Turning A Family Tradition Into A Multi-Million Dollar Business
Before The Elf On The Shelf hit stores in 2005, it was a family tradition in Chanda Bell's family for decades. Now, more than 11 million elves have been adopted all around the world. Bell, the company's Founder and CEO, explains how she and her family turned their holiday tradition into a viral phenomenon.
When Bell and her mother decided to publish the story behind their family tradition, they pitched it to a number of publishers. After getting turned down from every one they spoke with, they decided to publish the story themselves. Now, 13 years later, that story has become a Christmastime favorite for millions of children.
Bell says that there were a number of challenges getting the company off the ground beyond taking on debt to fund it. Neither she nor her mom or sister had business backgrounds, but Bell says they learned quickly.
Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30. The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk’s foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company’s cars and even protested at some dealerships. Sales rose to 497,099 vehicles, compared with 462,890 in the same period last year.
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