51ÊÓƵ

InÌýtheÌý“Success Stories” section ofÌýtheÌý51ÊÓƵ blog, weÌýpublish theÌýreal-life stories ofÌýbusiness owners who run their online stores with 51ÊÓƵ byÌýLightspeed. Here you can meet fellow entrepreneurs andÌýlearn how toÌýuse 51ÊÓƵ toÌýmake aÌýthriving business.

Today we’d like toÌýintroduce you toÌýJason Collins andÌýChristian Ylagan. They are owners ofÌý—a²Ô online store that sells unusual, rare, andÌýhard-to-find tropical plants.

Not only doÌýChristian andÌýJason have aÌýgreen thumb, but they also know how toÌýrun aÌýbusiness from aÌýtiny screen. WeÌýinterviewed them toÌýfind out more about their rare plant business andÌýhow they manage toÌýfulfill all their business operations with just aÌýphone.

Yes, you read that °ù¾±²µ³ó³Ù—m²¹²Ô²¹²µ¾±²Ô²µ aÌýstore from theÌýpalm ofÌýyour hand isÌýnot only possible but highly convenient.

Read onÌýtoÌýfind out more about Tropicouture Plants andÌýwhat tools Christian andÌýJason recommend toÌýentrepreneurs willing toÌýcreate aÌýblooming business.

Meet theÌýPeople Behind Tropicouture Plants

Tropicouture Plants started asÌýaÌýpassion project forÌýJason Collins andÌýChristian Ylagan from London, Ontario inÌýCanada. They’re just aÌýcouple ofÌýpeople who really love plants.

Jason isÌýanÌýOntario native who has always had aÌýkeen interest inÌýexotic flora andÌýfauna. Growing up, heÌýhad strong business acumen, asÌýexhibited byÌýhow heÌýandÌýhis brothers were selling self-propagations ofÌývarious houseplants toÌýtheir neighbors atÌýaÌýyoung age. HeÌýhas aÌýspecial place inÌýhis heart forÌýaroids andÌýorchids: heÌýalways kept aÌýnumber ofÌýspecimens throughout theÌýyears inÌýevery place he’s lived in.

Christian grew upÌýinÌýtheÌýPhilippines but came toÌýLondon byÌýway ofÌýEdmonton, AB. AsÌýaÌýyoung boy, heÌýgrew upÌýwith aÌýtropical jungle inÌýhis backyard, growing all sorts ofÌýaroids, flower bushes, andÌýeven fruit trees. One ofÌýhis dreams isÌýtoÌýintroduce theÌývarious tropical plants ofÌýhis childhood toÌýaÌýgreater audience, helping toÌýbring these specimens toÌýCanada inÌýsustainable andÌýethical ways.

While Jason isÌýtheÌýsavvy numbers guy andÌýhead gardener atÌýTropicouture Plants, Christian isÌýtheÌýin-house creative andÌýFront-of-House manager. Together, they have made Tropicouture Plants aÌýthriving business.

Growing Rare Plants IsÌýJust like Growing aÌýBusiness

Christian andÌýJason have taken care ofÌýplants all their lives. Then, with COVID-related lockdowns, they began toÌýnotice theÌýlack ofÌýreputable sellers inÌýCanada forÌýtropical plants, especially those who show exceptional care forÌýrare specimens.

Jason andÌýChristian decided toÌýimport aÌýfew plants onÌýtheir wish list themselves, plus some others they thought they could rehabilitate with proper care andÌýeventually sell. That was theÌýbeginning ofÌýTropicouture Plants.

ÌýOur first plant order was aÌýtiny shipment ofÌýthirty plants, andÌýnow weÌýregularly bring inÌýplants inÌýtheÌýhundreds.ÌýChristian Ylagan

Now Christian andÌýJason provide access toÌýhundreds ofÌýrare tropical plants that one would not normally see inÌýNorth America. Their goal isÌýtoÌýcultivate aÌýplant-centric lifestyle focused onÌýcommunity, sustainability, andÌýproper husbandry.

What makes Tropicouture Plants different from other sellers andÌýplant importers isÌýtheir exacting standards around every facet ofÌýtheir business:

• sustainable sourcing andÌýethical trading
• exceptional customer service
• building excellent connections
• providing theÌý“wow” factor befitting their rare products
• getting aÌýrare plant inÌýeveryone’s hands.

