Many consider the health and beauty field hopelessly crowded and competitive, too much so for a small business owner to make their mark. However, Francesco Clark saw just the opposite. He saw a field without the high quality, natural products that many consumers are seeking. This led to the birth of Clark’s Botanicals.

Clark suffered a severe injury in 2002 that left him without the ability to move or even feel the majority of his body. His skin condition began to deteriorate because of the injury. Clark then asked his father, a physician and homeopath, to help him design skin products that would help him. Together, they developed a line of botanically-based products that would become Clark’s Botanicals.

The two shared some of their products with family and friends, and were amazed at the positive feedback. People loved the smell of the essential oils that were key ingredients along with the absence of irritating chemicals. This led to positive word of mouth buzz and a unique opportunity to enter the health and beauty field with an already strong group of customers and supporters.

Clark began with no marketing budget, but he quickly learned that the media could be used for free advertising. He had a compelling story that large news outlets wanted to portray. He also had a strong product that industry magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar wanted to cover. Because Clark had previously worked in the beauty magazine industry, he knew how to present his product so it would be snatched up as a news piece.

This and other free publicity have bolstered Clark’s Botanicals almost overnight to a national, well known brands. Even first lady Michelle Obama has been known to rave about them. After only five years in business, Clark’s Botanicals has fourteen employees and annual revenue of eight million. This is truly a grassroots, small business success story.

Francesco Clark has not forgotten the reason for his product line’s institution. He is interested in helping people with spinal cord injuries and donates a percentage of the company profits to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Despite his own health issues, or perhaps because of them, Clark has found success and made himself the unlikely hero of people with similar conditions.

Even if you don’t have as compelling a story or as strong of media connections, there are a few things you can learn from Clark’s Botanicals. First, allowing people to sample your product and learn about what makes it unique can create immense buzz and set your company up for success. Second, don’t be shy about using your existing contacts in a way that helps your business. Last, let the media be your friend. Even if you don’t have as compelling a story as Francesco Clark, you still are likely to have some unique feature that can become an interesting media story.

As you can see, small business success can be had by anyone, no matter what barriers stand in your way. The secret is to create a unique product and promote it constantly. Francesco Clark has found unlikely business success and so can you!

Marketing through Online Auctions: A Small Business Success Story

Many people have a beloved hobby or even just a creative streak. While these people might dream of finding a way to make a living doing what they love, few are brave enough to take the leap. However, everything is possible when it comes to small businesses. Krystle Walsh is living proof that small business owners can find success doing what they do best, whatever that might be.

Krystle Walsh was always a crafty, creative person. As a child, she loved to paint and make things for friends and family. As she grew older, the gifts became more elaborate and her skill set grew to a professional level. Her beaded candy canes were a favorite gift, but still Walsh never considered using her artistic streak as a lucrative source of income.

Krystle’s family was the springboard to her success. As she grew older, her handmade gifts became more and more in demand. Her family encouraged her to begin a small business selling her creations. She finally turned to Etsy, an online auction site specializing in handmade goods. Although Walsh began selling a variety of goods, she soon narrowed her range to beadwork jewelry and bows. Her products were so popular that she opened two stores on the website. DKjewels is a store featuring Krystle’s homemade beadwork and jewelry, while Ninjabowtique offers bows, pins, and other wearable art.

Krystle Walsh highly recommends Etsy.com as a way to market homemade goods. In her case, this one website makes up the bulk of her profit. Etsy is easy to master with just a little investment of time, with a growing number of visitors perusing the site every day. Etsy also offers support services and ways of interacting with other sellers. However, Krystle also sells her goods through Artfire and a North Carolina gift shop.

Krystle uses inspiration from her daily life to come up with new designs. Rather than sticking to one style, both stores sell a variety of fashions, from old-fashioned designs to ultra-modern ones. All creations, however, have one thing in common: the high quality and attention to detail that only a small business owner can provide.

Krystle feels that one of the keys to succeeding in any internet business is to show lots of pictures of the merchandise. Not only do pictures give buyers an idea of what merchandise they will be getting for their money, they also grab attention and promote an emotional attachment to the product. Krystle also recommends communicating with customers. Answering questions politely and promptly promotes your brand and encourages customers to do business with you.

In the future, Krystle plans to expand her business to other areas, such as metal working and lamp making. However, any expansions will be made with her attention to detail and creative touch. Krystle has found great success in internet sales, but she plans to keep growth slow and steady. She opened her business in hopes of making a living while being a stay at home mother and wife, and this business plan helps her keep her priorities in line.

Everyone has heard the dismal small business statistics. Every day, hundreds and even thousands of these companies are going under as they struggle to compete with larger and more established competitors. While this is enough to give most entrepreneurs a panic attack, there are many ways to hedge your bets and help your enterprise achieve success. Here are the five top ways you can avoid being another one of the small business failures we hear about every day.

Find Your Niche. People love the convenience and low prices of the big box stores, but they will be happy to spend a little extra time and money if you give them something worth the effort. In most cases, this means finding and catering to niche markets. Think of your own lifestyle and hobbies. There may be a certain area where you are underserved, where the big businesses just aren’t meeting your needs. There’s a good chance many people in your area feel the same way, which means that you have a built-in market actively seeking that niche market.

Listen and Respond. While it might take a large company several months or even years to respond to customer demands, a small business is much more flexible. Listen to what your customers are saying and what kind of goods they are asking for. Then, do your best to modify your company to meet these unmet needs. This will not only make customers more loyal, it will decrease your need to compete with the large corporations. You will already be one step ahead of them.

Focus on First Impressions. Nowhere is impression more important than in the small business. You don’t have the money for a national marketing campaign, so make sure every communication with the customer, whether it be an advertisement or an actual sale, leaves the desired impression. Always stick with your brand—more on this later.

Plan Ahead. There’s a reason you have to produce a business plan when you apply for small business funding. Banks and financiers know something that many small business owners don’t, which is that businesses that plan ahead are much more likely to be successful. Investing time up front in the planning of your financial structure, your products, and your brand will pay off later, because you will be able to avoid many of the pitfalls that have killed off many small businesses. Do the research to find out what makes a business in your niche successful, and don’t be afraid to call in expert consultants in areas where you simply don’t have the know-how.

Be Your Brand. Your brand is more than a logo design — it is the public persona of your business. The same way your target customers will like some people right off the bat but intensely dislike others, they will prefer certain brands and be more likely to pursue business with them. A branding consultant can help you identify this audience and build a public image that will attract and interest them for years to come. While this does require a certain amount of up-front expense, there is no way to underestimate the positive impact a brand will have on your personal chances of success.