This is the story of two women entrepreneurs, from opposite sides of the Earth. They came together because they wanted to create something they loved. Dropshipping was their way to ecommerce. Tiny Cupids was founded by them, which is a store that reflects their passions. This is a story of unexpected setbacks, starting over, business meetings at the beach in Thailand and new opportunities.
Tair Mordoch met Efrat Kornick online in April 2015. They were enrolled in a course on digital marketing basics. They were both from different parts of the world – Tair in Singapore and Efrat in Tel Aviv, but they were all full of excitement for what they could achieve.
It turned out that the course was quite basic. Tair says that the course taught them a lot. “And then, we just had to figure out pretty much everything from the beginning.” Although the course only touched the surface of their knowledge, it ignited something greater in them both. Both women felt compelled to create something for themselves.
They saw themselves as perfect business partners. “I knew Efrat was serious about the success of the business when I met her,” Tair recalls. Tair recalls that she was very focused and learned quickly.”
Efrat was also immediately aware of their connection. “I trusted her from the moment I met her. She says, “I knew I could trust her.”
Their skills complement one another, just like great business partners. Efrat is all about details. She can recall the latest advertising campaign’s budget or the status of a particular order. Tair says she ‘just cannot think that way’ and prefers to concentrate on long-term business strategy. It works.
Tair is a huge fan of Entrepreneurship. Tair fell in love with second-hand markets while she lived in Tokyo years ago. There she could find bargains on designer brands. She would resell the items via online marketplaces from home to customers around the globe. It was very different this time, though, to manage an ecommerce shop with all its challenges in product sourcing, marketing, and it felt very different.
Dropshipping: Discover the World
The pair now had a lot of digital marketing knowledge and wanted to put it into practice. The pair teamed up to study with two other students and began to learn how to create their own online business.
Dropshipping was something Tair heard from a friend who had a successful store and made a lot of money. She was intrigued by the idea. Having a dropshipping company would mean they didn’t need to manage or invest in their inventory. They would only pay for the item once they had sold it. They would ship the item directly from the supplier to their customers to avoid the hassle of shipping them the items.
Tair had been through the struggle of managing and owning her inventory along with her second-hand business reselling. It was all a nightmare. I had the task of buying it, taking good quality photos and wrapping it to ship it. It was a tedious process that I didn’t like.
The team was excited by the potential benefits of a dropshipping company and began to research. They found so much to discover, they stated. They read a lot of articles and watched videos to learn more about dropshipping and online marketing. They studied market trends and analyzed which products were most popular. This helped them to decide what products would be the best for them. The team finally settled on a niche product: pets.
Efrat says, “We did the math and found the market. It sounds like a great niche.”
Construction of their first store
After deciding on a product category, they began building Pets Club, their pet products store. After signing up for Shopify, they carefully selected their products and imported them from dropshipping suppliers to the store using Oberlo. To make their store feel unique, they enlisted the assistance of a designer. The store began to come together slowly. They were soon ready for launch.
Their business partners were the problem. Tair and Efrat worked hard to improve their store every day. It was clear to them that building a dropshipping business would take hard work, just like any other business.
Their partners? But their partners? Efrat says, “They didn’t understand until they started to see how much work it takes at the beginning.”
They made the hard decision to ask their business partners to quit.
Although they were losing two business partners, they didn’t give up on their hard work. Pets Club was founded by them. Their first marketing campaign was focused on Facebook ads. Slowly, sales began to trickle in.
Yet, it didn’t feel right.
Their research showed that pet products were the best product. There were many great products on the market. They knew that their hearts were not in it.
They weren’t able to connect with the pet products or their target market. “When we first started selling, it was like: “Let’s be open with each other at minimum, and say we’re just enjoying it.” Tair states that they don’t care at all about it.
Start Again from Scratch
They could have given up at this point. They had already made it this far and knew why dropshipping was so popular. They knew they wanted to start a business together, but they also wanted to make it a success. They quickly listed Pets Club up for sale and began building their new store.
Dropshipping allowed them to avoid investing in inventory. The dropshipping allowed the couple to easily change their minds, while having minimal financial consequences.
They flipped their approach this time. They wanted to create something they loved around a niche that they were passionate about. Efrat says that passion and passion are the most important things.
They looked at all options and were keen to find something that would be a good balance of passion and market opportunity. Tair, a mother to three daughters, found that focusing on products that are suitable for children and mothers worked well. Efrat says, “There are a lot cute babies.”
They launched Tiny Cupids in January 2017. This store sells stylish clothing for children 0-7 years old.
