When Jordan McTaggart launched Your North Apparel, he only meant for the clothing business to be a side hustle.
At the time, in 2016, McTaggart was a student with classes to attend, tuition to manage and rent to pay. He needed a job that he could handle with confidence. Fully tapped into the outdoor-loving culture of his hometown, Grande Prairie, he had the idea of selling Rocky Mountain-branded athleisure. If he sold a few items – T-shirts, hats, joggers – every week at local ice rinks and farmers’ markets, his side hustle could give him the extra boost needed.
But by 2018, the side hustle was quickly becoming a full-time job. McTaggart, 28, underestimated the appetite both for his products and for supporting a young Alberta-bred entrepreneur.
“I received so much support locally, and it just kept snowballing,” he said.
To help manage the growing demand, he needed to develop an online store. Admittedly not well-versed in web design technology, he settled on GoDaddy – the world’s largest services platform for entrepreneurs – and its easy-to-use Website Builder tool to activate GoDaddy Online Store.
GoDaddy Website Builder helps entrepreneurs like McTaggart easily create an online storefront that allows them to upload new products, market limited-edition releases, and track sales and website traffic. With hundreds of professional website templates and expert advice on building a presence and boosting business impact, there’s no need to be a web design or marketing expert either, as McTaggart learned.
“I’m not a tech-savvy person, so I needed web management tools that did the work for me, leaving time to worry about being a student and other aspects of my business,” he said.
As an increasing number of Canadians develop side hustles to supplement income, an online presence is more vital than ever, especially in an increasingly tech-focused world. An online presence allows businesses to promote products and services, connect with new customers, and build credibility. That’s where GoDaddy steps in as a proud supporter in helping Alberta-owned businesses on their road to success by also offering domain registration, marketing tools and much more.
“Our Website Builder offers a large selection of modern templates that suit unique business needs and includes built-in marketing tools to help businesses grow,” said Anne De Aragon, VP and Country Manager for GoDaddy Canada. “[McTaggart’s] business is a prime example of how to successfully run an online business – taking an integrated marketing approach that utilizes e-commerce, email marketing and social media.”
McTaggart’s investment in GoDaddy has more than paid off through Your North Apparel’s success across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Now, he has plans to expand across Canada.
The young founder said GoDaddy has also helped him find enough balance so that, on some days, Your North Apparel still feels like the side hustle he intended. McTaggart is now able to keep the business on track and pursue his other life and career goals.
GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain registrar for small businesses, serving over 1 million customers in Canada. To learn more, visit godaddy.com/en-ca.
This content was produced for the advertiser by RedPoint Media for commercial purposes. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Avenue staff.