Small Business Saturday Blog
From babygrows to beer kits
Friday, November 05 at 05:00
Bev and Andy Toogood tell us how the Brexit referendum result caused them to pivot their business and how selling on Amazon has allowed them to find new customers and keep going throughout the turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bev and Andy have been selling on Amazon for 14 years. Their original business, Little Sunflowers, was an award-winning independent children's clothing and gift shop, which rated the UK's top childrenswear and gift shop according to Trustpilot and won the prestigious Online Retail Awards – twice!
Bev told us: “We started selling on Amazon about a year after we opened our childrenswear shop, so around 2005. We started selling on Amazon initially to simply reach a wider audience as we were only small: at this stage, online shopping hadn't really taken off. When Amazon started their fulfilment service (Amazon FBA) in 2008, they offered us some amazing deals to get started, so we had a lot of stock in their warehouses from quite early on. This meant that not only were we reaching a wider audience, we were now able to use Amazon to pick, pack and send our orders, which meant we effectively had another shop without needing to recruit more staff or take on other premises.”
Little Sunflowers had a large European customer base, and in 2016, after the Brexit referendum result, Bev and Andy took the difficult decision to close down the business, as they foresaw that there would be too many issues for them to continue to sell in Europe.
They decided to start selling homebrew kits and ingredients locally: they have an interest in home brewing themselves, and are based in Horam in East Sussex, the original home of the Merrydown Cider Factory, where a lot of local residents used to work at the factory and brew at home. As the home brew business took off, they closed down their children’s clothing business, although there was a brief cross over period: Bev told us “For a while we were selling beer kits and babygrows, which was interesting!”
Bev and Andy now run Almost Off Grid, an independent business that sells home brewing supplies plus gifts, kitchenware and equipment and ingredients for cheese making, sourdough, kombucha, kefir and more. They told us: “We set up our homebrew business on Amazon, both FBA and marketplace, from day 1 and continue to sell both ways, which enables us to sell more with just the two of us. Nowadays the Amazon FBA set-up is much bigger, and we hold a great deal of stock there. We also sell on Amazon as a marketplace seller which has always worked well for us. It works equally well for our current business as it did for our old one.”
Bev explained how they run their business with Amazon. “As an Amazon seller, you can sell on Amazon in two ways and we do both: we fulfil our stock to Amazon, plus we sell ourselves on Amazon as a marketplace seller.”
She explains: “When you fulfil through Amazon (known as Amazon FBA), you send your stock to the Amazon Warehouse and they pick, pack and ship to the customer on your behalf. For example, this is one of our Amazon FBA listings: you’ll see that the wording says dispatches by Amazon, sold by Almost Off Grid, which means the seller is sending their stock to Amazon, who are sending it on their behalf. As a small business with only two of us, fulfilling to Amazon allows us almost to clone ourselves. We can send hundreds of packets of, say, yeast to Amazon to sell on our behalf in one box, rather than posting out to multiple customers.”
Bev continues: “We also send direct to customers as a marketplace seller. This means that you sell your product on Amazon, but you ship it from your own premises rather than Amazon fulfilling it for you. For example, this is one of our marketplace listings: here, the wording says dispatches by Almost Off Grid, sold by Almost Off Grid, which means it is a marketplace seller.”
Would they recommend selling on Amazon to other small businesses? Bev told us: “Absolutely! We have worked with other small shops helping them to get started on Amazon, because we're passionate about the benefits. Amazon gets a very bad press in the media on the basis that they are killing small businesses. But were it not for Amazon, many small businesses we know would not still be here – particularly over the past 18 months when shops couldn't open. We have learned an awful lot about ecommerce from Amazon without having to make the investment ourselves, and we are able to use their infrastructure to our advantage. Our latest venture is self publishing homebrewing books and journals through Amazon too on a print-on-demand basis, which fits perfectly with what we do.”
Bev adds: “My advice to small businesses is: open an Amazon selling account and get going. No matter how good you are with Google Adwords, no matter how much you spend on advertising, no matter how many local customers you have, you can grow your sales far more easily through Amazon. The FBA business is, in effect, another revenue stream which means you don't need as many sales in your main business to keep cash flowing. The benefits far, far outweigh the problems we've had over the 14 years we have worked with them. I would go so far as to say that our little shop owes Amazon a great deal. Embrace the opportunity!”
Interested in writing a Blog Post for Small Business Saturday? Here are our guidelines.
