I can’t believe that Little Independent’s one-year anniversary is one week from today. We started working on it in spring 2010 so in some ways this is a two-year anniversary. The idea for the website came about one day in my store when I was looking at a bike helmet that we had had around for too long. We had marked it down, marked in down again, displayed it at the sidewalk sale and still it wouldn’t sell. I knew someone would want it and I wished there was an easier way to reach that person.
I wanted a marketplace that was:
- Inexpensive and wouldn’t take a % of the sale
- Easy to use
- Just for items from brick & mortar retailer shops like mine
As a shopper I always wished it would be:
- Easy to find independent stores’ and their sale racks online
- Easy to learn more about the great mom & pop shops across the country
- Easy to support local and independent stores
It’s been an amazing few years with unexpected challenges and opportunities. I have met so many wonderful people online and off who are ever willing to share ideas and support. I am proud that we have added 75 stores in 18 states with little to no marketing budget.
Looking forward, I want to see the site grow bigger and better. I want to see it fulfill its mission of being an advocate for independent retailers and helping shoppers find great independent stores and sale merchandise online. We have come far but there is certainly a long way to go.
I’m mainly a solo operator although my husband Alex is a big supporter, I work with a very talented tech free-lancer as the site administrator and I have an extensive network of incredibly insightful advisers. I’ve been looking for someone to help me take Little Independent to the next level. One thing I did recently is place a listing for a Co-Founder position on Built in Chicago. The response has been tremendous and I have scheduled about ten interviews so far. There are so many people that want to get involved with a startup that supports independent retail and I’m optimistic that these meetings will result in a successful collaboration.
Cheers to the future and thank you all for your support.
Lesley Tweedie, Founder
