Alta Vista Business Services Blog

My entrepreneurial spirit is just a nag. It haunts me in my sleep. Apparently, "it" has always wanted me to have my own eCommerce site. "What should I sell?" I ask my entrepreneurial me. Some things inspired me, but not enough to take the plunge. Also, most things I thought people would want, are things I make myself. But honestly, I really don't really have time for that. I also know there are a lot of talented people out there. I just needed to see something that inspired me. also, I only want to represent products that I can believe in. So, for more than three years this "idea" was wiggling around my brain, nagging.

But recently, a new turn of events began to round out my plan.

When John and I moved back to Colorado in 2010, I reconnected with an old friend who had started her own business designing handbags in the Colorado Western style for horse lovers like herself. Her name is Lynn Gerber and her handbag company is called Eternal Perspective. She makes the purses from buffalo leather that she acquires from her friend, Julie Littlefield, famed organic buffalo rancher from Hotchkiss, Colorado. Well, let me tell you, the bags are absolutely gorgeous! She embellishes them with fringe, studs and stones. I was hooked. This is definitely a product I can get behind! I decided to branch out my business and apply all the e-marketing skill I had learned over the years and sell the bags online. Lynn created an exclusive line for me so I can sell them on my site. 

So, without further adieu, allow me to introduce to you to the new online store, featuring exclusive handbags made of pure, organic buffalo hide: Buffalo Trails Boutique! Click here to visit www.buffalotrailsbtq.com

My niece, Angela, modeling one of the bags. A buffalo leather bag embroidered with tattoo inspired art. 

Announcing NEAT (New England Athletic Team) Photos brand new Web site!

Andy and Suzi Moore, owners of NEAT Photos, require more than a simple Web brochure. They want a fully functional eCommerce site for their photography business. The ability to collect custom order information, like player, team, and league names, is key to successfully filling orders. The new site provides this, plus the ability to direct customers to the correct catalog for their league. Furthermore, the Moores can get pre-orders before a photo event occurs.

The site, www.neatphotosne.com is built on Adobe's Business Catalyst, which allows them access to make changes, generate reports on all activity on the site from sales to visitors, and ultimately be in complete control of their online business.

Congratulations, NEAT Photos!

As an Internet professional, I wear many hats. I design sites that meet the needs of small businesses. Those needs comprise many functions and finding the right solution for each need is a daunting task. Recently, two clients required eCommerce solutions. Caviat? Affordable eCommerce solutions! That cuts down the options quite a bit. After working for large corporations for 10 years, I learned about budget constraints, but there are no budgets smaller than those of small business owners.

I did my best to fit customer needs into current open source applications—within their budgets. But, design and development time really ads up. The dilemma? Finding quality open source solutions that give options for professional looking and functioning stores without breaking their budgets and putting me in the poorhouse. Let’s just say, this is no easy task!

While struggling through an open source solution, that required seventeen (literally-- no kidding) backend code changes just to update to the latest version, I’d had enough. In my reluctant search for something better, I happened to stumble upon a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution called Goodbarry. I gave it a glance and thought it couldn’t possibly allow me the design complexity I required as seasoned Web designer. But I signed up for the 30 day trial anyway.

Shortly thereafter, through their email communications, I discovered that GoodBarry, aka Business Catalyst, was purchased by Adobe AND they were offering partnerships to Web designers who want usable, modular systems for clients' sites. This really piqued my interest. You see, I am a (‘scuse the cliché) dyed in the wool Adobe fan. There is no better way to put it. I have been using Adobe products since I was a production artist baby – and I am quite loyal. Not loyal typically, but to Adobe I am. Without Adobe products, I would be hard-pressed to do my job. For that reason, I took a closer look.

For about two months, me and my business partner—unfoolable, detail oriented, skeptic, and spouse, John—pored over the Business Catalyst offering. Yep, they had cool stuff to offer. It could be the wake-up call for my programming nightmares.

During this time, I had a wonderful client I’d been trying to provide an OS solution for eCommerce. But because of my current OS-venture faux pas, I was losing money. I couldn’t afford to hire a programmer now. Was I stuck? We decided to bite the proverbial bullet. I partnered with Business Catalyst and called my client. I explained the issue and said I believe I found a solution that would allow her to do all the things she wanted on her online shop: manage it herself, upload and manage her products, keep a customer database, integrate with Quickbooks, conduct secure online business, and expand it as needed with a blog and an integrated newsletter. To my delight, she agreed to give it a try.

Cut to now, I launched her site on BC and I found that the product has more than delivered. I went through extensive training to implement the online tools they offer and am now competently selling and delivering exceptional Web sites for small businesses. I’m a proud Business Catalyst partner! When a client requires more than they can really afford, I can now say with pride “I can do that!” And then, I do!

http://altavistabizservices.com/RSSRetrieve.aspx?ID=609&Type=RSS20

Alta Vista Business Services is pleased to announce the launching of a new eCommerce site for Beadorable.com.

 
Beadorable is a jewelry company based in Concord, NH. Molly Brandt, the owner and designer of Beadorable Custom Belts and Jewelry, required a site with enhanced eCommerce capabilities with a highly customized look and feel.

Primarily, Molly was looking for a site that she can maintain herself going forward. Molly's inventory changes a lot, since creates original pieces and therefore needs to be able to manage the products and catalogs on the fly. AVBS is able to provide that and much more! Beadorable also publishes an eNewsletter and has an extensive customer database that can now be managed entirely from a single dashboard.

Visit beadorable.com to see the beautiful jewelry Molly creates and the Website that is making her business life so much easier!

Marketing is probably the most complex subject for any entrepreneur. If you use the many hats metaphor, we business owners wear many throughout our work-week. But the marketing hat has to be the one that converts from a rain-hat to a designer hat and still to a winter hat. There is so much planning and so many tasks, that I often feel overwhelmed. So, when the invitation to attend the WIW Marketing Inspirations workshop landed in my Facebook wall, I jumped on it.

In addition to building my marketing skills, I was thrilled about the chance to hob-knob with local business owners and other women entrepreneurs and meet local gurus like Link Moser, and Allen and Lani Voivod, Catherine Blake, and others. 

The information shared during the Women Inspiring Women Marketing Inspirations Workshop, covered subjects like “How to put sizzle into your brand”, how to leverage the power of the press in your business, to the big buzz-word of the day-- Social Marketing, and still Search Engine Optimizations (SEO) tactics for your business Web site. 

Everyone goes into a workshop with varying degrees of understanding of the material, but I was really surprised at how much I learned in every area—even areas where I would consider myself highly knowledgeable. For example, I use the top four social media platforms presented, but I didn’t know some of the tools available to make them work even harder for me. 

It was especially enjoyable to experience the other attendees’ exclamations of revelation, or sometimes confusion with the information presented. Most of the attendees were women, and at an event with mostly women you experience so much more than in a mixed group. Women connect and have fun when learning together. We drop our inhibitions about questions, which really raises the level of experience for everyone. 

I must say, I learned so much about all these subjects and truly enjoyed the personality of each presenter. It was a full-on, 10 hour day, but I was completely drawn in the entire time. It wasn’t until I sat behind the wheel did I realize how exhausted I was. 

Women Inspiring Women event Marketing Inspirations was held at SERESC in Concord, NH, Friday, November 13th, 2009.

Or maybe I should say “Wake up Internet Professionals!”