Kevin Sproles cites Little Hat as an internet success!

I was looking for press links to The Little Hat Company and I found this article about our website. Read all the way down - how proud are we?






Quick Query: Volusion CEO on Factors that Create Ecommerce Success

January 22, 2009 · by Practical eCommerce Staff



Certain ecommerce businesses succeed, while others do not. To help understand why this is, we spoke with Kevin Sproles, the founder and CEO of Volusion, a hosted shopping cart with more than 10,000 clients, including notable sites such as Disney and Crutchfield.

PeC: Tell us why you think some ecommerce sites excel while others do not?

Kevin Sproles Sproles: I think probably five things contribute to either success or failure of an online business. One is building your brand. If you're a small business, you probably don't have a household name, but you could build the same trust by having things like a professional website with a nice logo. Take it a step further and tell your story, how you got started, your passion for the products that you sell, and encouraging customer service. Show that you're a real person behind the business; you could still compete with a household name.

Another would be SEO and making sure that you take advantage of that free marketing that's offered by Google and the other search engines to send customers to your website. If you optimize your website for those search engines, that's the best ROI that you can get.

Give a lot of detail in your product photo and your product information to build trust that the product that you're selling.

Another is having a high margin on the inventory that you sell. That will give you more opportunities to leverage advertising that's out there.

The next one is differentiating yourself if you are a commodity and leveraging the power of niche selling.

PeC: So, that would be brand, SEO, attractive and effective photos, higher margin products, and leveraging niches. Can you give some specific examples of smaller firms that you think do a particularly good job of it?

Sproles: One is Thelittlehatcompany.com. They are a small business, but their website does a great job at brand building. They do a good job of trying to show the person behind the business, their passion for the business, and displaying their products with real-life scenarios. For example, they sell hats for kids, so they show a lot of pictures of happy kids wearing hats. That goes beyond just showing the hat. They build their story, build the emotion and created a unique website.

PeC: Tell us how your firm, Volusion, has evolved over the years.

Sproles: I started it when I was still in high school in the late 1990s, just kind of an after-school project. Eventually I saw a big need for ecommerce. Today we have over 10,000 online stores that use our software to build and run their entire online business.

PeC: How much does Volusion cost?

Sproles: It starts with a free 14-day trial and then our lure of plans is only $29 a month. [Volusion has] all of the features you need to build and run your entire online business, everything from the design tools, to free templates, to managing the content on your website, being search engine optimized to processing those orders. As you have potentially large inventories of products, it ranges up to about $197 per month.

PeC: Do you think ecommerce will look substantially different in five years?

Sproles: I think what you're going to see is that the ease of use is going to be improved. The challenge of shopping online will be eliminated, and checking out will be easy. The way people find these websites and products will change a bit. For example, social networking. There are communities online, such as and Facebook, where people are communicating about purchasing products online.

PeC: Any other thoughts related to ecommerce?

Sproles: As you grow, you're going to start to care about things like scalability, so picking the right platform is going to be important. Another thing is PCI compliance, something that's important in the ecommerce industry. You want to make sure that your website is as secure as it can be. Be compliant per Visa and MasterCard rules.

New Fabrics have been chosen-Spring/Summer 2009 Collection

So along with bringing new fabrics to The Little Hat Company's Spring/Summer collection 2009 we are also introducing two new styles of summer lids: The Bucket Lid & The Beachcomber Lid. These are two beautiful yet practical new styles of Summer Lids with two very different looks. All of our lids work to get noggins covered and protected and faces shaded from the sun. We are very excited to announce that this summer we will be producing (in South Berwick, Maine) sizes from baby to men's ! YEAH it only took us almost three years to design, produce, and manufacture lids for all noggins and all sizes. We have sample swatches of the new fabrics at the store and will take orders to make sure you have your lids for Spring Break and vacations abroad. Thank you for all of your continued support! We love our lids and we love making them in South Berwick Maine!

99 Pink Balloons

I've decided it is very humbling to have to ask for money and also wondering how can it be snowing in Spring. Oh yeah I forgot we live in New England.

Donate to Team Laffalot

"Boobs in training for a good cause."

Marie says, "a small business is like an infant except that it never grows up"

It keeps you up all night, demands all your time, attention & resources, but when it finally makes a profit - priceless

Marie from SoBo Book & Bean is sitting here in my office on a slow Saturday afternoon. There a million and one things that we should be doing but more importantly she showed me how to stream "the River" on my laptop. So when I'm supposed to be preparing for the lecture tomorrow at the New England Products Trade Show, but it's much more interesting talking with Marie about our past lives and how we landed on Main Street, South Berwick.