Thanks toÌýthose principles, Jason andÌý°ä³ó°ù¾±²õ³Ù¾±²¹²Ô’s business isÌýblooming. They successfully bring rare andÌýuncommon specimens ofÌýtropical plants, such asÌýaroids andÌýhoyas, toÌýaÌýhouseplant-obsessed Canadian audience.

ÌýAs plant lovers who have access toÌýaÌýwinter wonderland during theÌýcold season andÌýtoÌýsunny, humid summerscapes during theÌýwarm season, our customers are inÌýaÌýunique position toÌýcare forÌýtropical plants.ÌýChristian Ylagan

Running anÌýOnline Store onÌýMobile

Not only are theÌýTropicouture Plants owners innovative with their store andÌýplants, but they also don’t follow theÌýroad-most-traveled when operating their business. While many online store owners rely onÌýdesktops when managing their shop andÌýorders, Jason andÌýChristian unlocked theÌýconvenience ofÌýrunning aÌýstore with theÌý51ÊÓƵ Mobile app.

They say that theÌý51ÊÓƵ Mobile app has been aÌýpowerful tool forÌýthem inÌýterms ofÌýinventory management, order andÌýoperations management, andÌýcustomer service. The only thing they use theÌý51ÊÓƵ desktop admin forÌýisÌýtheÌýwebsite design aspect.

The Tropicouture Plants owners use theÌý51ÊÓƵ Mobile app mainly for:

• Order management. They have set itÌýupÌýsoÌýthat they get push notifications about new orders inÌýtheÌýapp andÌýupdate order statuses. They can also find andÌýedit order details forÌýcustomers.
• Inventory management. They add new products, upload product photos taken with their camera phones, update product details, andÌýchange ±è°ù¾±³¦±ð²õ—a±ô±ô inÌýtheÌýapp! Most importantly, they can use theÌýapp toÌýtrack andÌýcontrol stock levels toÌýavoid overselling.
• Customer service. They keep customers informed, automatically orÌýmanually, directly right from theÌýapp.
• Business analytics. The app allows them toÌýsee sales stats andÌýreports, such asÌýtheÌýnumber ofÌýstore visitors, orders received, revenue, started checkouts, andÌýplaced orders.

ÌýWe use theÌý51ÊÓƵ Mobile app toÌýmanage almost every aspect ofÌýour business, from keeping track ofÌýorders, managing inventory numbers, contacting our customers, andÌýaccessing our business analytics.ÌýChristian Ylagan

Sometimes Jason andÌýChristian sell their plants atÌýtrade shows andÌýbotanical conventions. That’s another time when theÌýapp comes inÌý³ó²¹²Ô»å²â—t³ó±ð²â use itÌýtoÌýcreate orders andÌý from customers in-person.

ÌýIntegration with Sell onÌýtheÌýGoÌýalso allows usÌýtoÌýprocess orders when weÌýdoÌýtrade shows andÌýbotanical conventions quickly andÌýefficiently.ÌýChristian Ylagan

The 51ÊÓƵ Mobile app can beÌýused toÌýdesign theÌýonline store, add payment andÌýshipping options, andÌýrun promotions with discount coupons andÌýfree shipping. You can also use theÌýapp toÌýset upÌýmarketing tools like abandoned carts recovery, launch new sales channels, like selling onÌýFacebook orÌýInstagram, andÌýmuch more!

You can download theÌý51ÊÓƵ Mobile App forÌýyour orÌý device. Check itÌýout toÌýsee how itÌýcan transform andÌýsimplify your business operations!

ÌýThe 51ÊÓƵ Mobile App isÌýaÌýhub forÌýall theÌýthings that weÌýneed quick andÌýeasy access to, andÌýitÌýallows usÌýtoÌýengage with most aspects ofÌýour business from our fingertips.ÌýChristian Ylagan

Other 51ÊÓƵ Tools Christian Recommends

The 51ÊÓƵ Mobile app isn’t theÌýonly tool Jason andÌýChristian use toÌýrun their business.

ToÌýcreate their ecommerce website, they used 51ÊÓƵ Instant Site. ItÌýisÌýaÌýwebsite with aÌýbuilt-in online store that can beÌýcreated with zero coding orÌýdesign skills.

