October 18, 2011

Shopify’s Kickass Build A Business Contest

Have you been thinking about creating an online store but find yourself spinning your wheels, either not sure where to start or whether you can even afford it? Well, thanks to the folks at Shopify, an Ottawa-based e-commerce software startup, all that’s about to change.

Based on the success of last year’s Build-A-Business contest, which generated a whopping 1,350 new businesses and $3.5 million in gross sales, they’ve decided to do it all again. And they’re kicking things up a notch (or 10). In addition to offering more than $500,000 in giveaways and prizes, this year’s first place finisher will get:

• lunch with marketing guru Seth Godin (actually cooked by Seth--how cool is that?)
• a one-hour power session with bestselling author and rock star entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk
• dinner with Tim Ferris, author of the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek during a VIP trip to California

So what are you waiting for? Throw your hat in the ring for the 2011 Shopify Build-A-Business Contest. The deadline is October 31, 2011.

1. Think of something to sell. Fancy jewelry? Handmade iPad cases? Novelty t-shirts?
2. Create your store. Set up is quick and easy (you’ll actually be amazed).
3. Sign up for the contest.
4. Build your business with Shopify’s help.

And once you've created your online store, let me know. I'd love to see how it turned out.

As a disclaimer, I use affiliate links for some of the products listed. They are all products I absolutely love and trust and would recommend regardless of whether they have an affiliate program.

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Categories: Customer Engagement, Ecommerce, Marketing Strategy