Volusion, the leading provider of shopping cart software and services for online merchants, recently announced the winners of its Volusion Mompreneur Makeover Contest. The contest, which ran from May 6 through June 30, invited mothers who run their own business to enter for the chance to win custom web design by Volusion, an iPad2, and spa and Visa gift cards.
Volusion strives to empower women to succeed as entrepreneurs. According to the Guardian Life Small Business Research, women entrepreneurs are expected to create up to 5.5 million new jobs nationwide by 2018. Also, the American Express OPEN State of Women-Owned Businesses Report found that as of 2011, there are an estimated 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $ 1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.7 million people.
Volusion takes this opportunity to recognize, empower and embrace the growing number of women entrepreneurs, specifically those with children. 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.
About the Contest
The contest asked mompreneurs to share their personal stories of owning a business. Entrants were asked to answer the following questions:
???????? What have you learned from your kids that has helped you run your business better?
???????? Why are you and your business ready for a makeover?
???????? What makes you a SuperMompreneur?
The mothers who work at Volusion judged the 171 entries and chose the final four winners. Judging was partially based on the number of Facebook ?Likes? a story received, but more heavily weighted on the quality of responses to the questions. Several stories received an overwhelming number of Facebook ?Likes?, including Christine Karr of Pink Beret Designs whose ?Likes? totaled 544.
Grand Prize Winner:
Shana Yansen of http://www.juteandjackfruit.com
-Jute and Jackfruit carries limited-edition, handmade clothing, jewelry and handbags made in the USA as well as fair trade/ethically-sourced collections made overseas. The store caters to emerging and independent female designers with unique, cutting-edge style and is committed to sustainability and fair business practices. Shana?s son has taught and reinforced in her how important the natural world is, and that we must strive to protect our planet. Jute and Jackfruit is one way she tries to contribute, devoting one percent of annual revenue to local environmental non-profits. Shana won $ 4000 in Volusion design services, an iPad2 and a $ 250 gift card to the spa of her choice.
Runners Up Winner
Christine Karr of pinkberetdesigns.storenvy.com
-Pink Beret Designs was born when Christine Karr became an Army wife. She designs and sews purses, kids? gear and other accessories made from military uniforms, all while taking care of her family while her husband is active duty in the US Army. Christine spends a lot of time being a single mom of four kids, but she still manages to single-handedly sew each item she sells, lead the Family Readiness Group for her husband?s unit and sit on the executive board of the Wives Community Group on their post. Christine received a $ 50 Visa gift card and an $ 1100 Social Media Design Bundle from Volusion.
Allison Lynch of http://www.kustomskinz.com
Michelle Stolz of http://www.Aisle3.Etsy.com
-Aisle3 sells eco-friendly and upcycled wallets and bags for men and women. When Michelle Stolz lost her job and then became a single mother, her natural inclination was to rely on sewing to make a living. She began using fabric and materials from unused clothing and household linens to create eco-friendly accessories, and before she knew it, she was selling her products at local markets and in consignment and retail boutiques. Her son has taught her that he learns directly from her actions, picking up on the value of responsibility, hard work and having a passion. Michelle takes pride in knowing that in a hard economy, instead of waiting for jobs to miraculously become available, she decided to believe in herself, her talent and her dreams to make a go of her business. Michelle received a $ 50 Visa gift card and an $ 1100 Social Media Design Bundle from Volusion.
"I am thrilled to be the winner of this contest and to gear up for a website ?make-over? with Volusion,? said Shana Yansen of http://www.juteandjackfruit.com. ? I launched Jute and Jackfruit nearly 3 years ago with Volusion as my website provider, and I could not be more pleased with what they have provided.?
?Being a working mother is one of the toughest challenges I face every day,? said Allison Lynch of http://www.kusomskinz.com. ?This contest means so much to me - it is going to help me push forward into the world of social media, and I definitely needed the help in this area. The fact that I was chosen means someone notices how hard I work. What a reward! Volusion is an unbelievably awesome company to work with - their image, ease of use, the tech support - all excellent.?
About Volusion
Volusion is the leader in ecommerce solutions for online businesses. For more than a decade, tens of thousands of companies have used Volusion to succeed online, including market leaders such as 3M, Nalgene, Oregon Ducks and Motorola. For more information about Volusion, please visit http://www.volusion.com.
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