Little Hatters to walk in D.C. for breast cancer

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry - The Barn Tavern – Local Moms Raise Money to fight Breast Cancer

Red Sox Home Plate Tickets are being offered up to help raise funds for local group of Moms participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. In 2008, Team Laffalot began with four friends who wanted to make a difference. After experiencing their first Avon Walk in Boston and raising close to $8,000, they came back to South Berwick and spread the word about a truly life changing experience. With their enthusiasm, their team has grown to 8: six members from South Berwick, one from Texas and one from North Carolina. This year we are walking with one local survivor and one relative who is currently fighting breast cancer.

Join us on Sunday April 5th at The Barn Tavern in Dover, New Hampshire. It's going to be a hoot and can't be missed. It's all to help raise funds and awareness for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk- Washington D.C. May 2nd-3^rd 2009. This is building up to be a great outing for couples looking for a relaxing casual afternoon with good food, good company & good music. We will be featuring a live auction with amazing products and services generously donated by local businesses and friends. This event is co-sponsored by The Barn Tavern and Favorite Foods. The Ruben Kinkade Project has donated their live performance – a contemporary rock band that is known for igniting audiences everywhere. Local businesses and individuals have generously donated their wares to help support the cause and will be auctioned off on April 5^th at the event. To reserve your spot contact Cathie 207-384-1904 or email cmcoomb@comcast.net.

One of our personal favorites is an Oceanfront Vacation Week Rental – Deer Island New Brunswick, Canada

Donations for auction provided by local businesses and friends: The Regatta Room, Kittery Trading Post & Plum Island Kayak, Nicole’s Hallmark, Alladin Carpet Cleaning, Atlantic Gymnastics, Vicky Stewart, Danforth Bay Campground, Dover Yoga, Mikayla J’s, Face Body, & Spirit, Indoor Ascent, Irving Oil, Isles of Shoals Steamboat, Ixtapa, The Little Hat Company, Through the Grapevine, Terra Cotta Pasta, Monkey Business, Beach Pea Bakery, Rices Automotive, Shawnee Peak, Starkey Ford, USA Training Gym, Upscale Nails of Portsmouth, Natural Difference Day Spa, Putnam Sports, Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse, Waterstone Hair Salon, Surfing Excursion with “Tom”, Fiddlehead Farms, Wentworth Gardens, Noggin Factory, Herbal Path, Outlook Golf Course, Pepperlands Restaurant, Abby Chic, Storyland, Glenn NH, Aroma Joe’s, Cartellis, Cocheco Falls Gallery, Doodlebugz Studio, Dunkin Donuts, Gail’s Dad – handcrafted bookcase, Harvey’s Embroidery, Jumping Jays, Kim’s Dry Cleaning, Kris Bisson, Market America, Motives by Loren Ridinger Cosmetics, Pawsitive Pet Grooming, Red Shoe Barn, Poppyseed’s Studio & Many More.

Created and Hosted by Team Laffalots – Kathy Bousquet, Kerry Hoyt, Cathie McCoomb, Susan Page, Gail Dimmerling, Jen Houghton, Amy Mayo & Luanne Nygard.
Tickets are limited $20 per person - Reserve your spot now! Contact Cathie – 207-384-1904 cmcoomb@comcast.net

All Moms Work - Some Moms make and sell Little Hats

Sharon contacted The Little Hat Company over a year ago and asked a number of questions about how this little business was growing and evolving with all stay at home moms. We were honest and hopefully provided some answers that would help other moms make decisions about working with young children at home. We are very proud to be a part of this book and hope it might answer some of your questions.

This book is for moms who decided to stay at home to care for their children but who are now ready to -- or need to -- go back to work. In All Moms Work, career-expert and mom Sharon Reed Abboud offers sound, sane short-term strategies to supplement the family income -- working from home, finding a good part-time job, or tackling a full time job to meet economic and/or career goals. Her book helps you plan wisely and devise short-term strategies that will lead to long-term career goals. And, yes, it offers you ways to continue your career and still be a hands-on, primarily-at-home mom.

All Moms Work - More information available

Why?

Ok- so I just received this image from Shawnee Peak. Should I be jealous that I'm not experiencing Spring Skiing with Steve and Anna and the Pages? I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to be there with them.

