Boutique Blog Shop (2016 remix)
Hello,
And here I am sharing the story of my first solo project as an entrepreneur, owning an online menswear shop, shiping merchandise and managing everything that come with an online business.
MusicScore: One Way Or Another, from Blondie! Let’s go!
Meet me at the entrance of the Blog Shop!
This article will fave follow ups about e-commerce maintenance, in order to have a couple posts to help entrepreneurs and merchants with their tools and website.
Back in October 2016
It all started when I returned to study in a business launch training in order to begin my profession as a freelancer. My main project was to create a business project for a fictitious entreprise. I had chosen a men's clothing store, as my child dream was to own a boutique. Throughout the session, I set up a website demo with an integrated store. The site needed to program items, so I boutht t-shirts, took the pictures and edited the images. My inventory got larger, adding shirts, then pants, sportswear, etc.
You can now imagine a had a big inventory at the end of the session, so I bought a domain name, registered a clothing distribution company that I called AstucesDHommes, start writing a blog called AstucesDHommes HommesDAstuces (Tricks of Men Men of Tricks). and launched an online store. I managed the store for 2 or 3 years. I stopped everything to concentrate solely on digital marketing at the begining of 2019.
A store in my basement man!
So I lived in a store in my basement, which also served as a studio background for my shooting. I spent my time ironing, hanging and packaging the items for shipping while I was doing marketing contracts. The next step for this project was to open a physical store, and I hesitated.
I realized what I like doing best in this whole adventure was designing the marketing campaigns and doing the site management and programming. I didn't like selling, purchasing inventory and putting merchandise in place. Now, I hardly imagine myself in the middle of a store. It definitely wasn't my kind of life, but I'm glad and proud I gave it a go, otherwise, I would have regrets.
I've been offering my web and marketing services only ever since, and the adhhda website became jeffmaheux.com over the years.
ADHHDA.com
The foundation of the men's clothing, accessories, and cosmetics manufacturing and distribution company AstucesDHommes HommesDAstuces, (French for TricksOfMen MenOfTricks), in March 3, 2017, is the result of a childhood dream finally coming true and a school project.
The blog, the online store, and the website, located on the domain adhhda.com, were entirely designed by Jeff Maheux, from October 2016 to July 2017, to be officially launched in July 4, 2017, with the associated social medias.
The website included display pages, an online store with integrated payment and subscription service, and a blog about men's fashion trends and quick sewing tips and repair.
From taking photos to programming and putting on sale with promotion and posting, it was a job of more than 12 hours a day, 7 days a week without time off. It is a lifestyle that requires exemplary physical and moral fitness. We are often alone and the postal workers become your best friends. My dog at the time, Charlie, was my most loyal employee, because I could not afford to hire people wanting to have competitive prices on the web.
The menswear blog AstucesDHommes HommesDAstuces was influenced by the bilingual neighborhood of NDG, when I was living in Montreal. It was dedicated to business men and city, concerts, and artistic lifestyle goers.
Stylewise, I was very eclectic while being sober and I played a lot with textures and flamboyant accessories. The NDG district, where the mix of English and French cultures gave a very underground side, was a great place to hang out, thanks to its festivals (PorchFest and HHYDS), its open mic cafés and its Olympic déjeuners. Many traders accepted the presence of well-behaved animals on their terrasse and there was a local and social spirit already very strong and familiar. Beautiful memories I keep and I greet everyone!
In January 2019, I decided to end this project to concentrate on my digital entreprise only. Thank you to all clients and participants. The adhhda domain does not exist anymore.
Cr images: Pictures taken for the 2017 season of AstucesDHommes HommesDAstuces - Menswear blog.
Boutique Blog Show Part 2,
to come
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