Categories:
- Accounting (1)
- Brand (1)
- Branding (1)
- Budgeting Tips For Small Business (1)
- Business (1)
- Collaboration (1)
- Customer (1)
- Digital (6)
- Economy (1)
- Exhibiting (1)
- Finance (1)
- Getting Online (2)
- HR (3)
- How To (4)
- Inspiration (1)
- Inspire Series (1)
- Legal (1)
- Marketing (3)
- Plan (2)
- Planning (3)
- Protect (1)
- Quick Guide (3)
- Recruitment (3)
- Small Biz 100 (2)
- Small Business (9)
- Small Business Saturday (10)
- Small Business Saturday Uk Champion (2)
- Smallbiz100 (1)
- Social Media (3)
- Start-Up Support (1)
- Top Tips (9)
Latest Posts:
- From field to fork – making the most of Cheshire’s local produce5 Months Ago
- Sustainable living with BLANC6 Months Ago
- Pizza power6 Months Ago
- In the good books6 Months Ago
- From babygrows to beer kits6 Months Ago
- Smile and say cheese7 Months Ago
- The perfect planner for when you didn’t plan for this8 Months Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2021?11 Months Ago
- Feeling lighter than air at The Float Spa17 Months Ago
- At the cutting edge of local community17 Months Ago
- Sewing the seeds of success in Scotland17 Months Ago
- Joco's leap of faith pays off17 Months Ago
- No messing around! How Tom Foolery Coffee Company pivoted during the pandemic17 Months Ago
- How Mandira’s Kitchen has its eye on spicing up your freezer17 Months Ago
- Wild about keeping it local and healthy in Bristol18 Months Ago
- Award winning small business announced at Blue Tie celebration19 Months Ago
- Free leadership training for SME leaders delivered by leading Business Schools21 Months Ago
- Six things you can do in your business right now23 Months Ago
- How can my employees return to work safely and legally after Covid-19?23 Months Ago
- What is it really like being a #SmallBiz100? – Stamptastic spill the beans23 Months Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2020?2 Years Ago
- Why embracing technology should be your New Year resolution2 Years Ago
- Starting a new business: financial tips for start ups3 Years Ago
- Top 10 security tips for small businesses storing personal data3 Years Ago
- From architect to artisan at the Dumfries Larder3 Years Ago
- Putting down new Roots in Abergele3 Years Ago
- How Amazon is helping one woman tackle taboos and period poverty3 Years Ago
- Creating a community: What it means to be a small business3 Years Ago
- Building an enabling bridge, brick by brick3 Years Ago
- Get ready to rock with Rockit3 Years Ago
- How to create an event for Small Business Saturday UK3 Years Ago
- Jampacked with passion: the local cinema that’s giving back3 Years Ago
- Celebrating the North East’s cycle stars3 Years Ago
- Don’t know what to write about? 9 ideas for your next business newsletter, blog or social media post3 Years Ago
- Take a butcher’s at the first of the #SmallBiz100 20193 Years Ago
- 7 essential growth tips that small businesses need to know3 Years Ago
- Making a great first impression: photography & small business3 Years Ago
- Strength in numbers3 Years Ago
- How to choose the right pricing strategy for your business3 Years Ago
- How taking matters into her own hands led to huge success for Revival Retro3 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2019?3 Years Ago
- 5 content ideas every small business needs3 Years Ago
- The Flour Pot Bakery's secret to success3 Years Ago
- How to harness the power of Instagram and drive your business forward - the GB Labels way3 Years Ago
- Making Tax Digital is here! What does it mean for your business?3 Years Ago
- How we should champion success for International Women's Day3 Years Ago
- Step aside Mystery Shopper scheme - hello new Public Procurement Review Service!3 Years Ago
- The top three causes of entrepreneur burnout and how to avoid it3 Years Ago
- Get a great digital ad for your business for just £50, and help tomorrow’s entrepreneurs learn with iDEA!3 Years Ago
- Badge Your Brilliance with iDEA3 Years Ago
- How to make your Christmas the most successful yet!4 Years Ago
- Life in the fast Laine4 Years Ago
- Small businesses shine at launch of Silver iDEA Award St James's Palace4 Years Ago
- Local and sustainable is winning formula for SmallBiz100 Hays Hampers4 Years Ago
- Red Herring Games – Case Study4 Years Ago
- Going for gold with the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award!4 Years Ago
- Keeping Up With The Tylers: How To Move With The Times4 Years Ago
- How to open a corner shop4 Years Ago
- Making our own kind of music at the Blue Tie Ball4 Years Ago
- How to guest blog (and look like you know what you’re doing)4 Years Ago
- How to market your small business on a budget4 Years Ago
- Top summer marketing tips!4 Years Ago
- Purposely: embedding purpose into the heart of your small business4 Years Ago
- A ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ for Britain’s small businesses4 Years Ago
- Your iDEA Award questions answered!4 Years Ago
- Five ways to make your business successful in five years!4 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Mooch revive the local high street4 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a SmallBiz100 2018?4 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Julu on design, manufacturing, and building an online business with friends4 Years Ago
