Small business shipping

This month, on the Small Business Edge “5 in Five” podcast, I spoke with Hannah Perry, Founder of the Giggling Pig, a franchise, and party studio with four locations right now, and a burgeoning art box e-commerce program. We discussed how she navigated supply chain issues during COVID to grow her business. Below are excerpts from our conversation.

Brian Moran: What is the secret to your success over the past few years?

Hannah Perry: I don’t think it's one thing. I have a supportive and hardworking staff. I have worked on my vision for the future, and I was determined to never give up during COVID. These are just a few of the things that brought me to where I am today.

Brian: How did you develop your e-commerce strategy during COVID?

Hannah: I listened to the people buying our Art boxes and what their children wanted. We improved the design of the boxes, we made sure the boxes went out the same day they were ordered, and we promoted them online.  We also made sure to take advantage of seasonal changes and the holidays, so that our products didn’t become boring and stale.

Brian: What shipping options do you offer to your customers?

Hannah: We offer free shipping around the holidays to make it easier on customers who might think twice about their purchases because of the shipping costs. Otherwise, most of our online items are arriving within a few days. As I mentioned, most orders are shipped out the same day. I don’t want kids waiting too long for their Giggling Pig Art Boxes.

Brian: What obstacles did you overcome in expanding your e-commerce business?

Hannah: There were several obstacles in expanding our e-commerce business. We had to deal with variable costs that kept going up. We had design issues, such as box size and what to put on the inside/outside of each box. We had to find backup suppliers for our e-commerce business and the stores. Thankfully, I genuinely love my business, my team, and my customers. I don’t want to fail them, so I will always go the extra mile to make things work.

Brian: Let’s look ahead. Six months from now, consumers will be gearing up for the holidays. Where do you want your business to be at that point? What steps do you need to take to achieve your goal?

Hannah: In six months, I want to ship my products overseas. I also want to be shipping boxes every single day. We are moving confidently in that direction with four franchises right now, and two more getting ready to launch. I want to reach as many families as possible and bring as much art and creativity to homes as we possibly can.

Brian: That is a great way to end our podcast. Thank you, Hannah for being part of our podcast. I am confident you will exceed your goals in 2022.