Inspirational Gift

I would like to introduce you to our next Ms. Biz, Elaine Stephen of Inspirational Gift Gallery.

Q: Tell me a little about your business (or businesses).

Elaine: I sell inspirational gift products that I truly believe express God’s word, Christ’s sacrifice and inspire us with messages of love, comfort and joy.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Elaine: Inspirational Jewelry.

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Elaine: I looked at keyword phrases that applied to the goal behind selling my gifts and how tough the competion would be for being listed at the top of the search engines.

Q: When and why did you start the business?

Elaine: I am a Christian woman who for many years dreamed of having a baby and starting my own business. Unfortunately, I never conceived and a brick and mortar retail store required more upfront investment than I had. Even if I did have a baby and a business, I wondered how I could give both a child and a business the attention they both needed at the same time? Finally, it was time to stop dreaming and wondering and start investigating. My mother always said, “God helps those who help themselves.”

My husband and I decided to adopt a child and I decided to start an online retail business. An online business offered low start up costs and the ability to work from home. As my husband and I created a profile for our adoption, I created a new business.

Through prayer to God and Jesus Christ for guidance and patience, my dreams came true. In November of 2002, I held my adopted son in my arms for the first time and my first web site was already profitable! My current web site, the Inspirational Gift Gallery, was published in 2005.

Q: What was the hardest part for you?

Elaine: Finding drop shippers of unique inspirational gifts and keeping my product offering up to date. I advertise on my web site for product submissions but must find the time to search online for and contact drop shippers of new and unique products as well. With almost 500 products offered from many different suppliers, I must set time aside to keep checking for temporariy out-of-stock, discontinued and new products as well as product price changes.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Elaine: Faith in the Lord that I am following the right path in my business and personal life to succeed at both and fullfill my dream. Hope for continued and greater success of my business. I pray for wisdom in the decisions I make for my business and how it compliments my personal life. Finally next to God and family my business has become my passion that strives to spread the words of our Lord and the love comfort and joy that belief in Him bestows upon us.

Q: Any advice for other women wanting to start their own business or ones who have just begun?

Elaine: The main ingredients are research, hard work, trial and error and don’t give up! I truly believe that God wants us to succeed. He simply asks us to plant the seeds of our business, harvest the grain that is available to our business, prepare the flour for our business, mix the dough in our business and bake the foundation of our business before we get to savor the bread of our business, which is our success!

Q: Tell me about you - hobbies, favorite things, etc.

Elaine: Taking pictures of my son, campfires at night in the summer, candle night at home in the winter, sewing and crafts projects. Some day I am going to find the time to make scrapbooks for each year of my son’s life, LOL!

Q: Do you have a discount you would like to offer the readers?

Elaine: I would love to offer a 10% coupon code to anyone who reads this article, visits my Inspirational Gift Gallery web site and chooses to place an order and spread a little Christian love, comfort and joy!

Enter the coupon code: IGGBLOG at check out.

Thank you, Elaine, for taking the time to answer our questions!