If you’re thinking about starting your own business, we understand that it is a big decision with a lot of factors weighing in. At CoreCommerce, we power thousands of e-commerce stores with fantastic entrepreneurs selling innovative, unique products. We asked our entrepreneurs to share their advice on starting a business and here’s what they said:

• Start small, dream big. ”Persevere and don’t be afraid to fail sometimes. I think its important to start small and prove that your idea works before you start heavily investing in it. That is one of the reasons we chose Core Commerce. They allowed us to start our website at a very affordable price. There are many other companies selling cloth diapers, but I firmly believe that ours is one of the best! Many of today’s successful big businesses started with one person’s (or family’s) idea, and many of them even started at home like ours!”    -Amy of Buttons Diapers
• Make mistakes. “After many mistakes, I almost gave up, but those around me said, ‘Don’t do it!’. Anyone who was a success had to make mistakes to become better. You’ll learn from your mistakes. I’m sure I’ll still make plenty of mistakes down the road, but I will learn from them and Ludden’s Natural Products will benefit.” -Dan of Ludden’s Natural
• Do your research. ”Research everything as much as you possibly can. You can find answers to absolutely anything on Google. There are tons of organizations that are devoted specifically to start ups and entrepreneurs so make use of them.” -Meredith of Spark Living
• Be honest with yourself. “Don’t start a business just to get out of a rut or because its a trendy thing to do.  Think about your motivation behind it: is it a passion?  Does it stem from a desperate need in your community that needs to be filled?  Are you trying to fulfill a life long dream?” -Erika of The Chocolate Season
• Take the first step. “Honestly, I think the best piece of advice that I can give is to not just talk about doing it. DO IT. Make that first step. That’s the hardest one. I know too many people who have numerous ideas for businesses but never go forward. And these days, it’s so incredibly easy it to start a website or Facebook page or online store.” -Alex of Stay Vocal

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Today we’re featuring the first place winner of our Mompreneurs Rock! contest, Amy Wohlgemoth of Buttons Diapers. We are honored to share Amy’s inspiring story of how she and her husband created their eco-friendly, well designed diapers.

1. What inspired you to create Buttons Diapers?

My husband and I started using cloth diapers for our daughter when she was born, and loved how much money were saving (compared to disposables) and how much better they are for the environment. Many of our friends were interested in trying cloth, but were hesitant because of the initial cost of a cloth diaper “stash”. We decided to start our own cloth diaper company, with the goal of keeping it simple and inexpensive, without giving up on quality. To buy everything needed to diaper your baby from birth til he/she is potty trained, it is a mere $240 with Buttons Diapers, AND they will last through a couple of kiddos! (Disposables cost around $1500 per child.)

2. How long did it take to develop your product? What were some obstacles along the way you had to work through?

It took about 7 months of comparing a number of different types and styles of diapers before deciding on the best features for Buttons. Some of these features are: double gussets around the legs, elastic at the waist, two layers of waterproof PUL, and the covers are a one-size-fits-all design. Once we had this figured out, another concern was quality, durability, and softness of fabrics. Choosing colors was the fun part! We are excited that we will be featuring a number of new colors within the next few months, too!

3. Many moms are turning to eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic diapers. How do you get the word out about your product?

It is exciting to see how many new parents are deciding to use cloth diapers! We believe that recommendations from trusted sources is one of the best ways to spread the word. Many of our customers have learned about us from friends or mommy bloggers who have reviewed our diapers. Social media has been another great source for advertising. We have a You Tube channel, and Facebook page.

 4. Not only do you have an online store but the product itself has been picked up by other stores. How did you go about that?

We have been blessed that some of the retail stores that carry Buttons Diapers have actually contacted us! They are selling very well in stores where parents can “touch & feel” and compare our diapers to others. Buttons are truly one of the softest and easiest diapering systems available. We have also connected with some retail stores through e-mailing and social media. We are working on expanding this part of our business, and would love to have our diapers in stores across the country!

5. How do you juggle being a mom and a business owner?

This is a tough one, and will be even more challenging once our second baby is born in July. My first priority is being a wife and mom, so I get a lot of my work done after our little one is asleep. I am amazed sometimes at how much I can get done during nap time! Also, we live just a block from our local post office, so when its nice out we often drop off packages on our way to the park.

