A Fond Farewell
We take one final look at our "Biz 101" tech makeover winner.
Without the unique style and design flair of
Pursesnickety!'s fashionable purses, Deborah Nail's
business might not be recognizable from the one that embarked on
Entrepreneur and Interland's tech makeover project a
year ago. Along with a new website, new Treo smartphones from Sprint
and new laptops from IBM, Nail's company also has a new
attitude. It's tech-savvy, internet-ready and on the cutting
edge of online marketing.
And Pursesnickety! is growing like gangbusters. "We've
got to expand and hire some new people," says Nail, 41.
"I need a secretary, a new seamstress and a bigger
space."
After a year of being inundated with new web features and
technology, a big question awaits Nail: Which services and hardware
will she keep? "Everything," she says. "We're
not changing anything." From the e-mail marketing campaigns to
the search engine advertising to the laptops and Treos, she's
sticking with all of it.
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She also plans to explore new ways to use the technologies. For
example, one perk she's discovered is the ability to use
Interland's mass e-mail service to quickly and easily update
sales reps on new products and information.
The laptops and Treo smartphones mean that nobody is ever out of
touch when the Pursesnickety! team is off on their frequent trade
show travels. And the new Pursesnickety.com is more than just good
looks. The reborn website is an invaluable reference for wholesale
customers and has been a tremendous boost to the retail side of the
business. It has also helped speed up order processing.
Though we've reached the end of our year following the
Pursesnickety! makeover, it's just the beginning for Nail's
company. Embracing technology has made Nail more efficient and
allowed her to expand her product lines and customer base.
"Our business has tripled," Nail says. Pursesnickety!
purses can now be found in 49 states and seven countries. Nail
beams when she looks back at all the progress over the last year.
"We're very grateful," she says. Pursesnickety!'s
technology and website now have as much pizazz as its purses.