It was easy to target their products to a common audience so it was easier to determine the look and feel they wanted for their new store.
They used the knowledge they gained through Pets Club to design a store that was more feminine and reflects the needs of mothers. It was easy to identify the products that mothers would enjoy. Efrat says, “We view it as if we curate items all over the Internet, to bring together fashionable, stylish items.” It’s all the things we love.
Building a brand people love
Two weeks after their first sale, they were still smiling. Tair says, “We both recall it.” It’s amazing to look at your phone and hear the Ka-ching sound it makes.
The sales have continued to roll in. Efrat says, “We have had one pretty much every single day since then.” “We rarely have days when we don’t have orders.”
Their passion has been shared by their fans. Over 47,000 mothers have joined their social media group, which is full of moms who love to tag and share their posts. Tair says, “It’s great fun.” “Mums send photos to us, they are very engaged with our shop.” We send them emails asking their children to become the brand’s new face.
Tair’s and Efrats friendship grew as the business grew. They had never met and built their business together via WhatsApp messages, email, and video calls. Tair flew from Singapore, to Tel Aviv three months after Tiny Cupids was launched. Tair flew from Singapore to Tel Aviv to visit the store and also to spend time with friends. She’s visited us twice more in the past year.
They flew together to Thailand in August 2017. They did so for business reasons. Tair smiles and says, “We had meetings at the beach.”
Look Back at How Far They’ve Come
Efrat reflects back on the difficult beginnings of dropshipping. It takes a lot time to get everything right at the beginning. It was a new experience for us. It was overwhelming at first because there is so much to learn.
However, things have changed. “Now it is really, really simple.”
They manage the company’s workload almost instinctively, and work together to share the tasks. Tair manages product sourcing and orders management, while Efrat handles marketing campaigns and advertising. They plan for the future together.
Despite some setbacks along the way, Tiny Cupids’ journey has been exciting. Every day is a new beginning. You can just keep up with sales and invent new ideas. Tair says that almost every day, we all come up with new ideas and then say, “Let’s do this!”
“Every day. Efrat adds, “There isn’t even one day I didn’t know,”
Welcoming Unexpected Opportunities
All kinds of opportunities are available to those who have the knowledge. As they continue to pursue other projects, the couple has decided that Tiny Cupids will be available for purchase on the Marketplace. Tair is keen to share her knowledge with other women entrepreneurs. She consults weekly with women looking to open Shopify stores. Efrat is now a full-time employee and in charge of digital marketing. Efrat admits that she started dropshipping as a complete beginner and says this is the type of opportunity she never expected to have.
Other 5 Female Successful Dropshippers
Shopping is a skill that women excel at. They know how to shop and do it well. It is not surprising that they are equally successful in making the world shop online. These are the Xena’s or Wonder Women of digital commerce. Of course, Ecommerce Women Entrepreneurs.
Dropshipping-driven Ecommerce Women Entrepreneurs are thriving, and we have done our research to find some inspiring women who are leading the charge in this field.
Here are some examples.
Jean, Jean-Pierre Klifa
It is not uncommon for a fashion designer to become an ecommerce entrepreneur. Jean is also a chef.
She has managed to make her regular ecommerce store at Jean Pierre Klifa a “go-to place” for other businesses that use her inventory.
She is available to take wholesale inquiries, distributor inquiries and ship products for you.
She is basically a one-leavel ecommerce business owner who is also a dropshipping supplier.
Julie, BeActiveWear
You can learn a lot from passionate Ecommerce Women Entrepreneurs. Julie New, a loving mother to a beautiful boy and founder of Be Activewear is a perfect example.
The company is 100% Australian-owned and operated. It uses the dropshipping model of ecommerce and specializes in custom designed innerwear, sportswear, tops and bottoms.
Her products are ideal for gym, indoor and outdoor enthusiasts. Julie’s business is based in Australia, but dropshipping is the heart of her thriving venture.
Julie began with just a few referrals. Then, Facebook did all the heavy lifting for the sales. Julie then jumped on the Instagram bandwagon and continues to rack up sales.
Natalie Meagan, The Crybaby Club
Natalie is the founder and CEO of The Crybaby club. She believes in the idea of spending less upfront and having access to a large inventory of products that will sell.
She believes in communities, and her success in business comes not from product exclusivity as such but from the power of a cohesive community.
Natalie is doing a great job with her business. However, it was hard to see that it would become a feminist movement of more than 20,000 members.
You might be familiar with pins, mugs and T-shirts, but they can be unique and represent the strength of a group.
