wall! Find out how many tape measures there are in their bowl, and you just might be the lucky winner if you guess right! Also, let Framebridge know what you want to frame and for whom this holiday season and the best entry gets a frame for themselves and a frame to gift for the holidays. Not only that, they've created free digital downloads you can get on their site. They will print and frame them, and the link to that will be in your gift bags!
Richer Poorer
Richer Poorer will be debuting its newest addition to its innerwear line- the bralette- exclusively at Create & Cultivate- a month before it launches to the general public! In addition, they will be offering tee and muscle tank bundles available only at their booth!
Stop by H2O+ Beauty to check out their reimagined skin and body care lines that combine the power of pure water with the latest advances in skin care technology. Enjoy a consultation with their certified esthetician and sample products recommended just for you. Take home travel sized samples and enjoy discounts on their full collection.
Also featuring pop-up activities from:
Don't forget to #TreatYoSelf by heading over to the Beauty Lounge and checking out the pop-ups below!
BeGlammed
Head over to BeGlammed's pop-up beauty bar to get gorgeous makeup touchups and hairstyling. At the booth, beGlammed’s Founder Maile Pacheco will host a series of contouring sessions throughout the day where you can learn how to sculpt the perfect cheekbone. Hairstyling will focus mainly on braiding and dry styling. Also, pink bubbly champagne and delectable cookies will be available to the pop-ups participants!
Zeel
It's going to be a long day, so make sure to take a breather at Zeel's pop-up and get a 5-10 minute mini-massage. You deserve it, girl.
Shea Moisture
Visit Shea Moisture's Pop Up to check out 6 of their star collections, and also treat yourself with quick touch ups and braids done by celebrity hair stylist David Lopez at their beauty stations! Also, guests will receive one full-sized product as well.
Sara Happ
You should treat yourself, but also remember to treat your lips with some love! Head over to Sara Happ's pop-up to visit their lip scrub station, and learn more about all things Sara Happ!
Nubian Heritage
Visit Nubian Heritage's pop up to travel around the world and grab a passport to visit each of their collection stations. Once you've finished your trip and have your passport stamped, you'll receive a small gift bag with a full-sized product and a leather passport holder. Also, they'll be offering hand massages and will also have bite sized desserts inspired by their Coconut & Papaya collection.
Learn more about the full day schedule here, and see you all in two weeks!
C&C Classifieds Nº9: Beat The June Gloom With A New Job
Put that resumé to work, work, work, work, work.
Each day, we see more and more of our readers asking for more job leads to get them in the right direction to the next step in their career. We've heard you loud and clear, which is why now we're doing our C&C Classifieds twice a month!
This month, we've got rad jobs from Mailchimp, Facebook, Airbnb, Revolve, Pandora, and many others for this round of C&C Classifieds. To get full access to this month's 100+ listings, enter your name and email below and check them out!