Few things are as empowering as working for yourself as an entrepreneur. And unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe entrepreneurship is only for a few. Through Hometown Ecommerce—a company that helps clients build thriving e-commerce businesses—CEO Mike Hale is aiming to empower more people than ever to support themselves through online companies.

Hale sums up his company's purpose succinctly: "Our mission is simple: democratize e-commerce by providing accessible, hands-on support for individuals looking to build their own online businesses and secure their financial futures."

Even if they're drawn to the idea of making a living through e-commerce, some would-be entrepreneurs have avoided going into the field, thinking it's too volatile. So, it might come as a surprise that Hale is able to help Hometown Ecommerce customers reach an unexpected level of financial stability.

However, it took him a good bit of trial and error to get there. Hometown Ecommerce started like many successful businesses do—as a passion project. Hale started focusing on e-commerce in 2018. He was intrigued by the explosion of online stores and began creating his own. The stores did well, and soon, Hale started helping his friends and family members start their own stores.

At this point, his business formula involved centering each store on a single online marketplace. It worked for a time, but it caused enough uncertainty that he decided it was time for a change.

"The big word that keeps coming to mind is diversification," he says of his new, improved strategy. Hale now recommends his clients diversify their e-commerce businesses across multiple online sales platforms.

Hale explains that the single-channel strategy jeopardizes financial security. Major online marketplaces can suspend seller accounts with no notice, causing potentially huge disruptions in revenue. If your store isn't established anywhere else, you run the risk of losing your entire income stream for an indeterminate amount of time. 

However, when an e-commerce business is active across multiple sales platforms, the disruption to a business is comparatively minimal.

Diversifying an online store sounds simple in practice. However, there are significant logistical challenges to consider, from remaining compliant with platform regulations to keeping track of inventory across marketplaces. 

That's where Hometown Ecommerce comes in. Hale's company works closely with new e-commerce entrepreneurs, supporting them until they can manage companies on their own. "We give them as many resources as possible to reassure them," he says. "Past a certain point, we no longer need to do that because they're actually seeing results. We're very results-oriented."

Hale understands that some people are always going to look askance at e-commerce, but he hopes to change that perception over time. "Ecommerce gets a bad rep because when you first hear about it, it seems too good to be true. We one hundred percent understand. Most players are not good players," he says. 

"We're here to do it differently. We're here to show people that, yes, they can tap into the e-commerce world. Yes, they can make passive income. Yes, it can be life-changing."