MC Think Tank Talk
Blog Interview
Real World Marketing:  Interview with Christine Van Buskirk of Girl Shop Spot
Part I:  The Story Behind the Business (Part II:  A New Pay Model)

Business Name:  Girl Shop Spot
Tagline:  A shopping resource for today's modern woman™
Business:  Online shopping resource and community
Website:  www.girlshopspot.com
Years in Business:  3 years, including development
Percentage of Time Dedicated to Marketing:  “It's just about 24/7”

About Girl Shop Spot:  Shopping is second nature for many women, and GirlShopSpot.com was created to make online shopping a more natural and enjoyable experience.   Girl Shop Spot also supports the success of small businesses catering to women—-with online advertising solutions, embedded SEO, business and marketing advice, and most importantly a direct and two-way customer communications channel.


Christine, what inspired you to develop Girl Shop Spot?
I felt there was a real need to support local cottage businesses in the online community, to create a site where merchants and entrepreneurs could truly connect with their customers on a more direct and mutually beneficial basis.  Because the online media channel plays such a vital role in small business success, my goal is to help cottage businesses catering to women become ever wiser with marketing—-by providing them with the information and tools to promote both online and offline sales, by delivering smoother, faster, and more effective commerce solutions.


Did you start your business with a written business plan?  If so, how often do you update it?  If not, do you have one now and why?
Yes and no.  Yes we had a plan, but it wasn’t completely on paper.  I generally don’t advise taking this approach unless you know your vision, have a plan, and set goals for yourself and can follow through.  My husband and I continually set goals and achieve them on a weekly, monthly, and longer term basis.  You can have a business plan but without the vision and dedication what’s the business plan worth?


How do you continually create new services and functionality for your site?
We work hard to stay aware of what will help our customers (both sellers and shoppers).  We routinely talk with them to find out what they are interested in, what they really want in an online presence.  Sometimes the result of that involves implementing new technologies; sometimes it involves implementing new ideas.

We also constantly read and conduct research about marketing, e-commerce, online tools, and business trends.  From this research we develop fresh ideas to bring our sellers and shoppers an ever-evolving online experience.  We always ask ourselves “Will this be extremely useful to our users?”  If the answer is yes, we create a plan and execute.

What is the most significant lesson you have learned about your business?
Technology is always changing and needs are too.  We want to be a successful business built on hard work and knowledge, not fads.  We are dedicated to bringing small business owners what they need to be successful online.  That’s what we are sticking to and that’s what we are good at.

What does the future hold for you/your company?
These days, most everyone shops on the web.  And local search will become the web's predominant search mechanism within the next few years.  The Internet is also in dire need of more content specific, niche sites.  

People, products, and companies tend to get lost within the large search engines.  If you advertise on a site that combines both a local and category search mechanism within a niche specific site, you will receive more qualified and relevant leads.  Plus, small businesses are always in need of fast, inexpensive, easy, and quantitative solutions to advertise their business online...and Girl Shop Spot's mission is to deliver such solutions.

As local search grows and small businesses become savvier about advertising online, Girl Shop Spot will have great opportunity for growth.  Our market, women, is the largest segment to research and make buying decisions online.  Therefore, GSS intends to be the ultimate shopping resource and online community for this market.  Shopping is second nature for many women, and GirlShopSpot.com was created to make online shopping a more natural and enjoyable experience.

What do you think your story tells our audience?
That we are just like them.  We know how hard it is to launch a business, get your feet wet, take the plunge, and then have to be an expert at everything. 

We are also very passionate at helping small business owners succeed.  Before GSS, I would honestly buy, order, and schedule anything and everything from a dedicated small business owner if I could.  But it dawned on me that I could go broke taking this route so I thought there must be another way to help, especially with my shopping habits and both our business and technology expertise.

We thought if we could help these small business owners connect with one another to improve networking and sales, while providing a great way to market their business online to customers, we would all be in a better place. Aren’t we all searching for a solution to achieve better commerce online?  And I can't help but enjoy supporting the small business owner and seeing people become successful. 

Girl Shop Spot continues to support and launch new cost effective business solutions and technology to small business owners while providing fun shopping for all. 

What’s the most amazing part of your life?
I get to work from home, do what I love, and raise my kids.  I also love working with my husband.  We make a great team.  We are both very passionate at what we do and it really makes a difference in your life and your work.

What is the most interesting lesson you’ve learned as a small business owner?
Customer service and customer satisfaction are the most important factors in running a business.  Always focus on your existing customers and keep them happy versus putting all your efforts in gaining new ones.

What have you learned about marketing a small business?
Operate like a large business, but think smarter and market smarter.


Please think about your most significant accomplishment.  Now, could you tell our audience about it?
After having kids and raising them, I felt another part of me was missing and really wanted to do something businesswise.  My husband saw this and suggested we launch an online business that would come to be SeeVacationRentals.com. 

I learned and became expert at something I was fascinated with...the web.  I learned web design.  I learned what makes a great website—-including content, navigation, colors, graphics, building web pages, and all about search engine optimization (SEO).  Then I took what I learned from my prior career in marketing and applied it to the marketing and advertising of a website.  Now I have created my dream job.  I develop solutions, create new services, get to be freewheeling with creativity, and most importantly contribute to the success of small businesses.   I found it all within myself, and that the best accomplishment anyone could ask for.

Speaking for the both my husband and myself…we never give up.  We keep moving forward and working to find better and more cost-effective solutions for small business marketers online.  Our customers tell us they see this in GSS and continue to put their faith in our company. 


What single piece of advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Build your business around your true passion and your customers.  Loving what you do makes it that much easier to please your customers and build your dream.