About IMA Voices
Welcome to the Internet Merchants Association (IMA) blog. IMA is a non profit trade association and home of some of the foremost merchants on eBay as well as merchants who sell on Amazon, Overstock, Yahoo or their own websites and merchants who operate brick and mortars. IMA was established to provide its members with a forum for exchange of ideas, to build upon each other’s best business practices, and to have a unique presence online. Buyers of members’ items can know for certain that IMA members adhere to those best business practices. Our sponsors include Amazon, eBay, Google and many other major companies that are listed in the column to your right.
Our IMA Voices blog will focus on some of the most common and important challenges impacting today’s business owners, including:
- Avoiding some common business pitfalls (e.g., grow too fast but not wisely; relying too heavily on credit; etc.)
- Current business news
- Expanding your business to multichannels
- Dealing with the ever changing business conditions
- How to smoothly and wisely transition from being a part-time/small business owner to either a full-time/medium or large business owner
- Memorable ways to brand and market your business, including with the use of social media
- Recaps of pertinent business conferences
- Reviews of hot business books
- Unique challenges and advantages of selling on particular online venues like Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, your own website, etc.
Who writes for IMA Voices?
Cathy Aggelopoulos is the owner of Visibility Unlimited, a full service snorkeling, swim and scuba store serving the Chicago area since 1991 and since 2000, and one of IMA’s earliest members. As more and more snorkeling and swim products were introduced into the market, Aggelopoulos realized the need for e-stores dedicated to these products. In 2008, she launched www.snorkelingonline.com, quickly followed by www.just4swim.com. The original Visibility Unlimited e-store is now dedicated to scuba products.
Patricia Pepe is the owner of West Florida Components, an online retailer of electronic components. She has been an IMA member since its inception in November 2006. Almost immediately, she became actively involved in the group, first joining and then chairing its membership committee. She was elected to IMA’s Board of Directors in August 2008, and currently serves on the Board as its Vice President.
Shonali Burke is principal of Shonali Burke Consulting, an “agency of one” that uses strategic, integrated communications to help organizations reach their audiences and achieve their goals, and has been retained by IMA for communication counsel and support. She blogs at Waxing UnLyrical.