6. What advice would you give to someone who has a great business idea but is intimidated by starting a business?

Start small, but dream big. Persevere and don’t be afraid to fail sometimes. I think its important to start small and prove that your idea works before you start heavily investing in it. That is one of the reasons we chose Core Commerce. They allowed us to start our website at a very affordable price. There are many other companies selling cloth diapers, but I firmly believe that ours is one of the best! Many of today’s successful big businesses started with one person’s (or family’s) idea, and many of them even started at home like ours!

Today we are proud to announce the winners of our Mompreneurs Rock! contest. Our staff loved reading over the great entries and learning more about these awesome products and businesses. Here is a excerpt from our official press release:

The Mompreneurs Rock! contest first place prize was awarded to Amy Wohlgemoth, owner of eco-friendly Buttons Diapers of Mount Vernon, Washington. Buttons Diapers is an environmentally responsible, washable cloth diaper, which has become a very popular solution for eco-conscious moms. For the Wohlgemoths, Buttons Diapers is truly a family affair; both she and her husband designed the product. “I love being a mompreneur. I can make my own schedule, spend time with my two year old and make healthy, home cooked meals for my family,” noted Wohlgemoth.

ButtonsDiapers.com launched last year with CoreCommerce and has been very successful. “Our sales have doubled every month since we opened. CoreCommerce has done a wonderful job helping us create a professional, easy to use website,” says Wohlgemoth. As with many entrepreneurs, she finds her business to also be a creative outlet, from choosing new fabrics to designing marketing material.

Second place was given to GnomeWorks Puzzles, an e-commerce store started by Kimmy Armstrong and Pat Travis, two Hagerstown, Maryland moms who love jigsaw puzzles. “Running our online business has given us more flexibility, family time and we aren’t locked down into a set work schedule,” said Travis. Armstrong and Travis were inspired to start creating their own wooden jigsaw puzzles because they felt most puzzles had boring or dark artwork. “With CoreCommerce, our online store is very flexible, easy to use and fits into our budget,” said Armstrong. “The visibility we received from having an online store led us to manufacture puzzles for the 2012 Christmas season that ended up being sold in Bergdorf Goodman’s and other fine retailers.”

Kelly Crispen of Elizabeth Street Cosmetics was awarded third place in the Mompreneurs Rock! contest. Crispen started her own San Francisco based e-commerce business after being in the cosmetics industry for eighteen years. “I was tired of missing most of my children’s baseball games because of work. Creating my own company has allowed me to have more family time and opened doors to meeting many amazing clients,” offered Crispen. “I couldn’t be happier with my newfound freedom and creativity to make my dream of owning a cosmetics line come true.” Her paraben-free cosmetics are infused with antioxidants and have names inspired by San Francisco neighborhoods.

Check out our other blog articles:

Selling Kids Clothing Online

Ideas for Starting An Online Business

CoreCommerce Mompreneurs: Why I Love My Online Business

As with any specific demographic or market, affluent consumers have specific buying habits and trends. In April 2013, the Luxury Institute surveyed Internet users ages 21 and older with gross incomes of higher than $150,000 and their buying habits.  The good news? Affluent buyers are purchasing online nearly as much as they are in store, good news for e-commerce.

• Affluent shoppers increasingly turning to their smartphones during the purchase process for product and store information.
• Among top searches were price comparisons, product details and photos, special deals/discounts, reviews–all areas your online store can compete with brick and mortar stores. And win.
• On tablets, shoppers were most likely to view product images and read reviews/recommendations.
• Affluent men were more likely to purchase via mobile than affluent women; they preferred purchasing via desktop.
• On tablets, special deals or discount pricing was the top reason respondents would purchase via tablet.

If affluent buyers are one of your targeted demographics, how should this impact your e-commerce business?

• With most shoppers (including affluent shoppers!) using their smartphones during the purchase process, they may stumble upon your site and decide to make the purchase online. Is your site ready? Make sure your mobile presence is easy to navigate and clean.
• Compete with other stores and sites by having great site content and pay attention to your Google ranking and keyword targets.
• Check your product photos, descriptions and recommendations for opportunities to improve. This attention to detail could close the sale!
• Since many shoppers cite a discount or special as a reason to purchase, use our Deal of the Day or coupon code feature!