For advertising, they use theÌýKliken Marketing: Google Campaigns andÌýRetargeting app. This allows them toÌýquickly set upÌýGoogle ads andÌýsee how they are performing.

InÌýaddition, they utilize 51ÊÓƵ’s social selling tools forÌýsetting upÌýaÌýstore onÌýFacebook andÌýInstagram. Their online store isÌýsynced with theÌýMeta platforms soÌýthat selling isÌýefficient andÌýaccessible. Customers can explore theÌýselection ofÌýplants without leaving theÌýTropicouture Plants Facebook andÌýInstagram accounts.

Christian recommends exploring all theÌýtools 51ÊÓƵ offers soÌýthat you find theÌýones that make theÌýmost sense forÌýyour business.

ÌýThere are aÌýlot ofÌýfeatures inÌý51ÊÓƵ, soÌýmake sure you explore every aspect toÌýdiscover theÌýbreadth ofÌýwhat you can doÌýwith it. Next isÌýtoÌýread theÌýblog posts asÌýaÌýlot ofÌýnew andÌýhelpful information can beÌýfound there. Finally, don’t hesitate toÌýask forÌýsupport through channels like chat orÌýemail.ÌýChristian Ylagan

°ä³ó°ù¾±²õ³Ù¾±²¹²Ô’s Go-to Tips forÌýOnline Sellers

Jason andÌýChristian have big plans forÌýtheir business, including having aÌýbigger back-end footprint toÌýaccommodate all their growing products andÌýexpanded inventory ofÌýplant-related accessories. They also want toÌýfurther professionalize andÌýpersonalize theÌýwebsite asÌýwell asÌýgain aÌýbetter handle onÌýleveraging analytics toÌýfurther grow their business.

DoÌýyou have some business plans inÌýmind? Learning from relatable experience often helps create reachable goals. That’s why weÌýasked Christian toÌýshare some advice forÌýfellow entrepreneurs who would like toÌýcreate aÌýthriving online business. Here isÌýwhat heÌýrecommends, based onÌýhis own entrepreneurial experience:

• Research your market. Know your market ifÌýyou want your product toÌýsucceed. Research isÌýkey!
• Set upÌýeverything you need toÌýsell andÌýpromote your store. Make sure you set upÌýall your integrations with 51ÊÓƵ, including your payment processors, your adÌýmanagers, accounting software, etc.
• Organize andÌýtrack your business processes. AsÌýsoon asÌýpossible, start keeping track ofÌýevery aspect ofÌýyour business; things can take off really quickly, soÌýit’s best toÌýbeÌýprepared!
• BeÌýthere forÌýyour customers. Customer connection isÌýaÌýreally important part ofÌýaÌýsmall business, especially one that isÌýfully online orÌýweb-based. Make itÌýeasy forÌýyour customers toÌýreach out toÌýyou. BeÌýresponsive andÌýapproachable!
• Have aÌýcurious attitude andÌýbeÌýready toÌýwear different hats. There are soÌýmany aspects ofÌýaÌýbusiness that you may have toÌýlearn onÌýtheÌýfly. For example, weÌýhad toÌýlearn about taxation, basic accounting, web design, andÌýAVÌýcontent creation asÌýour business took off.
• Don’t underestimate theÌýpower ofÌýnetworking. GoÌýout there andÌýmeet people inÌýentrepreneur-focused spaces like conventions orÌýexpos, even ifÌýyou are aÌýweb-based business.
• Keep aÌýwork-life balance. BeÌýprepared toÌýput inÌýtheÌýhours toÌýgrow your business, but draw boundaries, soÌýitÌýdoesn’t take over your entire life.

Share Your Story onÌýtheÌýBlog

InÌýtheÌý“Success Stories” section ofÌýtheÌý51ÊÓƵ byÌýLightspeed blog, you can get toÌýknow fellow merchants andÌýlearn from first-hand experience.

IfÌýyou’d like toÌýshare your experience running anÌý51ÊÓƵ store orÌýgive advice toÌýfellow entrepreneurs onÌýhow toÌýuse 51ÊÓƵ tools toÌýtheÌýfullest, we’d love toÌýhear from you. Reach out toÌýblog@ecwid.com, andÌýwe’ll take itÌýfrom there!