Instead I'm here in the store on the first real Spring feeling Sunday and I get it. Life is about choices and I chose to start this business as a first step to a dream I've always had since I was a little girl.

I know in my heart why this business is still growing and moving forward and I'm very proud of it and also all of the people involved. It makes me happy to know that my family is experiencing life when I'm at work and it makes the times that I spend with them all the more special. I love my family and I love Little Hat. Look for new exciting products coming in the near future.

Looking for a Sponsor

I'm sitting in my living room - Aaron, my son, is on the couch he came home sick from school today. It's late but I can't help feeling the answer to all our questions is right in front of me and I'm just not seeing. We have had so many amazing experiences since I sewed the first hat nearly three years ago but we all know that we are destined to be a National Brand and want to get there sooner than later. Something made me reach out to an old colleague tonight. I had been recruited by him from one of my first jobs doing business development on the Internet. OK - for real how could that be ten years ago. I still feel so young and inexperienced inside - no grays Thank You God! But with three children and a small business I'm ready to push through the next level. Marriott told me something on the phone that I've know all along. He told me to do what I've already done countless times for businesses that I've worked for. Somehow when it comes to doing it for yourself mental block begin to appear out of nowhere. We laughed about our memories of running to appointments in NYC and him needing to purchase a leather jacket to feel younger before meeting a client or the dinner conversations on Broadway that seemed to come out of thin air with our boss at the time. Marriott now runs a $350 million dollar company and is happy. He's happy not because of the money he had all of it before he's happy because he's doing what he loves and what he is good at. He told me that I have forgotten what I do best and what makes me happy in business. I need to go big. I've been caught up in the small town mentality of letting daily sales determine my level of success. That's not who I am. I like to reach out into our big world and help make things happen. I love to see who and what I can connect to help build a successful strategy and business relationship. After being on the phone with Marriott tonight I know what I need to do. This week I'm going to spend my time and energy finding the perfect celebrity/large corporate sponsor for The Little Hat Company. We are a fabulous little company with a proven product and a story that reaches out to people and touches their heart in the right place. Now we just need a bigger pair of legs to help us get to the next level. I've done it before but this time I won't be doing it for someone else it will be for our company, our town, and our future. How great does that feel?

Youth Crew Lids

We wanted to introduce everyone to the Youth Crew of The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. In each city teens join the youth crew to help support the thousands and thousands of walkers joining together to raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer. Most of the teens who join the youth crew have a family member who has been diagnosed and may be battling cancer or even lost their battle.

We couldn't be prouder to be part of their journey and lend our support to their efforts by creating Youth Crew Lids for all the Youth Crews across the country. We are able to do this through the help of other local businesses who care and our peeps who are volunteering their time sewing anc cutting. Exeter Handkerchief has cut the price of the fabric dramatically, Harvey's Embroidery ( Dave and Jeremy) of Portsmouth are donating the entire embroidery costs to the effort and Cynthia Barstow has donated her talent and time for digitizing the art file so Harvey's can embroider our Youth Crew Lids.

If you would like to help out a local group of gals "Team Laffalots" is hosting an auction at the Barn Tavern in Dover on April 5th from 1-4:00pm. There will be live music food and an amazing auction including a pair of Red Sox tickets behind home plate, a waterfront home vacation week - Deer Island Canada, and many more. You can purchase your tickets at The Little Hat Company in South Berwick - limited numbers available.

I love coming home to good emails...

"from an anonymous member of the company"

Ok, I just went on the website....LOVE THE BLOG!!!!!!Talk about making it REAL! Looking at that Emmy Award!!! I have no words...shocking I know...

Who came up with the new name Cog Hat...genius I tell you! It is catchy and something that would make anyone ask...what kind of hat is that? Who is The Little Hat Company? What a great story! How can I get one of those hats? Hello Jen, this is Katie Holmes...I was wondering if I could order matching hats for me and Suri....stranger things have happened with this magical company my friend...

Have a wonderfully peaceful night and know that we are all with you in this adventure..xoxoxoxo

And the winner is...

We received a call this week that has us all in a little bit of disbelief and utter excitement at the same time. Our contact who brought us to the Today Show - Val at Off The Wall Productions has asked us if we would like to have our Lids in the Emmy Nominee Gift Bags handed out at the Nominee Celebration. This is a huge honor for our little company. We are working with Susan Sargent, fabric designer, to pick the very best designs to use in our new adult lid "The Cog Hat" which will be placed in the Emmy Nominee Gift Bags.