What first impressed Craig Gunderson about StoresOnline was its million-dollar data center. An IT professional for 20 years, Craig understood the importance of having a secure, reliable hosting platform on which to establish a new online business.

But what Craig was also pleased to find was the ease with which StoresOnline allowed him to build-and even rebuild when necessary-his own e-commerce Web site.

Craig is now the proud owner of www.AllSafetyProducts.biz, an online business based in southern California that specializes in selling safety equipment to customers across the United States and internationally. Although a marketer at heart, before starting his business Craig had spent the previous 20 years working in data communications and information technology for several aerospace companies. What finally convinced him to strike out on his own was a job he took with a law firm in Los Angeles.

"I was under a lot of stress, and I finally decided, you know what, if I'm going to endure stress, I might as well start my own company and see it grow," he says.

Craig discovered StoresOnline while he was searching the Internet for hosting providers. He contacted the company and was invited to attend a StoresOnline workshop. At the workshop, he was impressed with StoresOnline's technology solutions-particularly its hosting platform.

"I was very impressed because I came from a background where it was very critical for computers to be up and operational with no down time," Craig says. "I figured I didn't want to spend a million dollars on my own data center, so I decided to go ahead and give StoresOnline a shot."

After purchasing StoresOnline Web site licenses, Craig and a friend immediately began building an online store. Their first business attempt-a Web site offering a variety of hot sauces-did not prove to be as profitable as Craig would have liked. Rather than give up, however, Craig rebuilt the site with a new focus on safety products-a product line his wife was expert in because of her employment for a safety equipment manufacturer.

His wife's employer soon became one of Craig's suppliers-although the arrangement did not come easily, says Craig.

"They put me through the grill and made it a little tough on me," he says. "But I proved I would be able to sell their products, and as a result, most of my suppliers have actually contacted me."

Craig says good supplier relationships have been one of the keys to his company's growth and success. He works on maintaining good relations with his suppliers just as much as he works on maintaining positive customer relationships. Craig makes a point of negotiating with his suppliers and screening out those that would not be a good fit for his business. Consequently, his chosen suppliers are those that will support him when times get tough. Many of his suppliers drop ship for him.

Craig says his new business has been much more rewarding than his original venture. He now operates the company out of a warehouse and has hired two sales representatives-one who handle sales in California and another who handles sales in five other states. Craig also has distributors scattered across the country. On average, his business receives some 50 orders per week.

Through all stages of his business, Craig has appreciated the flexibility, ease of use, and functionality of the StoresOnline Store Builder. Although an IT person by trade, he considers himself a novice programmer. The Stores Online product and service, however, have removed the need for programming expertise when setting up a Web site.

"It's really been very painless to get up and running very quickly," he says. "I've had a very positive experience. StoresOnline has been with me all the time-it's been a team effort. ¿ They've been very helpful with me, and I think it's really showing. They've made some improvements on my Web site that have been incredible."

Craig has put his fair share of time into building, optimizing, and improving his site. Both he and his customers are pleased with the result.

"I've received comments that my site is very good looking," he says. "A lot of people have told me that, and I don't want to take the credit, because I think a lot of that is due to help I've received from StoresOnline. ¿ I think they have a world-class design template, and I can say that from years of working on things that didn't work. It's a good, good product. I'm very excited about it, and that's why I'm still here and why I'm still doing business with them."

Although Craig doesn't consider himself a programmer, he says he does know a lot about encryption and data integrity, thanks to his time working in the aerospace industry. When it comes to security, he is very pleased with Stores Online's hosting services.

"StoresOnline is keeping right up there with everyone else. They're not lagging behind. They're making changes to keep up with technology-and it definitely shows. When it comes to security, I have a very secure site."

From the standpoint of his business experience, Craig has a number of useful pointers for those who are seeking to start up a new business for themselves. The first tip is to actually get started.

"It's easier to work for somebody else and collect a paycheck, but you never really realize your potential," says Craig. "Starting your own business is really the way you can put yourself to the test."

But along with getting started, it's important to remember that true success takes a lot of time and effort.

"It does take time. It takes time to get into search engines-to rank high. It doesn't happen overnight," says Craig. "What has really been good is that StoresOnline recognized that and told me to take some time. They were very up front about how long it would take, and their approximations were right on target."

In deciding what type of business to open, Craig suggests conducting careful market research and developing a marketing plan before developing a Web site. Once a product is selected, he recommends following the advice he received at the StoresOnline workshop: Do not feel the need to be the low-price leader on the Internet.

"I initially tried to be the cheapest to get customers, and that really hurt me," says Craig. "I'd be a lot further along today if I hadn't tried to go the cheap route. I think it's important to stress your quality."

Craig says it is also important to be unique-either by offering unique products or by offering them in a unique way. For example, there's nothing all that unique about safety products, Craig says, but he packages them in a unique way. Stressing one's uniqueness through effective marketing is especially important.

Last of all, Craig recommends getting experienced help.

"I really would encourage you to seek out StoresOnline. I think that with their record and experience, they can actually shortcut and save you a lot of money on unnecessary fees that you would pay consultants."

With Craig's business now making sales globally, he says he is looking forward to more growth with StoresOnline.

"I've had other opportunities," he says. "I've been approached by other people who have wanted me to come along on their ship. They've begged me, basically, to come across, and I won't do it, because there comes a point where you have to evaluate the relationship you have, as well as the support and everything else. It really is a team effort, and I really do attribute a lot of growth and a lot of my success to StoresOnline.

Visit Craig Gunderson's Store Online at www.AllSafetyProducts.biz

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