Being recognized further validates the hopes and dreams I have had for my company since it was conceived one afternoon over the stove in my kitchen. From day one, I have seen Volusion more as a partner rather than a vendor.
Austin, TX (PRWEB) June 20, 2012
Volusion, the leading provider of shopping cart software and services for online merchants, today announced the winners of its Mompreneur Makeover Contest. The Momprener Makeover Contest, which ran from May 1 through May 31, invited mothers who run their own businesses to enter for the chance to win custom web design by Volusion or a free Volusion Gold store for a year, an iPad and spa and Visa gift cards.
Volusion strives to empower women to succeed as entrepreneurs. The Volusion Mompreneur Makeover Contest was created to recognize hardworking women who own and manage their own business, and to support those who perform the toughest jobs possible: running a business and being a mom. According to the Guardian Life Small Business Research, women entrepreneurs are expected to create up to 5.5 million new jobs nationwide by 2018. The American Express OPEN State of Women-Owned Businesses Report found that as of 2012, there are more than 8.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenue and employing nearly 7.7 million people.
About the Contest
The contest asked mompreneurs to share their personal stories of owning a business. Entrants were asked to answer the following questions:
The mothers who work at Volusion judged the 190 entries and chose the winners. Judging was partially based on the number of Facebook votes a story received, but more heavily weighted on the quality of responses to the questions.
The stories were so inspirational that the Volusion moms chose to have two winners tie for 3rd place. Below are summaries of the winning entries:
Grand Prize Winner:
Nicole Derryberry of The Lua
Nicole Derryberry’s product is unique, innovative and born out of necessity. She found herself always throwing a regular “blanket” over her babies’ car seat to protect them from things like weather, germs and bright light. When she did this, she felt like it was too hard to safely hold the car seat and inevitably, the blanket always slipped, drug on the ground and just didn’t feel safe. This mother of three searched for a better solution, and when she couldn’t find it, she made a prototype, tested it with some local friends and the Lua was born. This unique product can be used as a car seat cover, nursing cover, shopping cart cover and high chair cover.
Derryberry wins a free Volusion Gold store for a year, an iPad and a $250 gift card to the spa of her choice.
“I’m so excited to have this opportunity for The Lua!” Derryberry said. “I can’t wait for my business makeover by Volusion. I’ve never won anything before, and to be selected as the winner is just what I needed to help me grow in a new direction. This makeover came at the right time and is definitely going to put the ‘bounce’ back in my step. I’m also looking forward to a much needed day of relaxation at the spa – it is a treat that I would never do for myself. And winning an iPad - how awesome! I’m feeling like the luckiest person and it’s all still sinking in. I just can’t thank you enough for such an amazing gift and opportunity. My business and I will be forever changed and grateful!”
2nd Place Winner:
Cheri Chapman of Chapman Hill Baby
After her baby girl, Amaya, was born with holoprosencephaly, Cheri Chapman vowed to give her the best life possible. She got so frustrated with the medical teams that told her just to “make her child comfortable” that she enrolled in nursing school to learn more and become a nurse. The year she graduated, she lost her daughter Amaya at the age of three. After going through a long grieving process, Chapman became a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse and dedicated her life to helping fragile babies and children. During her time as a nurse, she had four more children. With a military husband who was deployed, Chapman felt the need to be more present for her kids. At the realization of this moment, Chapman Hill Baby was born. Chapman loves being able to sell unique baby and child products from the comfort of her home with her kids. She’s also in the process of starting a program called Homemade Goodness that will feature work-at-home-mom crafters and artisans. Chapman is excited to partner with them in offering the best of what’s available in custom baby products, toys and accessories.
Chapman is taking home a $295 Twitter Design from Volusion, a $250 Visa gift card and a $150 gift card to a spa of her choice.
3rd Place Winner:
Julia Butera of hope. health. joy
On her son’s 5th birthday, Julia Butera’s foundation in life cracked when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. While she was receiving treatment for her lymphoma, she started making jams to pass the time. The jams were so well-received that she decided to quit her corporate job in the fashion industry to spend more time with her little boy and start her business. Her business is unique because it was built to give back - Butera gives a whopping 75 percent of the proceeds from her store to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Butera is the winner of a $295 Twitter Design from Volusion and a $150 gift card to a spa of her choice.
“I am honored and humbled to be the 3rd place winner out of so many inspiring moms running their own successful businesses,” Butera said. “Being recognized further validates the hopes and dreams I have had for my company since it was conceived one afternoon over the stove in my kitchen. From day one, I have seen Volusion more as a partner rather than a vendor. They not only offered a full ecommerce solution, but they also held my hand through the entire process and continue to offer personalized support.”
3rd Place Winner:
Aisha Greene of Hartlyn Kids Media
Hartlyn Kids Media, LLC is an independent children’s book publishing company dedicated to exposing children and their parents to the diversity of cultures around the world. Greene started the company so that she could expose her daughter to different cultures, languages and religions. Each book is written by authors local to the countries that they’re writing about and include a “passport” stamp. After reading the book, the reader has successfully “visited” that country.
Greene wins a $295 Twitter Design from Volusion and a $150 gift card to a spa of her choice.
About Volusion
Volusion’s ecommerce software gives you everything you need to open a successful online store. Whether you’re an ecommerce novice or seasoned online seller, you will receive the ultimate set of business tools, including your own website, reliable hosting, effective marketing tools, and much, much more. Over 35,000 customers such as Deloitte, Nalgene, US Open, and 3M trust Volusion to power their online business, leveraging a full suite of customer support offerings, including free 24x7 assistance via phone, email and live chat. For more information about Volusion, please visit http://www.volusion.com.
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