Blog

For a while now, I’ve been considering the idea of sharing my journey as an online business owner – both the positive and the (sometimes funny) missteps that come with running an ecommerce store. With so many moving parts in the online world, I thought a blog would be the perfect platform to unpack it all, document my experiences and (hopefully) help others navigate a similar journey. A YouTube channel and podcast are on the to do list!

Instead of going the straightforward route (using a managed hosting service and forgetting about the gritty details), I’ve purposely chosen to roll up my sleeves and manually configure every component of my new blog’s setup. That includes spinning up an Ubuntu server, configuring Nginx, MySQL and PHP, diving into DNS records, configuring firewalls and handling SSL certificates – the full LEMP stack. Some people might say that’s nerdy (let’s be honest, it totally is), but I wanted to better understand what was required to get a website online.

This project helps me better appreciate the technology behind my online business and fulfills an intellectual curiosity. Knowing how each technology fits together—from server security to page load times – gives me the confidence to tackle challenges head-on and keeps me ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. As an added perk, I’d much rather spend my time learning a new command-line trick than endlessly scrolling social media or watching meaningless TV.

Moving forward, you can expect posts about everything from ecommerce strategy and marketing insights to step-by-step guides on setting up various server technologies. I’ll share my successes (so you can replicate them) and my blunders (so you can avoid them). In short, I’m hoping this blog becomes a source of truth for anyone looking to learn from real-world business owner experiences and maybe even find a flash of inspiration along the way.

If you’ve ever been curious about what effort goes into an online business – or you’re just looking for a fellow tech geek to compare notes with – I’m here for you. Feel free to reach-out — let’s learn, grow and occasionally laugh at our mistakes. After all, that’s what the internet is for, right?

Our family business first took shape in 1999, during the early days of ecommerce. Back then, it was a leap of faith – an online store in a world where most people were still getting used to the idea of shopping on the internet. My very first ecommerce venture ran on the osCommerce platform, which was pretty cutting-edge at the time (even though it feels basic by today’s standards).

By 2009, as online retail really began to gain momentum, we decided to migrate our online store to the Magento platform. Thankfully, we had an in-house tech who helped make that transition and we’ve been with Magento ever since. Our investment in both ecommerce and our physical store paid off – we saw that online sales could expand our reach well beyond our local customer base, so it felt like a natural next step.

While my main role has always been on the business administration side, managing operations and driving growth through technology have been essential – I’ve never been afraid to dabble in a bit of code myself. In the early years, I used Dreamweaver, though these days I’m more than happy to let our trusted web developers handle the heavy lifting.

From 2009 to 2011, we experienced rapid growth both in-store and online, which led us to relocate in 2011 to a much larger premises. The new location, strategically placed on the A84 tourist route to the West Highland coast and just off the M9 motorway, almost doubled our in-store footfall. Once things settled down, we refocused on digital marketing and expanding our product selection to keep the momentum going online.

In 2019, feeling optimistic, we opened a new store in Dunfermline to serve the local community in Fife. Sadly, the timing clashed with the onset of COVID and lockdowns, forcing us to close that branch after only a couple of years. Despite that setback, our flagship store held strong – thanks to its unique location and our online sales continued to more than double year over year.

Growing the business has always been my passion, because it means we’re doing right by our customers. In 2023, we implemented a succession plan involving three dedicated managers to oversee day-to-day operations, giving me the freedom to explore new interests. Nowadays, my focus is largely on optimising our business technology stack and sharing my insights with other like-minded business owners. Over the years, I’ve built a wealth of experience in business management, leadership, growth marketing and technology and it’s truly gratifying to offer guidance to others on a similar path.

If you ever need a fresh perspective on a business challenge, don’t hesitate to reach out – I’m always happy to help!