When multiple sclerosis numbed Arlene Turner's hands, making it impossible for her to
grate the lemon and orange zest she used in baking, she searched the world for a
commercially prepared substitute. Finding none, in 1994 the Kelowna, BC-based entrepreneur
developed her own: Zesto. Turner was delighted when supermarkets in B.C. and Alberta
agreed to sell the product, but was disappointed with sales: stores insisted on displaying
Zesto alongside produce instead of baking supplies. So, she ventured into cyberspace to
expand her distribution. "In spite of its size, the Net actually gives you more
control over how your product is represented.", says Turner. She consulted with a
computer technician to ensure that www.zesto.com would pop up whenever anyone searched for
subjects such as spice, baking or multiple sclerosis on major search engines. Turner uses
the site to reach out to customers. "In a store, you don't know who is buying a
product." Every time she ships a jar, she sends an E-mail asking for feedback, and
posts the "Zestomonials" on
her site. Turner also encourages repeat visitors by posting new Zesto recipes every month.
These days, roughly 50 percent of her business comes from her site, with customers hailing
from as far away as Australia. Diversifying into E-business has cost Turner virtually
nothing. Registering a site under a search engine is free. And so is listing Zesto on
various databases, including Export Canada's www.exportcanada.com). She gets further
exposure by linking to complementary sites, such as Diabetic Gourmet, which link back to
hers. Setting up the initial Web site cost a mere $900, plus $100 per month for
maintenance; Turner earned that back in a month. While other companies talk about building
their first site, Turner recently launched hers to make it easier to navigate. The
redesign cost her just $250.00. "The Internet is the least expensive way to get the
word out," she says. "It lets you compete with the big companies and in other
countries. There are no boundaries."
HILARY DAVIDSON
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