A Fond Farewell

Without the unique style and design flair of Pursesnickety!'s fashionable purses, Deborah Nail's business might not be recognizable from the one that embarked on Entrepreneur and Interland's tech makeover project a year ago. Along with a new website, new Treo smartphones from Sprint and new laptops from IBM, Nail's company also has a new attitude. It's tech-savvy, internet-ready and on the cutting edge of online marketing.

And Pursesnickety! is growing like gangbusters. "We've got to expand and hire some new people," says Nail, 41. "I need a secretary, a new seamstress and a bigger space."

After a year of being inundated with new web features and technology, a big question awaits Nail: Which services and hardware will she keep? "Everything," she says. "We're not changing anything." From the e-mail marketing campaigns to the search engine advertising to the laptops and Treos, she's sticking with all of it.

Content Continues Below

She also plans to explore new ways to use the technologies. For example, one perk she's discovered is the ability to use Interland's mass e-mail service to quickly and easily update sales reps on new products and information.

The laptops and Treo smartphones mean that nobody is ever out of touch when the Pursesnickety! team is off on their frequent trade show travels. And the new Pursesnickety.com is more than just good looks. The reborn website is an invaluable reference for wholesale customers and has been a tremendous boost to the retail side of the business. It has also helped speed up order processing.

Though we've reached the end of our year following the Pursesnickety! makeover, it's just the beginning for Nail's company. Embracing technology has made Nail more efficient and allowed her to expand her product lines and customer base.

"Our business has tripled," Nail says. Pursesnickety! purses can now be found in 49 states and seven countries. Nail beams when she looks back at all the progress over the last year. "We're very grateful," she says. Pursesnickety!'s technology and website now have as much pizazz as its purses.