Building a Business that Matters – Amanda’s Founder Story

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Amanda Davies shares all about taking her business online in this interview. Find out how she now has 10 times more customers than before!

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Amanda Davies never let hard times get in her way. Because of Covid, she chose to move her business online. This way, she could grow her business and keep her customers safe. Since then, she has helped hundreds of happy customers and uses some of her profits to help local animal rescues.

She started her online store PDMTrading.co.za using Portmoni, and her sales went from 15 customers to over 200 customers every month, and growing!

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Amanda D.

In this interview we’ll see:

Let’s dive into it!

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The Story of Amanda and PDM Trading

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In times of trouble, people often have a choice: either hunker down or take a chance and explore new opportunities. That’s the choice Amanda Davies faced, not just once but twice in her life.

The first time was during the recession in South Africa, back in April 2008. That’s when she saw an opportunity to start a business with the help of her family. She began selling tapes, stationary, and media products.

PDM Trading then transitioned its business around fashion, selling the latest handbags and shoes, as well as a few new clothing lines. But Amanda was not just running a business. She was also helping fulfill her second love by reinvesting her money into rescues that help animals in South Africa.

This might have been enough for Amanda and PDM Trading. A successful business, happy clients, and help for the animals she loves. That is, if not for the pandemic.

When Covid forced everyone back into their homes, Amanda saw another opportunity. She would go online with her business, so her customers could safely get the products they trusted.

“With Covid, I have found it so difficult to go out and buy goods.”

She understood the fear her customers would have to go out and buy goods. She needed to reach them from the safety of their own homes.

So, she decided to expand her business online with an online store for PDM Trading. She wanted “an online shop for all.” A place where customers could find everything they needed at affordable prices.

 And that’s where Portmoni comes in.

Why Amanda chose Portmoni

When Amanda was looking for an eCommerce platform, she had two main concerns. First, she worried about wasting her money. And second, she was concerned that no customers would visit her site.

After finding out about Portmoni, she saw the reviews from other businesses already using the platform and decided to go for it.

“If existing customers are happy, then surely I would be too”.

And once she tried Portmoni out, she discovered how true that statement was. She found the platform to be the “most user-friendly website ever, plus so affordable”. That’s indeed what Portmoni aims for: simplicity and affordability.

For Amanda, her favorite part of her online shop is how easy it is to access and how easy it is to place an order. And every time a new order comes in, she’s instantly notified by email, so she can ship products as soon as possible.

And not only is Portmoni a platform easy to use; it also helped Amanda grow her business.

How Portmoni Helped Amanda’s Business Grow

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When Amanda first started PDM Trading, she had to cold call customers, building her business one customer at a time. But her online store on Portmoni changed all that.

She went from starting out with 15 customers to getting over 200 customers every month. And the numbers keep increasing. Just this month, her website reached a record 6,000 visitors in a single month after the holiday season. Well done!

How does she achieve such great results? A lot of that value comes out of the tactics Amanda uses to promote her business. And her #1 tactic for finding customers is posting new stock on Facebook and Instagram.

“Social media is our biggest way of promoting our website”.

She links her website from these posts, which encourages people to explore her full catalog. That leads to more sales, more engagement with her products, and more opportunities for repeat customers.

Things are definitely going well for Amanda and PDM Trading. With a record month just passed, who knows what the future could bring?

What’s Next

Amanda is already looking into new ways she can promote and expand her business.

For instance, while most of Amanda’s clientele is female, she’s now working on expanding her product range with a selection for men.

Her plans also include discussing with celebrities about promoting PDM Trading products. She sees it as an opportunity for a good partnership. “Since they are […] influencers, they can promote our website more”.

Bottom Line

Through times of trouble, Amanda managed to build her business, PDM Trading, and expand it online on Portmoni.

She has taken her love of fashion and turned it into a business that helps hundreds of satisfied clients. And she also provides funds to support animal rescues in South Africa.

With a record 6,000 visitors to her site in one month, and plans to partner with celebrities and influencers, the future of PDM Trading looks bright.

If you’d like to follow Amanda’s lead and build your own online store, check out Portmoni’s 14-day free trial. You have a choice, but only one answer leads to new opportunities!

Want to start your online store?

Create your high-quality online store in 5 minutes.

Start your 14-day free trial

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