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Business & Tech

Meet Lisa Marshall, eStore Owner

"Our store is like the old five and dime store, except we're open 24 hours a day and we sell worldwide."

If you are looking for a piggy wiggy wire whisk, a nutcracker shaped like a squirrel, or a wooden drying rack for your homemade spaghetti, Lisa Marshall has got you covered. From a small warehouse space at 77 Woodland St. in Manchester, Lisa's kitchen gadgets are shipped all over the world. Her web store is at www.jensco.com.

Timothy Becker: Lisa, I understand that you have an e-commerce business here in Manchester. What exactly is your business and how does it work?

Lisa Marshall: Jensco.com is the web address and we specialize in hard to find household goods like kitchen gadgets and specialized household cleaners. We are like the old time 5 & 10 Cent Store. We are like a Marlowe's without the brick and mortar, and we ship worldwide.

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Timothy Becker: What kind of hard to find goods do you sell?

Lisa Marshall: We have the old fashioned metal ice cube trays with the lever, bottle brushes and Feemster slicers for slicing vegetables. We have 3,400 active products.

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Timothy Becker: How long have you been in business?

Lisa Marshall: Jensco was incorporated in 1983. My Mom, Jody started the business with my Dad, Wes selling uniforms and awards for youth athletic programs. The business was inactive for a period of time in the late 1980s. When my Dad retired he restarted Jensco. That was at the same time that I lost my job when Ames Department Stores went out of business. We decided to work together. Mom does all the bookkeeping and accounting. My Dad and I do all the website design, product selection, and order fulfillment.

Timothy Becker: Where are your customers from?

Lisa Marshall: They are from everywhere: Australia, Japan, South America, South Africa, and Russia to name a few. About 90 percent of our sales are in the U.S.

Timothy Becker: Why do your customers buy from you rather than from Walmart or Target?

Lisa Marshall: It is easier to shop from home. Who wants to wait in a long checkout lines to buy a vegetable peeler?

Timothy Becker: Has the recent increase in gasoline prices affected your business?

Lisa Marshall: Ultimately, I hope that it helps our business. The reality is that many people just don't have time to shop today, and coupled with the rising price of gas, it makes more fiscal sense to sit at home and shop online. We do have some concerns regarding rising wholesale costs, but we’re working diligently to control what we can.

Timothy Becker: Do your customers know that they are buying from a family business?

Lisa Marshall: We talk about who we are on our site: a mom, a dad, and a daughter running the business.

Timothy Becker: Has the recession affected your business?

Lisa Marshall: Our sales have been steady over the past few years. We only buy what we need. We can control our costs and overhead. Bad weather is good for our business. People stay home and shop online. We receive orders 24 hours a day, even while we sleep.

Timothy Becker: Can your business be exciting?

Lisa Marshall: Yes. Every day when I log on, I find orders waiting for me.

Timothy Becker: What plans are in the future for Jensco?

Lisa Marshall: I wouldn't rule out opening a retail store, but I'm not sure when or if that will happen. Right now we want to make sure that we change with new technology, provide good customer service, and deliver our products.  The only way you survive is by having integrity and making sure that we take care of our most valuable asset: our customers.

Timothy Becker: Has the earthquake in Japan affected your business?

Lisa Marshall: One of our big suppliers is having issues getting some products that we normally sell. Retailers may have shortages of stainless steel utensils and porcelain plates. 

Timothy Becker: What do you like most about your business?

Lisa Marshall: Flexibility is a plus. I don't have to take a vacation day to wait for the cable guy. I don't have to deal with office politics. I am doing what I think I was meant to do. As a company we have a lot of unexplored opportunities and we are ready for the challenge. Getting to work with my mom and dad has brought a new positive dimension to our relationship.

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