Baby Steps Focusing on the little ones turned into big business for this retailer.
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What: Collection of vintage-inspired baby products
Who: Jeanette Mulvey of Baby Goes Vintage
Where: Middlesex, New Jersey
When: Started in 2003
How much: $5,000
Baby Goes Vintage founder Jeanette Mulvey never expected her sales to break $100,000. But with only $5,000 out of her pocket, a home office, one part-time employee and a self-constructed website (www.babygoesvintage.com), she managed to bring in $125,000 last year and projects sales of $175,000 this year. "I really didn't expect it to be [this] profitable," says Mulvey, 35, whose online store sells vintage-inspired baby products such as books, toys and nursery décor.
Mulvey, who has two children ages 3 and 1, opted for a virtual store to accommodate her busy life as a wife and mother--and to help her cut costs. Her operations and inventory costs are low, and many of her items are drop-shipped from the manufacturer. Mulvey also acts as her own PR agent and relies on word-of-mouth advertising and product placement in magazines.
Recently, Mulvey signed a deal with Amazon.com, and she's branching out with A Girl's Cottage, a site offering furnishings for girls' rooms.
