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This business blossomed from 80 to 1,200 orders a month. After 16 years in the mortgage industry, Sonja launched Partly Sunny Projects. Fueled by a deep-rooted love for plants and cherished childhood memories of lush gardens tended by her grandmother and mother, she ventured into the entrepreneurial world of selling plants. Although initially unfamiliar with the field, her passion guided each step. Sonja’s journey underscores that it’s never too late to pursue a passion and transform it into a thriving business. Her story is a true testament to the possibilities of change and new beginnings in entrepreneurship.

Black Friday is happening a little later this year. Not only does this mean fewer shopping days, it means fewer shipping days in the holiday selling season. One thing that hasn’t changed though: shoppers want savings, speed, and flexible shipping options. Forty one percent of shoppers say free shipping would boost their loyalty to a brand, and 38% agree that high shipping costs are one of the top three reasons to abandon a purchase. Here are three features Shopify merchants can use to optimize their shipping strategy.

The second-highest priority for Shopify merchants as they prepare for the next selling season? Channel expansion. With 55% of young buyers citing Instagram as their shopping channel of choice, brands with staying power recognize the importance of meeting customers where they are—whether that’s online, on their favorite social platforms, or in-person. Here’s how they’re doing it: 1️⃣ Connecting to new sales channels Shopify merchants can sync their existing product catalogs to top online marketplaces, like Target Plus and eBay, to reach new audiences. The same goes for social platforms, where merchants are using channels like TikTok Shop to sell directly in the app. 2️⃣ Selling internationally If there’s a viable market for a product overseas and a brand isn’t shipping cross-border, someone else will. When merchants leverage our international sales tools, shoppers are automatically redirected to a localized store experience based on their IP address, complete with translations, local currencies and payment methods, even region-specific content and pricing. 3️⃣ Dabbling in physical retail Sixty percent of consumers say they buy small items online but head in-store for larger purchases. Whether or not a permanent retail location is on the roadmap, merchants are dabbling by hosting pop-ups to build community and meet the growing demand for in-person experiences. 4️⃣ Tapping into the creator community Merchants cite influencer marketing as the second-highest priority marketing trend over the next year, and are looking to creator partnerships to build audience trust and increase reach. Shopify Collabs, our in-house influencer marketing tool, connects merchants with creators who can introduce their products to new, highly engaged audiences. Expanding to new channels not only increases reach with target audiences. It can also reduce friction for business owners and their customers. But don’t just take our word for it. Ask merchants, like BK Beauty and Uncle Studios, who scaled their brands with these strategies: https://lnkd.in/gHcwyv9Y

The numbers are in—women are leading the way in entrepreneurship: ⟶ More women than men—54% vs. 46%—run businesses on Shopify. ⟶ Between 2019 and 2023, women-owned businesses saw a 94% higher growth rate than male-owned businesses. ⟶ Women-owned businesses outpaced the growth of men-owned businesses by 253% in jobs created and 82% in revenue. Why are more women turning to entrepreneurship? Flexibility. More than half of women prospective business owners want a flexible work schedule, a sentiment shared by entrepreneurs Carrie Morey, Shawna Jacobs, and Cathryn Lavery who found balance between raising a family and a business. Check out their stories: https://lnkd.in/eHcFDkFx.

Tired of the corny and outdated depiction of fatherhood, three innovative dads set out to redefine what dad gear could look like. Their idea? To create a brand that reflects the modern dad's identity. DadGang Co. launched their first batch of hats from a small garage, boxing up 100 hats they’d actually want to wear. The response was overwhelming. What began as a modest operation exploded into a thriving business. Now operating from a large shipping facility, DadGang Co. has sold over 300,000 hats. A testament to the power of reimagining and challenging the status quo.

Switching from an educator to an entrepreneur, LaShay dared to dream big, embraced fear, and fully committed to her vision of creating the future she wanted. Her leap is more than just a career change; it is a testament to the profound impact that driven entrepreneurs can have. This is the story of The Mane Attraction.

We’re on a mission to accelerate the carbon credit market. Introducing Carbon Commerce, built to help carbon credit suppliers find and support more buyers – from long-term corporate offtakes to monthly subscriptions for climate-conscious individuals. Carbon Commerce unlocks new capabilities for the carbon industry, like customer profiles, bespoke pricing, CRM integrations, and more. That’s why we’re inviting climate entrepreneurs everywhere to tap into our global commerce ecosystem, with all the tools they’ll need to scale. More on our vision to make commerce not only better, but more sustainable: https://lnkd.in/gmA3S4aG

Shopify Milestones is our tribute to you and everything you've put into your business, with awards that celebrate lifetime order accomplishments — 10K, 100K, and 1 million. How do you show off your milestones?

The key to immersive, mobile-first shopping experiences? Shop Minis. Merchants are using Shop Minis to customize and add new features to their storefronts in the Shop app. Think: shoppable videos, product quizzes, and live shopping. Here’s how it works: When Shopify app developers build a Shop Mini, they extend their apps’ existing features directly into the Shop app. Merchants can then use those apps to help them stand out and get discovered by new customers. Building a Shop Mini is developer-friendly by design. Here’s one developer’s message for anyone who’s ready to get started. shop.app/minis

We believe in the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and communities. While many dream of starting their own business, few take the leap. Meet someone who did. From ditching textbooks to graduating in the art of entrepreneurship, this is the story of Bluejade Finds.