I love to support small businesses. I frequently buy from online businesses that are run out of people’s homes. I love knowing that I am helping someone else live their dream of working at home and they often have a higher level of customer service than bigger companies. I think it probably has to do with their ability to more easily reach out to each customer and also their reliance on each of their orders and the need for repeat and word of mouth business.
Some of my favorite companies to buy from include www.atoygarden.com (we are a Waldorf family), www.woolgirl.com (knitting is one of my favorite hobbies), and www.frostfishcovesoaps.com (handmade and natural soaps). Beyond just having a great selection of items to choose from, each of these companies keeps me informed about every step of the ordering and shipping process. They also have a really quick turnaround time for instock items and I often get things before I expect them. Plus the extra details they put into things just makes each order seem so much more special. For instance Jennifer of Woolgirl often wraps the yarn in tissue paper and ribbon, throws in some cute extra, plus a personalized note. It is almost like receiving a birthday present every time you order from her. I never get the warm and fuzzy like that when ordering from a big retailer. Order inspected by #87 that is then shrink wrapped in plastic just doesn’t offer the same touch.
I bring this up because of the last few experiences I have had ordering online. First up was ordering from a discount warehouse’s website. I ordered something from them simply because they offered the best price. They were at least $30 cheaper than everyone else on this item. It was my first time ordering from them and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. They were very good at keeping me informed every step of the way along the ordering and shipping process, but I was a bit shocked that from the time the order was sent to “fulfillment” to the time it was shipped was about a week. From the time I ordered til the time it was delivered was about two weeks. I will order from them again, but only if the savings is considerable.
The second was an order I placed in the middle of June from a home based business. It was for some books and craft supplies. I received an email that night for the ebook portion of the order and then I waited for the rest. Her email mentioned the rest of the items would ship soon. About a week and half went by and I had not heard anything so I emailed to find out if it had shipped. A few days later I heard back saying that one of the books was coming from a print on demand business and she was waiting on getting another item in stock. I finally received the book and most of the order last week. It took one month. And I received very little correspondence from the owner. Would I order from them again? Absolutely not. It wasn’t so much the long ship time but the lack of communication.
My advice for at home businesses: you will succeed by offering something the big companies often do not. Fast turn around time, making each of your customers feel special, and keeping them informed. It is so easy to do so by sending a quick email to keep them updated. To the businesses doing that I applaud you. And I will continue to order from you and support you.