- Small Business Champion Series From Rich Brady ... Setting Business Goals4 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Techsixtyfour on how to successfully build an online business4 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Frequently Asked Questions4 Years Ago
- Small Business Champion Series from Rich Brady...Putting the Family into Family Business4 Years Ago
- Exporting - not just for the big!4 Years Ago
- Can Giving Really Be Good for a Small Business? Spoiler: Yes!4 Years Ago
- Let's get organised....4 Years Ago
- Is your business leaking money?4 Years Ago
- Podcasting - The Ultimate How-To Guide - Part 24 Years Ago
- Podcasting - the Ultimate How-To Guide - Part 14 Years Ago
- Save time with automation4 Years Ago
- Setting BIG goals – why do it and how to go about it4 Years Ago
- International Women's Day 20184 Years Ago
- 9 tips for Business Success - it's all about love.4 Years Ago
- Demystifying LinkedIn for Small Businesses4 Years Ago
- 10 Top Money Tips for Small Businesses4 Years Ago
- Organising a Small Business Event - Tips from the Experts4 Years Ago
- 12 Top Tips for Micro-businesses4 Years Ago
- ACCA on board the Small Business Saturday Bus Tour5 Years Ago
- There is still time to get involved!5 Years Ago
- Is Britain Becoming a Cashless Society?5 Years Ago
- Small Business Spotlight - How Technology Can Help Small Businesses5 Years Ago
- Better people for Better business5 Years Ago
- Taking Your Business Beyond the High Street5 Years Ago
- Five reasons to be optimistic about access to finance in 20185 Years Ago
- Small Business Saturday App!5 Years Ago
- The Importance of Customer Service5 Years Ago
- Sign up today for free business mentoring!5 Years Ago
- 5 Ideas to Improve your Time Management5 Years Ago
- The Small Business Saturday Bus Tour launches across the UK for its fifth year!5 Years Ago
- 5 minute interview with Nick Entwistle from One Minute Briefs5 Years Ago
- Say Hello to the 2017 Small Business Saturday Champions5 Years Ago
- 5 ways to save money on your business energy5 Years Ago
- Establishing a Small Business through Online Branding5 Years Ago
- Get by with a little help from a friend5 Years Ago
- How Small Businesses Should Deal With Adversity5 Years Ago
- Three helpful ways your phone can reduce paperwork5 Years Ago
- How to Set Up Your Own Business5 Years Ago
- Give Your Business a Boost with Improved Conversion Rates5 Years Ago
- Protecting Your Business Against Risk5 Years Ago
- Small Business Budgeting Tips5 Years Ago
- Hiring tips for start-ups5 Years Ago
- How small businesses can build their online presence5 Years Ago
- Leading business experts come together in one-off inspirational event5 Years Ago
- Five Tips to Effectively Market your Business5 Years Ago
- Nottingham's Lady Bay Vintage Midcentury Antiques Fair6 Years Ago
- Spend with small busisness on Small Business Saturday up 15% year on year to £717 million6 Years Ago
- Why you need to add exhibiting to your marketing mix6 Years Ago
- Seven ways you may be able to reduce your tax bill6 Years Ago
- Practical advice from Acas to help small businesses succeed6 Years Ago
- Automatic enrolment problems? The PLSA has a Pension Solution6 Years Ago
- Ideas and Innovation Dens: help tease out those great ideas and turn them into reality faster.6 Years Ago
- Black & Gold: Supporting other local businesses through partnerships6 Years Ago
- Interview with Paul Gardner founder of the East End Trades Guild6 Years Ago
- Fully Funded Essential Management Skills Training6 Years Ago
- What I learnt in my first year in business6 Years Ago
- 4 Invoicing Mistakes you Should Avoid in your Small Business6 Years Ago
- Interview with Small Business Saturday Champion Elaine Pritchard from Caittom Publishing6 Years Ago
- A Guide to: Handling Small Business Disputes6 Years Ago
- Communication is key6 Years Ago
- How to get your small business found6 Years Ago
- Is cloud hosting for you?6 Years Ago
- Is cloud hosting for you?6 Years Ago
- How to: Get your product in a magazine6 Years Ago
- How to: Get your product in a magazine6 Years Ago
- Is Beer Brewing The Next Big Thing For The Hospitality Industry?6 Years Ago
- 5 tips to make starting your business easier6 Years Ago
- Do not underestimate the power of the internet6 Years Ago
- A Beginners Guide to Corporate Wiki6 Years Ago
- How to use social media to grow your small business6 Years Ago
- Recruiting for your small business6 Years Ago
- 5 Customer Experience Tips for Small Businesses6 Years Ago
- Effective interviewing techniques6 Years Ago
- How Your Small Business Should Go Digital6 Years Ago
- How to write the perfect job advert6 Years Ago
- Hiring a VA: What's it all about?6 Years Ago
- Surviving and thriving as a small business6 Years Ago
- Why job descriptions matter6 Years Ago
- Music makeover6 Years Ago
- Five things all SMEs should know when applying for funding6 Years Ago
- Self-assessment help for small businesses6 Years Ago