Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in e-commerce but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tracy Gundy, Co-Owner of The Saved Collection, located in Charleston, SC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Saved Collection....we are two mamas that started an online consignment shop in 2018. We host closet sales exclusively for influencers and celebrities. A lot of our customers are followers of said influencers and those that like to shop consignment! We mainly sell women's clothes and accessories but also some men's and kid's clothes as well!

Tell us about yourself

Hi! Allie and Tracy are here! We have been best friends for years, and in 2018, we embarked on our entrepreneurial journey together! Allie had a friend, local to Charleston, who was a fashion blogger. She would always tell Allie how she needed to do a closet cleanout and wanted to sell it, but it was just too much work and time-consuming. So Allie thought, what if we did all the work and the influencer made a portion of the proceeds? Tracy was totally on board to try this business idea, so we did! And we've been hosting closet sales continuously since. We feel immensely blessed to have so many loyal customers and influencers.

Giving back is a huge part of our business! A portion of all earnings from each sale goes to a charity of the influencer's choice. They donate, and we, as a business, donate as well! We love for our shoppers to know the "real us"! We aren't some mega warehouse with hundreds of employees. We're a small team with a small warehouse, and we pour a lot of love into what we do!

We love the Lord, spending time with our families, listening to a good cover band, and running on coffee! We both stay at home with our littles and homeschool. Between the two of us, we have six kiddos under the age of 8. Being able to work from home and having the chance to spend more time with our families while homeschooling our kids is what drives us day in and day out!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say our biggest accomplishment as business owners would be getting to give back to lots of different charities and being able to work with many celebrities and very well-known influencers! It is such a joy and honor to be able to communicate with them and host closet sales for them and their followers. It is a blessing to us to see how much it means to our followers to host these closet sales! They love getting the chance to shop their favorite celebs' closets and be able to give back at the same time!

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner, especially one of an online company, is setting boundaries. When we work, we don't clock in and out like a "normal" workday. Being an online shop, it is also easily mistaken that we are available at any time of the day. For the New Year, we have made it a priority to have more set business hours!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

If someone was looking to start, run and grow a business today, we would say, "GO FOR IT!" That's what we did with no, ok, maybe with a little hesitation, and we don't regret it one bit! When we first started back in 2018, we had a lot to learn, but we just kept on pushing through and taking it one day at a time. Consistency is key in almost anything you do, and there's no difference in running a business!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://the-saved-collection.myshopify.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesavedcollection
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesavedcollection/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InflConsignment

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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