Utah Mom Turns $5K Investment into $55MM in 6 years

SALT LAKE CITY - April 29, 2014 - PRLog -- STEALS.com celebrates 6 years in business with the anniversary of it’s first website, babySTEALS.com this month.

(April 29, 2014) Salt Lake City, UT — Mompreneur, Jana Francis, is celebrating the six year anniversary of babySTEALS.com, the first of six websites in the STEALS.com conglomeration.  With $5,000 of her own savings, an ambition to succeed, and the help of her business partner, Rett Clevenger, she launched the first deal-of-the-day website for moms in 2008. Since it’s inception, STEALS.com has earned $55MM in total revenues and employs over 60 people in Utah, with a staff comprised of 77% women.

Francis’ motivation to start babySTEALS.com came after returning back to the corporate world after maternity leave. Unable to find a site that sold the the best baby products at steep discounts, Francis was inspired to launch her own deal-of-the-day website. Featuring name-brand boutique clothing, accessories and gear for babies and moms at up to 80% off, they spotlight a new deal every 12-hours.

Without a traditional marketing budget the site reached widespread popularity amongst moms all over the U.S. and Canada. Unlike the competition, Francis and Clevenger decided to turn down investors and loans and rolled up their sleeves, doing every job in the business the first year. Now, they have a 35,000 sq ft warehouse in Salt Lake City and continue to grow organically. The company grows by what Francis calls the “word of mom.”

“Our customers have given us personal referrals, become our friends, evangelized the brands we work with, and connected with us in cities all over North America,” Francis commented.  “I never could have imagined customers as loyal we have.”

The company continues to have an 87% retention rate, which particularly high for ecommerce.

“We bend over backward to connect with our customers and do everything in our power to make them part of our family,” Francis explains. “We’ve sent flowers to customers who have experienced loss, sent hundreds of personal thank you cards and continue to delight customers in ways other businesses would never do.”

After six years of organic growth, STEALS.com has figured out a successful recipe for entrepreneurial success – humble roots, customer service, and niche marketing.