Elevator Pitch is a regular feature on Lifehacker where we profile startups and new companies and pick their brains for entrepreneurial advice. This week, we’re talking with Lucy Glade-Wright and Joanna Harris, founders of online retailer Hunting for George.
In 128 words or less, explain your business idea.
Hunting for George is an online destination with a strong design focus and desire to make your home awesome.
We wanted to create an online experience that was the same if not better than walking into a physical store. Our goal was to transfer so much of our energy and personality into our online space that by the time someone left our website they felt like they knew us. The Hunting for George shopping experience is based around how we like to shop and how we like to be treated and we believe, that realness is what our customers have responded to most.
What strategies are you using to grow and finance your idea?
Our business is 100% bootstrapped, starting small and listening carefully to our customers we have continued to see growth year on year. We reinvest and spend wisely adding to our product mix or investing in things we know will provide good return on investment.
Customers come first at Hunting for George so we make there is always a two way conversation through customer service, social media, events and any touch point with consumers.
What’s the biggest challenge facing your business?
Keeping up with growth. We are very hands on business owners and everyone in our small team wears a number of hats, so identifying the right time to add in another team member or reach out to a third party is one of our biggest challenges. Cash flow is something that every business has to deal with and continually creates challenges for our business growth.
How do you differentiate your business from your competitors?
We put personality into everything we do and have exceptional customer service. We pride ourselves on having a design first approach which flows through to everything to stock, everything we make and all communications with our customers.
What one phone, tablet or PC application could you not live without?
It’s a two way tie between Instagram and Receipt Bank. Instagram drives our brand and Receipt Bank keeps our finances in check.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?
Prove don’t promise. This is relevant across all aspects of business, including customer and business relationships and colleagues.
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