Small Business Success Story: SwitchFlops

Running a small business requires passion, dedication, and a strong effort toward customer service. A lot of successful small businesses have found unique ideas that set them apart from other companies. Keep reading to find out how SwitchFlops started out as an idea and flourished into a successful business.

The Idea
At just 16, Lindsay Phillips realized how much women will do and spend to get a beautiful pair of shoes. After creating a ceramic shoe in her high school art class, she saw that she could make a big impact on women’s shoe fashion. She added Velcro straps to her shoe designs and called the product SwitchFlops. Thanks to her innovative idea, women can now buy a pair of shoes, change out the strap, and get a variety of looks.

The Process
Phillips waited four years to earn a patent for her idea. During this time, she did everything she could to learn about the industry to prepare herself for owning a business. She attended classes at Rollins College and got a retail job to learn more about how to merchandise and manufacture a collection. By the time she got her patent, she was more than ready to start her business.

The Success
Even though Phillips could not find an American manufacturer willing to produce her first shoes, she did not give up. She finally found a company to manufacture her shoes in China. What started as a business that ran out of storage shed quickly blossomed into a $30 million business. Phillips had the foresight to change her management model to handle this growth and soon hired a professional CEO to oversee her business. SwitchFlops now has more than 4,000 locations throughout the world and plans to open more in the near future.

With the help of Contact One Call Center, you can find success for your small business. We offer customer service help that allows you to improve communication with your clients. To learn more about our services, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.