Expat Women: Business Ideas: Interviews With Entrepreneurs
The Pajama Company
Ellie Badanes
Running a business that she loves, being able to wear her pajamas all day "for research", and having a portable career that she can take anywhere – this is the tale of how American Ellie Badanes reinvented herself from retail buyer to online entrepreneur, after accompanying her spouse on expat stints in Copenhagen, Denmark, and London, United Kingdom.
With a love for comfort and a desire to start her own business, it was during Ellie's first expat experience in London that she thought of the idea to sell pajamas online. But it was not until 2004 when she repatriated to Connecticut, United States, that Ellie seized the opportunity to create The Pajama Company.
Expat Women's Interview with Ellie
Expat Women: Ellie, what inspired you to start a pajama business?
Ellie: I started my business because I love pajamas, and the whole business concept fit well with my lifestyle. I love to lounge and love the creativity of working online. Women everywhere (as well as men and children, but mainly women) love pajamas – and it is a product that is fun and happy.
Expat Women: What were your career options when you repatriated to Connecticut?
Ellie: Before I was an expatriate, I was a retail buyer. Whilst raising my children, at home and abroad, I kept involved a little with the fashion industry and it was during the first of our two expat assignments in London (1991-2003) that I thought to start a pajama business.
Repatriating to Connecticut made me consider my two main options: going back to what I had done many years before; or reinventing my career completely. Feeling excited by the opportunity to do something different, I decided that repatriation was the perfect time to launch a business and reinvent myself – in the pajama niche.
Expat Women: Ellie, what convinced you that there would be a tangible online market for pajamas and that your business would be successful?
Ellie: I started my business just as Internet shopping was beginning to thrive so I feel that I jumped on to a shopping trend. Pajamas are pretty unique, in that stores often have pretty limited selections, so it just felt like a great niche business. My best seller is a footed pajama for adults, which is not an easy item to find at a mall or department store, so offering an item that shoppers are often looking for online was a real plus.
Expat Women: After you established your business, you unexpectedly moved to London for a second expat term. How was this expat experience different from your previous two?
Ellie:
My second expat term in London (2006-2008) was so different from my first. My first two expat experiences were focused so much on American Women's Clubs, schools, young children, girl scouts, playgroups and my involvement with FAWCO Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas). The second time, I went to London as an entrepreneur. I looked forward to rejoining my American Women's Club, but this time one of the most important items I brought with me was my laptop. I could plug in and be right back running my business. That was the beauty of an online business. I could pack it up and move it. My vendors and customers were often impressed with my early morning hours, not knowing I was working from the UK!
Expat Women: What business challenges did you face in transitioning your new business to London, and how did you overcome them?
Ellie:
I did have some challenges in moving to London when my business was pretty young. I had my entire pajama inventory in my basement and every day filled the orders from my home. I also had a dedicated telephone line in my home for all my 800 number calls. It rang a lot! I had an urgency to outsource both of these tasks before I could get on the plane to London. I found a call center to take over the 800 number calls and a fulfillment house to take my inventory and fill orders. The move to London forced me to outsource both of these tasks and looking back, I would say those were very good business decisions. Taking the fulfillment of orders off my hands and having the customer calls dealt with 24/7 freed me up to focus on other important tasks. The time zone was also often an issue, as much of my customer interaction is via email and I worried that customers would wonder what the delay was in answering their evening emails. When the Christmas season got into full swing I had to head back to the USA just to be in same the time zone as my customers.
Expat Women: How has your experience as an expat influenced your business?
Ellie: I have to say that I am always so excited to get orders from customers in England and Europe. Living overseas has made me different from a typical American retailer. I anticipate questions about sizing and shipping before they happen. I know the occasional challenges of shopping on US websites from overseas. I know the customers I have in mind are not from a certain state, region, neighborhood or country, but rather are very broad – very international. I think that is how the expat experience defines us. We think more broadly. I know pajamas mean different things to different cultures, but pajamas are all about comfort in any language!
Expat Women: What strategies have you found to be effective in marketing your online business?
Ellie: Embracing social media on all levels is key to promoting my pajama company. I am active on two blogs http://www.LifeinPajamas.com and The Pajama Company Blog. The Pajama Company also has a really fun and active presence on Facebook here and I tweet from @pajamacompany as well as from @elliebadanes. Twitter has been a wonderful tool for marketing and networking. I launched a YouTube channel as well (click here).
Social media has no borders and is my top marketing tool. I love to see the instantaneous engagement on our company Facebook page. Pajamas promote great conversation.
Google is also important to my marketing strategy and has been from the launch. Google's AdWords advertising has improved my search rankings.I also joined Ladies Who Launch,a USA network for women,where I have met and been inspired by many dynamic entrepreneurs.Email marketing is also part of our mix. Marketing is a full time job, but the key to success.
Expat Women: What five tips would you offer to expatriate women considering starting an online business?
Ellie:
1.
I started my business because I love pajamas, so my first tip to anyone thinking about starting a business, is to focus on what you love.
2.
Once I knew I wanted to open an online pajama store, I needed a great domain name.I wanted to keep it simple, and did a "happy dance" when ThePajamaCompany.com was available. I grabbed it and knew I was on my way.
3.
Designing a logo is the first step in telling your customer who you are. I wanted my company to be happy, relaxed and fun because that is how I feel about pajamas. I took time to create a logo to portray exactly that. Once I had my logo, the website design was easy.
4.
Two years after starting my business we found ourselves heading back to London. I didnot expect to be an expat again so soon, but with the help of a local fulfillment company and a call center, I was able to pack up my computer and work smoothly from London. Basically, life is always full of twists and turns and the great thing about an online business is that it can be packed up in a suitcase. As with any endeavor, things often do not go as planned.
5.
My years as an expat taught me the importance of networking. My involvement with American Women's Clubs, FAWCO, Girl Scouts and international schools really helped me polish my skills. Now I am using all of those networking skills in business.
Expat Women:
Ellie, thank you very much for sharing your entrepreneurial experience with us. We wish you and The Pajama Company all the very best – wherever you might go next!
