Sometimes we all feel the need to be inspired and learn from others… Therefore, we are proud to present one of Multiorders users – Aida Povilaitytė. At the age of 25, she is already a CEO of her own clothing store “A.P.Line”. Now, Aida can be proud of her physical shop as well as a wonderful e-commerce site. It is safe to say that this young entrepreneur won not only the admiration of women in Lithuania, but is also achieving the same worldwide.
1. How and why did you start your e-commerce business?
A.P. – As a brand, A.P.Line was created 5 years ago. At that time I was studying in London and haven’t even imagined myself having a successful brand in a few years. I grew up surrounded by the fashion industry as my parents had thriving businesses in this industry. My father had one of the largest sportswear manufacturing companies in the Baltic States, while my mother had her own fashion design and production house. After studying both of their businesses I had quite good knowledge and decided to learn more in this field.
Therefore, In order to deepen my awareness of the way companies in the fashion industry operate I took various online and summer courses. Also, I did my bachelor degree in fashion business and marketing. In my first year of university I have already noticed that my mother’s designs were quite unique, easy to produce and most importantly of excellent quality. Instead of looking for an internship in some random clothing company I decided to put all of my effort into this. I spent the whole summer defining a clear business idea, studying the market and managing all matters from marketing, finances and business development.
The name (A.P.Line) is very meaningful for us as all four members of our family have the same initials A.P. While living in London I used to introduce my brand as a “clothing line A.P.” and later it just became A.P.Line.
2. Top 3 ways to sell your product online?
A.P. – Shopify, eBay and Etsy!
We were selling in 6 concept stores around Lithuania and constantly received orders through Facebook. At that moment, I decided that an online store is exactly what we need and with very little knowledge I created a store on Shopify.
This year I decided to expand our online presence and selling on various marketplaces like eBay or Etsy became a part of my e-commerce strategy.
3. What are the biggest problems that you are facing in this business?
A.P. – Selling through multiple sales channels is way more difficult than it seems at the beginning. First of all, it took me a lot of time to list all of the products on multiple platforms according to unique requirements for each marketplace. Then, managing my stock and all the sales from different sales channels became impossible. It was hard to keep track of everything and it took so much time that I didn’t even have. I was about to give up. But everything changed when I stumbled upon a multi-channel shipping and inventory management software. Multiorders literally changed my everyday life and I could finally focus on things that are truly important when expanding my business internationally. It helps me save time and keep my business more organized. All I had to do was integrate my eBay, Etsy and Shopify accounts and connect my carrier accounts. Now I can keep track of my sales and fulfil orders in just a few minutes. Can’t imagine managing my business without Multiorders.
4. Have you ever thought of quitting e-commerce? How did you overcome it?
A.P. – The hardest thing for me was waiting for my very first online customer. I have spent months registering to different marketplaces, listing products, reviewing statistics and wanted to see results. It took some time but finally, it happened, my first order came from the Czech republic and it meant so much to me. It meant that the whole idea and hard work I’ve put into growing internationally could be successful. I’ve put so much attention in completing that order and the positive review the customer left was so encouraging. It motivated me and taught me that I shouldn’t doubt my business. Rather to focus on finding a solution and doing everything that is possible to make it work. Even the time when I was about to give up on this multichannel selling approach because it was too hard to handle I managed to find a solution – Multiorders software that helped me improve and grow even further.
While Aida’s mother was creating designs for the clothes, the young entrepreneur was contacting sellers, building a strong brand name, dealing with sales and customers. This whole process finally paid off!
5. What would you like to say to a young entrepreneur who wants to start an online business?
A.P. – If creating an online store these days might seem quite easy, making a successful business out of it takes a lot of effort and budget. Especially as customers’ online behaviour is ever-changing, it is crucial to always investigate their buying trends and accordingly create strategies that will be applicable for the business, effective and profitable.
Key Takeaways Of This E-commerce Success Story:
- If you want to create a business, look for opportunities that can be close to you!
- Don’t be scared of the “learn-as-you-go” mindset
- When creating selling techniques do not apply a universal way, think about your shop or product
- Use tools to speed up business development and automate routine tasks to save time