*Stats found at eMarketer

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Facebook is often the first social media outlet an e-commerce business will turn to in order to develop an online presence. When Facebook growth slows or plateaus, change up your strategy to see what works best such as including more photos or asking open ended questions. Want to increase your “likes”? Check out these stats and tips from KISSmetrics to incorporate into your strategy:

Today we wanted to share a great(and really funny) TedTalk from psychologist Shawn Achor on “The Happy Secret to Work”. This video is worth watching and will no doubt inspire and change your perspective on success and being happier.

• 90% of your long term happiness is predicted by the way your brain processes the world; only 10% of your long term happiness can be predicted by external factors.
• The way your brain processes the world around you determines your long term happiness.
• 75% of your job success can be predicted by optimism levels, social support and your ability to see stress not as a threat but as a challenge.
• Wrong train of thought on a scientific level: “If I work harder, I’ll be more successful. If I’m successful, I’ll be happier”. Our brains work the opposite way!
• Your brain on positive is 31% more productive and turns on key learning centers in the brain. This helps you be more successful, better at sales, less stressed.
• You can “rewire” your brain to be happier: Over a period of 21 days, you can train your brain to be more optimistic by look for positives by writing down three things you’re thankful for everyday, journaling(which allows your brain to relive positive experiences), exercise, meditation and acts of kindness.

As e-commerce and mobile shopping continue to grow, marketing efforts tailored for those mediums see a greater return than more traditional forms of marketing, such as radio ads and print. Average daily time spent online has increased year over year, mostly due to social media, video and other forms of compelling content moving online. Newspapers, magazines, radio and even tv have seen decreased time spent by consumers in recent years.

How does this change in media consumption influence your business marketing strategy?

• With consumers spending more time with specific mediums, like social media and video, redirect marketing efforts(and funds) to create quality content tailored to those outlets.
• Time spent viewing online videos has exploded in the past few years, perfect conditions to start developing online videos featuring product how-tos and more. Balance educational product videos with a few that are entertaining and brand related.
• Consumers are spending more time online reading blogs, a great way to increase site traffic.
• E-mail marketing is another area marketers are focusing on, with people spending an average of 33 minutes a day checking e-mail.
•  If your business doesn’t use Google AdWords or CPC campaigns, now is a good time to start. Online search activities have increased each year for the past few years and shows no sign of decreasing.

*Stats from eMarketer

If you’ve ever been unsure about social media marketing versus traditional marketing(radio, print ads, etc), this infographic will definitely make you think twice. Social media’s role in connecting with fans, boosting site traffic and generating sales is continuing to grow. Check out these interesting stats on social media marketing and consider the impact on your business:

Have you ever wondered how other business owners approach social media and marketing? A recent article from eMarketer noted some very interesting findings from survey given to business owners by Social Media Examiner:

• Business owners view social media as a top way to increase exposure(89%), increase traffic(75%) and providing marketplace insight(69%).
• Nearly 7 out of 10 marketers reported plans to increase their content on YouTube.
• For Business to Consumer, Facebook, blogging and Twitter were noted as most important.
• For Business to Business, Facebook and LinkedIn tied for first in importance.
• Other ways business owners see social media as beneficial to business? Developing loyal fans(65%), generating leads(61%) and reducing marketing expenses(47%), among others.
• 79% reported already incorporating social media in with their traditional marketing activities.

As you can see, social media is a key tool for many business owners, especially those in e-commerce. While sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest may be free, it does require a bit of strategy, consistency and quality content to grow traffic and exposure. These forms of marketing online will only continue to grow in importance as more traditional forms of marketing, such as radio and print, decline. If you haven’t invested in getting your business online and active, now is the perfect time to develop a strategy and start.

What is social media’s role is in your business? Share it with us!

Like this article? Check out these:

 Developing Your Social Media Strategy

Most Effective Social Media Platform for Your Business

Getting Started with E-commerce Blogging

Today we have a fantastic interview with Hugh Sung, the co-founder of AirTurn. Hugh is a professional musician that had a problem–he needed a way to turn his sheet music hands free during performances. So he created a foot pedal that allows musicians to “turn the page” electronically while reading music via an iPad or tablet device. This revolutionary new use is changing the way musicians use sheet music all over the world, from the backing musicians on American Idol to classical musicians. Learn more about Hugh, the story behind AirTurn and how an e-commerce store helped boost his business:

Thanks Hugh!