Name of your website?Kids N Caboodle
Your name?
Sandy Rich
Your Location (city, etc)
Henderson, NV
Kids N Caboodle.com where you can create custom/personalized baby shoes and baby booties of the softest handcrafted leathers and crochet yarns. Over 55 colors, 19 styles, fonts, and embellishements. Handcrafted by artisans in the US and Canada. Perfect all occasion baby gifts for baby showers, birthdays, holidays, first photo opportunities, keepsake scrapbooking, memory boxes, and Christenings. Make a baby fashion statement and match shoes and outfits. Personalized baby gifts let recipients know that they were thought of Personally. The baby shoes are unique, high quality, and the companies represented offer excellent craftsmenship and customer care. Create your custom baby shoes at kidsncaboodle.com
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I had been in the children's consignment business in Mass. for over 22 years. After moving to Henderson, NV and working in various customer care capacities for several years, this baby boomer knew that it was time to get back to business again. I missed owning my own company and marketing, creating, ads, and giving the kind of customer care that I knew was necessary to create a successful business. I wanted an online company as I did not want the huge overhead that I had with my store in Mass. I named my online company after my past company which was Kids N Caboodle. I knew that I wanted to stick to the children's business as I had bought baby gifts for customers to purchase previously, and I was knowledgeable about soft sole baby shoes. I searched online and found Bouges of Vancouver, BC, Soft Sole Shoes of Montreal, Canada, and Crochet Kisses of Chicago, Il. All were run by women entrepreneurs, who offered high quality handcrafted products, and had excellent customer care reviews.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My first website is my current Kids N Caboodle.com site. It was launched just recently-June 2009
How did you decide on a name for your website?
My website is named after my children's consignment store that I ran in Acton, Mass. from 1982-2003.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
My website has brignt bold graphics, is warm and inviting. Large fonts make it easy to read for older shoppers. There are over 55 colors and 19 styles for people to choose from as well as the opportunity to personalize and customize their keepsake baby shoe gifts. The site is totally customized and people can design and create custom baby shoes with the click of a mouse. The leathers are the softest leathers available, and are handcut for each custom pair of shoes. No cookie cutter creations allowed on this site. Consumers can create custom shoes to match baby's outfits, and do not have to run all over town to create a matching outfit.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I would like to grow this company, and possibly have some jobs to create as well for others to benefit from in this slow economy. I will get more involved in children's charities as well.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I love being an entrepreneur. I do not feel like I am working, as I love creating businesses. I love customer care as well.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would advertise as much as possible. I would hire people to assist in marketing.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, I am very resouceful. My consignment store in Mass. grew from 400 sq. ft to 6,700 sq ft.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
The website turned out to be twice as expensive as was quoted due to the customization of all the pages. However, Jennifer Web Design was fabulous to work with and had great customer care.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Promoting my website on a small budget is a challenge.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
I wrote press releases and I submitted coupons to various sites. I listed my site in the web directories too.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
No, I knew that it would take a while to spread the word about my company. I know that I offer WoW customer care and a unique product so I will be patient and persistant.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
My site was launched in June 2009, and I want to keep it up.
Replace this with a question of your own
I look forward to selling lots of beautiful soft sole custom baby shoes and having loyal happy customers. Thank You> Sandy Rich Founder Kids N Caboodle
What is your website address?
Kids N Caboodle
