Business Name: Ellie and Piper
Client Name: Tina Marchand
Website: https://ellieandpiper.com/
SBDC Advisor: Hollis McGuire
We are in the business of spreading joy and helping families make happy memories together. We sell party goods, home decor, and gifts for all occasions including seasonal holidays and everyday magic making.
We have continued to work from home. We started stocking arts and crafts, school supplies, and activity-based toys for parents who had to homeschool their children.
We were afraid that birthday parties would get canceled, so we started to pivot and stock items that we felt our customers needed - activity-based items for their children to stay entertained at home. The parties did get canceled, so we helped our customers continue to find ways to make birthday celebrations special at home. The demand for our party products continues to grow.
Customers continue to shop online more as time passes. We expanded to home decor and gifts.
It is hard to say what the market will want once COVID-19 is over. It is best to stay lean and nimble, continue to connect to customers, and listen to what they want in order to adapt as needed.
As an e-commerce business, networking online, especially through social media channels is the best growth strategy for our company. Building relationships with social media influencers or other small shop owners is essential at any time, not just during a pandemic.
Our business has grown, and we are fortunate enough to be able to hire additional help.
Hollis McGuire, our business advisor, has helped direct us in the right direction with employer resources and different avenues to obtain loans. She is a great listener and gives helpful feedback on how to navigate through the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. We couldn't be more thankful for her wisdom and guidance.
This client story is part of NH SBDC's ongoing collection of COVID Creativity stories about businesses surviving and thriving during COVID-19.
