Ecommerce Diaries: Helen Bowler of Memories Box

The Story Behind Memories Box

We speak to scores of businesses each month in the process of gathering editorial or insight for our content (or just in answering questions). And every now and then we come across a business or an idea so unique we all have an “aah” moment in the office. That was certainly the case when we came across Memories Box.

Memories Box is run by Helen Bowler, who runs the business singlehandedly while simultaneously homeschooling her son.

The business sells boxes packed with books and activities designed to help children to prepare for the death of a loved one or to help them understand their feelings after the death of a loved one or pet.

We spoke to founder, Helen, to find out more.

The Inspiration for Her Business

“I started my business in April 2021 after realising that adults were finding the topic of life, loss and grief a really difficult conversation to have with their children or those in their care,” Helen tells us.

Having always been very open discussing death with her own son, she felt motivated to help other parents and carers to achieve the same.

The Technology Behind the Business

The Memories Box website sites on WordPress (WooCommerce). This is something Helen finds a vast improvement on the first iteration of her site that was on Weebly.

“It (WooCommerce) is a great platform for me as it provides everything that I need right now,” Helen told us.

Amongst the things she finds most helpful is the app, allowing her to see sales in real time.

As with any small business owner going online for the first time without any previous experience of running websites, there are things Helen find she needs support with. She tells us,

“WooCommerce can be overwhelming and I needed guidance on how to use it.”

The Highs and Lows

Running any sort of business will come with good days and bad days. And things are no different for Helen.

She launched the business in the middle of a pandemic and manages it while homeschooling her son. So time is tight, for sure.

But as well as the challenges, the business comes with its rewards. And not all rewards are monetary or related to sales figures. In fact, Helen cites one of the biggest highlights as featuring on radio station, Wycombe Sound.

Advice for New Ecommerce Businesses

While Helen’s business is relatively new, she’s already had the opportunity to learn valuable lessons, dodge a dodgy ecommerce platform and establish a website she can manage herself. So what would her one piece of advice be for people starting out their own ecommerce journey be?

She says,

“Just go for it! Unless you try you will never know, but do it with support and as cheaply as possible.”