A Chat with August’s Profile, Kassie Rempel, founder and owner of SimplySoles

I decided that I was doing more shopping personally through catalogs and via the Internet. I decided that if that’s where I see myself doing most of my shopping, why don’t I create something that I see myself shopping from.

CS: What was your biggest initial challenge?
KR: Educating myself about the industry. My background is accounting, so I was comfortable preparing the business plan and pro formas. And given my passion for shoes, the merchandising was a cinch. Educating myself about printers, paper, mailing lists, postal rates etc., was my challenge. I didn’t realize when I set out to start a catalog, just how many hats I would need to wear. When I say I started a catalog, most people’s response is that it’s so much easier and cheaper than opening a bricks and mortar store. I think all of us in the business would beg to differ.