Creating and growing a brand or business is a magical thing.
It’s similar to planting strawberry seeds: at first, you see no real results.
Then, modest results come along, in the shape of tiny, but delicious strawberries.
That’s when all your work can go two ways: you either continue the ride, or give up because it failed your expectations.
There are three eCommerce business success stories that we’d like to bring you today as a small reminder that the world belongs to those who care enough to continue the ride.
You may already know them by heart. But it’s never too much to remember them.
eCommerce business success stories to inspire you
Amazon (or the crazy guy who started selling books at a loss)
Jeff Bezos was a crazy person.
Or so many of his friends thought.
He quit a well established job to dedicate himself to Amazon, a pioneer online marketplace that sold books.
According to Bezos, this change occurred because he saw the internet growing over 2000% in the 90’s and that that was something to pay attention to.
What started with books became the leading marketplace for pretty much everything: clothing, furniture, tech, beauty, etc.
But, at the time of its launch, Bezos was taking losses.
He didn’t make money off the books he sold.
And he admitted it later, saying he was okay with surviving some losses to guarantee Amazon could become the dearest online bookstore for future buyers.
Over the years, with the constant growth of internet users, Amazon grew to become the biggest marketplace worldwide.
Amazon is a great eCommerce business success story to remember every day you think about quitting.
We know Jeff Bezos started when there were no eCommerces around, but that was a big responsibility too.
He started with a crazy idea and made way for us all: for entrepreneurs to build their eCommerce businesses faster.
It’s a great reminder that most things are possible – so long as we don’t quit them.
The Dollar Shave Club (or the crazy guy who was tired of spending too much on blades)
This business started with a disruptive commercial back in 2012.
Casted by none other than the CEO himself: Michael Dubin.
The Dollar Shave Club’s premisse was that, for 1$, you could get high quality, amazing blades.
Instead of spending 20$ in a pack of 5 that you may not even use.
Dubin’s commercial had a huge impact online for its straight to the point, honest copy, that made other men feel like they had finally been heard.
So much so that the website crashed close to an hour after the video’s debut on YouTube and received over 10.000 orders in just two days.
In 2016, Unilever purchased the company for 1 billion Dollars.
This is yet another crazy, eCommerce business success story that just makes us tick and smile.
One disruptive commercial, alongside a great purpose, will make your brand succeed.
Dubin was a crazy one for trying to sell razor blades at less than half of other well known companies.
He probably heard that he would never succeed because no one would buy their blades instead of Gillette’s.
And yet he made millions in sales and later sold the company for 1 billion.
Neon Poodle (or the mum who just wanted something fun)
Businesses solve problems. Problems that rise from necessity or just plain fun.
We’re sure you don’t see this as a necessity problem, but someone else did.
And Neon Poodle was born.
Neon Poodle is an Australian eCommerce business that has to feature these success stories.
It’s said that it was first founded because Sammy Gibson was looking for customized neon lights for her daughter’s bedroom. And she couldn’t find them.
So she just decided she’d do this herself and created a neon lights business that offered the chance to build customized neon lights that were also safe to be in children’s bedrooms.
Real or just plain fun, Sammy Gibson and Neon Poodle became a hit.
Everyone enjoys neon lights – and if it’s simply to feature a dim light in your kid’s bedroom when they’re afraid of the dark.
But we’re sure that Gibson didn’t just find supporting friends and relatives that told her “Yes, go for it, it’s a great idea!”
Because it doesn’t feel like it solves “real” problems (like injuries, the need for a chair for your office, and so on), a neon lights business could seem like something set for failure.
If you have an idea, test it. Pitch it. Try to sell some units.
Be a Sammy Gibson before quitting. Because that great idea may already have crossed your mind.
The start line is the same for everyone
Bezos, Dubin and Gibson are three of the countless eCommerce business success stories that will inspire you.
You could find a success story a day and still be unaware of the other thousands that are out there.
The thing to keep in mind after this post is this one: the world belongs to the crazy ones.
The three entrepreneurs we’ve mentioned have believed in themselves and in the products they sell.
Your eCommerce business can also become a success story for the upcoming years.
Your next step may be growing it to 8 figures. Or selling your brand and eCommerce business.
We can help you figure out the best course.
Click to schedule a free consultation call with an AEPIC Partners advisor.