Jess Phillip, Lash Suff
If your products are highly sought after but still difficult to find, you are in a profitable business.
Jess runs Lash Stuff and sells 16 different eyelash extensions supplies and eye lash accessories. She also uses dropshipping to create custom eyelash products. She occasionally sells custom products like phone cases, pillows, clothing.
Dropshipping is efficient because Jess has a wider range of products she can sell, more inventory to offer and no warehouses to manage.
Dropshipping is a great business model for many reasons.
Dropshipping is not only interesting for these Ecommerce Women Entrepreneurs; it’s also a way to find the panacea an entrepreneur promises to be. They embrace it, fight for their dreams, and they make it a part of their lives.
Women Dropshipping Entrepreneur From New Zealand
Is it possible for female entrepreneurs to be successful in dropshipping? Not at all! We shared previously the motivating story of Victoria who is our employee who experiments in online store management.
Today, we are excited to share a third-party review from another dropshipping company owner. We are pleased to welcome Kitty from New Zealand to our blog.
Please introduce yourself, Hi!
Hi! Hello! I’m Kitty, a web developer from Christchurch. Fashion is one of my greatest passions. I love to travel and explore new places. That’s actually what I do with my business. Since 2003, I have been operating a dropshipping business that sells apparel and accessories.
In short, during my adventure life, I set up a clothing website and became passionate about the idea.
Since the moment I began, I had no prior experience in trade or eCommerce. I began to research the options.
Why did you decide to dropship?
It’s easy to set-up and maintain the store. It’s also a huge bonus not to have to manage stock.
What is the role of AliDropship in your business journey?
AliDropship was recommended to me by a friend as he was interested in dropshipping and how to make it easier. Because it offers more flexibility, I chose AliDropship. It’s also important to have a unique look and signature for fashion-related stores.
Three years later, it is clear that I made the right decision. AliDropship is the foundation of my business success.
Please tell us about your dropshipping success.
It was the first time I sold it. It was amazing! It happened so quickly after I opened the store, which was surprising, but it was also the best part of this first milestone. As I realized that my product selection strategy was correct, I was happy to see that people wanted to purchase the products I had selected.
What is your product strategy
To find the right products and suppliers, I simply browse AliExpress and make notes about the ones I like. To determine if the product meets my requirements, I review the store’s rating and read the reviews.
I try my best to stay current with seasonal fashions and trends. I am a regular contributor to new products. I find it more fun to look at the products than my job.
I don’t use formulas when setting product prices. Instead, I consider the best price for each product based on what I know is selling locally. It must also be a good price for the customers.
How can you promote your store?
There are many advertising activities that I can do! Search engine optimization, Facebook marketing, AdWords advertising, and local print advertising are just a few of the many advertising activities I have. They cost me an average of $650 per month. Online advertising is the best for me.
My target audience doesn’t seem to have any specific parameters. Simply put, I look for people with the same fashion taste as me. If I love a product, it is very likely that my customers will too. In essence, I have built a lot of my business based on personal criteria.
How do you become a successful dropshipping entrepreneur?
To start with, I registered my business here in New Zealand. This means I am a legal business owner and pay taxes according to local law.
Speaking of my daily business routine, I devote 1-2 hours each day to keeping my business in operation. I put a lot of effort and time into product sourcing. As I mentioned, I choose items very carefully.
Additionally, I am involved in maintaining the website. Sometimes technical issues (server- or plugin-related), arise that I need to fix. I then get involved in debugging them and finding other options.
There is also customer service! I do not have Virtual Assistants, or any other helpers. It is up to me to handle it. I respond quickly to customers to provide excellent service. However, sometimes the item does not arrive on time so I follow up with them. Sometimes, the product is defective or is the wrong size. I work with customers to resolve this. Usually, they will return the item and I would order a different size or refund the cost of the item.
It is a common procedure to leave without returning defective items to AliExpress sellers. This can be very costly and suppliers won’t ask for the order back if the item was less than $50-$100. My personal address has been added to my website’s ‘Returns” field. My customers should be able to return their items with my personal assistance. It’s a chance to see these items in person and have them removed from my store if they are of poor quality.
The bright side is that half my wardrobe now contains items that were returned due to wrong sizes, etc. This is a bonus for me!
How has your life changed since then?
This business is a great side project to my main job. It allows me to express my creativity and fulfills my passion. Friends and family believe I’m doing well and ask me how it is going.
Many people wonder where I get my clothes. The answer is on my website.
This venture has great potential. I plan to expand the store and open another one with different products in the near future.
