I saw a shift in the industry that I was working in. There was more need for security products and none of my competition seemed to be addressing it, so I made it my specialty. I went searching for security products for the gas station industry and found a particularly impressive fuel dispenser lock. I found out the manufacturer was struggling to get a foothold into the gas station industry although they had success in 25 other industries.
I negotiated a master distribution agreement and opened my Shopify store dedicated to gas station security equipment with the initial focus on fuel dispenser locks.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
I have made sales from cold calling on local gas station maintenance companies but I have also received 'surprise orders' from my Shopify website. I'll be making calls to potential distributors and customers when I receive an email from Shopify telling me I have an order that's already paid for.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
I use the standard shopify settings to accept payments and all my orders are drop shipped by the lock manufacture. All of the locks are custom made for the highest security.
What are your top recommendations for new ecommerce entrepreneurs?
High quality images and well thought out descriptions will help google and other search engines become familiar with your products making it easier for potential buyers to find your store.