| In 1987, Guy and Daniele Veroli moved from Paris to suburban Philadelphia and established French Corner Antiques. Regular buying trips to their homeland helped the couple keep their store stocked with rare and unique items for their many loyal customers. The Verolis were also smart business people, and understood the benefits of periodically reexamining their business strategy.
With the lease on their store set to expire in July 2002, the couple began thinking about taking the store in a distinctly different direction. Because so many of their customers lived outside the area, there was no pressing need for a brick-and-mortar location or regular business hours. E-commerce, on the other hand, posed some intriguing possibilities that would benefit both the Verolis and their customers. They also had the advantage of an existing Web site, and a Paris-based son who could help with design and maintenance.
But many questions remained about the idea, including whether it would work at all. At the suggestion of a friend, the Verolis visited SCORE’s Web site in January 2002 and registered for email counseling. They were soon matched with Ed Piekarz, a retired executive living in Sarasota, FL. Communicating entirely via email, Ed and the Verolis worked through the many technical requirements necessary to move the business to the Internet, as well as mixing “conventional” and online strategies to retain their customer base. |
