TMCnet News
California Mom-Turned-Entrepreneur Boosts Company's Bottom Line with Help from StoresOnline; Homegrown Business 'Maps Out' Financial Success Through Online MarketingNUEVO, Calif. & OREM, Utah --(Business Wire)-- March 29, 2006 -- Diana Blair used to mow lawns seven days a week to help provide for her family. Now, in her third year as a small-business owner, this mother of three can spend her afternoons sipping lemonade while her company's revenues have soared, reaching more than $380,000 in 2005. "I originally started my own online store to allow me a break from mowing lawns on the weekends," Blair said. "After just three short months, my company was bringing in about $66,000 in gross sales, so I was more than happy to quit mowing lawns and focus on selling maps online." Blair, who is a self-proclaimed "big believer" in Thomas Guide Books, decided to begin an online store selling wall maps, folded maps, road atlases and Thomas Guide books on the Internet. She named her business Map Books 4 U and has found numerous inexpensive and user-friendly ways to advertise her products and online map store. A resident of Nuevo, Calif., Blair attended a StoresOnline Web clinic in 2003 where she was introduced to the world of Internet sales and marketing. With the help of StoresOnline, she gradually incorporated pay-per-click strategies and Internet search term optimization into her marketing approach. Her home-operated business has seen remarkable growth, generating $286,000 in gross sales in 2004 and handily passing that figure in 2005. "Sales from my business have jumped dramatically as a result of effective online marketing," Blair said. Her store is currently a leading distributor for Rand McNally, and she has been approached by National Geographic about selling its maps online at her site as well. Blair recently bought out a competitor's business and has already refused a buyout offer of more than $250,000 for her own growing company. "Diana's story is fantastic because she worked like crazy to make it happen," said Brandon Lewis, president of StoresOnline. "Along with her family, she has turned her small business into a true success and, according to her, it has changed their lives forever. We know it's tough for entrepreneurs to make it when they start from the ground up, but our products and services can be a successful tool to help thousands of small businesses establish a meaningful online presence." StoresOnline offers comprehensive e-commerce store options and innovative software perfectly suited for entrepreneurs like Blair. Its simple format and superior customer service helped her launch her online store quickly and seamlessly. For more information about Map Books 4 U, please visit www.mapbooks4u.com. For additional information about StoresOnline and its customers' success stories, please visit www.storesonline.com or call 801-227-0004. About StoresOnline StoresOnline is an e-services company that offers e-commerce technology, training and a variety of Web-based technology services to help small-business owners and entrepreneurs build and maintain fully functional e-commerce Web sites. |
