Inspiration is the mother of invention. Sami Bayrakci’s business SomethingStore.com came about because he was unable to decide what get a friend for their birthday. Wouldn’t it be nice is someone else would just make the decision for him, he though.
After the sharing the idea with friends, and being laughed at, he went ahead and started the biz himself. He invented under $5,000 for a website and stuff to sell. Most of his original products were small, and lightweight, to keep shipping costs down, but then he did something unexpected:
But he also threw in some expensive goods, like a digital camera and an iPod shuffle. The average price of all the goods had to be under $5, but Bayrakci needed to keep his customers curious and coming back for the thrill of the hunt.
Bayrakci sold about 1,000 “somethings” in each of his first few months. In its first full year, 2008, SomethingStore was profitable — but demand fell during the recession, and 2009 wasn’t so lucky. By 2010, SomethingStore was back in the black.
The key is that people are suckers for a surprise. “Curiosity gets the best of them,” Bayrakci says. He keeps some pricey items in the mix: iPod touches, a Wii system, and even a Dell laptop that retails for $600.
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