Click Souvenirs is an online souvenir shop which sends London-inspired gifts and accessories – from Big Ben clocks and Double Decker bus models to Union Jack jewellery and handbags - to customers all over the globe Founded by Cheryl Morris and her husband in 2011, Click Souvenirs aims to give travellers greater choice and flexibility in how they shop by allowing them to purchase their holiday gifts from anywhere in the world. We spoke to Cheryl to see how her business has grown.
PayPal (PP): What have been your greatest successes?
Cheryl Morris (CM): Starting and growing a successful business without any previous retail experience has been extremely satisfying. We designed our ecommerce website by ourselves and it was very exciting to get such positive feedback from tourists all over the world. Running a business whilst raising four children has been no mean feat, and seeing them take an interest in Click Souvenirs has been fantastic.
PP: What is the greatest challenge you faced in setting up your business that other prospective small business founders should watch out for?
CM: Managing our time effectively can be very difficult. We tend to dedicate most of our resources to growing our product range, enhancing the online shop and serving customers, but still need to carve out time for promotional activities such as building a social media presence. Doing thorough research is also crucial to ensuring your businesses is run as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, but it can be very difficult. Like us, many entrepreneurs don’t have existing contacts who can pass on valuable knowledge, so being proactive in searching for the information you need is crucial.
PP: What advice would you give to other small businesses and those thinking of taking the plunge and creating a start-up?
CM: Never underestimate yourself! It is easy to give up in the early stages of starting up a small business but perseverance is key. Each day has its ups and downs and it can take time to establish yourself, build an online presence and create a customer base. We would recommend keeping close track of your progress as it provides a great source of motivation – you will see your time and effort paying off in the long run.
PP: When did you start using PayPal and why?
CM: We’ve offered PayPal as a payment option since we first set up Click Souvenirs. We used PayPal as customers before starting our own business and so it seemed a natural choice for our business. PayPal is very user-friendly, and building it into your business’s website is a straightforward process, much of which PayPal handle themselves, which made the move into ecommerce much less daunting.
PP: How were you taking payments before you started using PayPal?
CM: We’ve used PayPal from the very beginning. Starting the business without PayPal was never really an option for us.
PP: Has using PayPal helped your business?
CM: The nature of our business means we have customers all over the world. PayPal is an internationally recognised and trusted brand and its reputation for world-class security means it gives shoppers peace of mind – which is especially important given many of our customers are ordering with us for the first time. Finally, the speed and ease-of-use that PayPal offers makes it the ideal payment solution when processing payments from around the globe.