We had the good fortune of connecting with Jevon Howell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jevon, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Unlike most who struggle a greater part of their young adult life to understand what they aspire to be, I knew since middle school that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. Having and managing my own business always seemed to me like life truest expression of freedom, and living life by my values. But despite business always being my dream, it’s also been a source of anxiety as the very action itself would strike terror in me fearing that I could fail. This irrational fear would ultimately have me delay the start of my journey for many years.

Fast forward to 2020, a year that will live on in infamy for some, I saw a great opportunity. With online sales booming, I decided to face my fears and begin my business journey selling on Amazon. I started out flipping products from Walmart and dollar stores as many flocked to online platforms like Amazon looking to minimize their exposure to the novel coronavirus. After six months looked to scale the business starting with with shifting from buying in retail stores to buying from wholesale distributors, hiring my first contractor to source new products, and outsourced product packing and prepping. I was ecstatic seeing my dreams manifesting and bearing fruit. Unfortunately, however, this celebration wouldn’t last long.

It was late January 2021, approximately two months after the pivot to wholesale the market began to shift as supply chains slowly sprung back to life and large competitors who were biding their time re-entered the market. Profits fell sharply as these bulk buyers commanded much lower prices from manufacturers than we could comfortably match leading us to sell much of our inventory items at a loss.

As disheartening as this entire circumstance was, a silver lining did appear as it was in this moment I uncovered a largely untapped need. Many of the brands I sold had products that were undoubtedly amazing, but were poorly marketed, and as a result had stunted sales and growth. Their product pages would often have bad or low-quality images, bullets that failed to convey key product features, and often little to no product descriptions. As a result, many were leaving money on the table and didn’t even realize it was happening. What I realized was that many small brands chronically lacked time, knowledge, and/or even experience to market and sell their products. Understanding that my Amazon and business management experience could prove more valuable to brands than simply purchasing their products from a distributor, I created ShopHowell. Our motto of “making e-commerce easy” is more than a jumble of words, it’s our promise to our clients.

What should our readers know about your business?
ShopHowell is dedicated to simplifying e-commerce success for small, minority, and women-owned businesses. What sets us apart is our personalized approach and our unique SHOP Method (Style, Hone, Optimize, Promote), which provides custom end-to-end solutions tailored to each client’s needs. From market research and product packaging design to setting up online stores and managing advertising campaigns, we ensure our clients have everything they need to succeed online.

I am incredibly proud of the impact we’ve had on our community, especially through our workshop series, and services which has helped numerous businesses understand and thrive in the e-commerce space and improve their branding and positioning on platforms like Amazon and Shopify. Our journey has been anything but easy. From the outset, I faced skepticism and financial struggles, often needing to sell plasma and take on a second job to pay my team. For a year and a half, I managed each paycheck bit by bit, borrowing and begging to ensure my team was paid. Despite being three weeks behind on payroll at times, I inspired my team to stay hopeful and motivated.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned are the importance of resilience, the power of a supportive team, and the necessity of a clear, focused vision. We used to cater to many niches but have since focused on the e-commerce sector, specializing in Amazon. This focus has clarified our offerings and messaging, allowing us to serve our clients better and make reliable projections.

What I want the world to know about ShopHowell is that we are a business born out of empathy and a passion for helping minority entrepreneurs. Our team is diverse, including members from Hispanic, Black, and Asian communities, all committed to empowering underrepresented businesses to thrive in the digital economy. We believe in leveling the playing field and are dedicated to providing the tools, knowledge, and support needed for our clients to succeed online.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If it was a week long, Id start them off with the touristy must see places starting with Ocean Drive where we can have a few drinks at the Clevelander, take a walk along the beach and ofcourse indulge in the sun. From there can take them to the “locals beach” South Point and see the ships as they sail by and maybe catch a glimpse of a celebrity on Fisher Island. From there Wynwood exploring the Walls and the various artsy locations that has defined this up-and-coming area. We would have lunch on the beach but dinner at Versailles. Can hang out in Brickell City Centre and watch a movie in the upper-class experience of the theatre. From there nightlife would be a must choosing either Tu Candela, Blue Martini, or Space. Another hangout spot that Id like to take them to for happy hour would be the Citadel. If they’re into nature, can do an Everglades boat tour and also Vizcaya.

Id have to take them outside of Miami and explore a bit of Broward, namely Fort Lauderdale Beach so they see the contrast between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, namely to see that Fort Lauderdale Beach is superior to South Beach. Can explore Las Olas and the waterfront and spend a night viewing the nightlife or walking and viewing the nice homes on the water.

As far as foods they’d eat, Id recommend Chef Creole for Haitian food, Chef Tally for Jamaican smoke BBQ or King Jerk, and Versailles for Cuban. As for other foods they’d have to try, Id say pastellitos de queso, Krispy Kreme donuts baked fresh from a location, and Kabobji for meditteranean food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I want to dedicate much of the love and support to my amazing team, namely Victoria, Stephanny, Felipe, and Rommel. These were the four folks who I consider our original founders and the people who supported the mission in the midst of my immaturity, times when payroll wasnt guaranteed, and ultimately were patient as our company slowly figured itself out and came to be what it is today. They are the reason I am here and I am immensely grateful for their trust, and loyalty.

I also want to express much love to FIU and the many mentors I had from Dean Espinosa from the Honors College, to Garth Headley, and ofcourse the amazing organization NFTE or the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship which initially helped spark my entrepreneurial intrigue back in high school and continued to support me long after I was an alumni and early stage business owner.

Website: https://shophowell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shophowell/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jevonhowell/

Image Credits
The photos in our portfolio are images from the brands we currently or have worked with in the past. As such the images are still legally theirs.

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