Name of your website?Small Town Kitchen
Your name?
Marjorie Cross
Your Location (city, etc)
Chesterfield, Michigan 48047
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Professional Grade Cookware and Bakeware, Cooper cookware, Stainless Steel Cookware, Heat Induction Compatible Cookware
What inspired you to launch your own website?
Started off with just a personal web site putting my Mom's treasured recipes on it deceided to branch out and see if I could make any money doing something I already worked on everyday anyways
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
As stated above I started a personal web site Small Town Living back in 2006 just putting my moms treasured recipes on it with little stories before each recipe.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Its part of my personal website
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
I hope that I have given it just like what it is called a small town atmosphere that customers will feel comfortable shopping along with confident that we will take care of each and everyone just as if you were shopping in your own small town store.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
My hope to add additional income to my husband and I's current income. We are currently a one income family with a total of 7 children all growing teenagers. We have two in college and would love to be able to contribute more to their education. Student loans will come up due faster then we can turn around.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Right now I have put 1000's of hours into both my sites with no return at all. I hope that very soon I will start making some income from my store.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would definitely, advertise more so that I could get more traffic to my site. Add more products or eventually be able to stock the merchandise I carry.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes I think so, I am a stay at home Mom who can devote full time to my business.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
I don't think I have had any unexpected costs as of yet being such a new business. The headaches would be having to devote so much time to developing this store.
What has been your biggest challenge?
How to figure out the products we wanted to sell, Keywords versus demand and naming the store along with trying to figure out the shipping charges.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
I am still looking for one. I hope that this will give my website some much needed exposure.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
My expectations were pretty well checked as I knew that alot of hard work would have to be put into the store. The competition is fierce and getting your site noticed is a hard long climb. I am willing to put in the long hours and hard work in hopes of making a success of something I love and am passionate about.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
We just opened for business in April 2008 and I hope that I can financially stay open for at least a year to see if I can make a go of it.
What do you like most about your website?
I love the design and colors of my web site. I like that it is crisp and clean and very easy to navigate. I love the products that I carry and feel confident that they will make any home cook or professional chef even better at what they do.
What is your website address?
Small Town Kitchen
