Launch Lessons: The Creators of Vejibag

Welcome to Launch Lessons: our new series featuring Squarespace entrepreneurs who have built their own businesses through sheer persistence, problem-solving, and passion. These founders are sharing their stories with the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs with big ideas. If you believe in something, launch it.

For eco-conscious Vejibag founder Sally Erickson and her daughter Sarah Erickson, the idea for the business came out of necessity. Sally was looking for a way to keep her produce fresh from the time it left her greenhouse until the time it went home with customers at a local market. After prototyping the bags in her living room, Sally ultimately found that there was enough interest from the community to support her launching a full-fledged business. We spoke to her daughter Sarah about how the initial launch went and what they have learned so far. 

Squarespace: What did you find most challenging about the launch of your website or business?

Sarah Erickson: Taking beautiful imagery without a professional studio or photographer was a challenge. Because Squarespace is so photo-driven, we knew the images would make or break our website. One day we bought a ton of produce from our local co-op, threw a denim shirt on my husband, and grabbed a old ladder to try to take some shots in our very tiny kitchen. Some magic happened that day. The combination of natural light from our big antique windows, the marble background I had made using wallpaper and an old board, and the miscellaneous knives, cutting boards and bowls we pulled from our shelves came together into photography that really felt like us. We've yet to have another photoshoot that we like better, and we joke that my husband's hands are now all over the internet. 

SQSP: When did you know you were ready to launch your business?

SE: When our founder Sally (my mom) discovered that our product really works, she was ready to launch the business. Our first website was built on a different platform. None of us really knew what we were doing there. When I came on board to our family business full time, I knew we needed something more modern, elegant, and shoppable. I pushed the team to move forward with a Squarespace site — they were all really resistant at first. New can be scary! Once the site was live they were over the moon with how quickly we had completely updated our brand’s online presence. I believe many of our wholesale clients never would have come to us without our Squarespace website. The look and feel of our site was instrumental in the current success of our business.  

SQSP: Was there a moment — before or after going live — when you had to shift your game plan? How did you navigate that change?

SE: For most of our company's history, the majority of our business has been via wholesale purchases. With Covid-19 and everyone staying home, we found that our online sales have more than doubled. So adjusting to fulfilling more individual orders has been a challenge. Working with our fulfillment company at the beginning of the pandemic, our main contact started shipping vejibags from her house when she couldn't go into work due to social distancing requirements. We had to let our customers know that we were only shipping one day per week. Everyone really understood the challenges and was flexible with waiting for their orders. All of our materials and manufacturing come from the US, so luckily our supply chain wasn't affected the way that folks who purchase internationally might be. One more reason we feel happy that we are 100% US made! 

SQSP: What’s one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs?

SE: If you're interested in starting something, don't get hung up on perfection. Start with your “Shitty First Draft.” Take the pictures, write the cheesy bio, sew the first bag. You can edit and improve as you go, but you've got to have a draft to work with. Perfection happens later, (or never). 

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