Datsusara is a Japanese phrase meaning "to leave the salaried/corporate worker's life". Christopher Odell founded Datsusara in 2007 because, as an avid sports participant (in Mixed Martial Arts), he couldn't find gear that met his needs. Datsusara has a singular goal, to make truly functional, high quality gear.
Much of our gear was originally designed specifically for the MMA practitioner’s needs and this remains at our core. But we also make gear for anyone seeking a unique, durable, high quality product to get them through the adventures of life. Whether in the cage, on vacation or simply dealing with a daily commute, we have the gear to get you through.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
The first sales came from friends at Chris' gym. Currently, about 80% of our sales come through Shopify, the rest come from retailers.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
Our order fulfillment is handled by a third party, Fulfillrite, which is integrated with our Shopify system. We also use a number of helpful apps including Happy Ending (for customized order confirmation and thank you page), Back in Stock (to allow customers to sign up for restock alerts), and Refersion (for our affiliate program).
What are your top recommendations for new ecommerce entrepreneurs?
If you're spending more than an hour a day handling shipping then partner with a fulfillment service, like Fulfillrite. This will free your time for more important tasks and the cost is minimal.
I also suggest non-traditional payment services such as either Shopify Payments or Paypal Pro as they are far less complicated, integrate more smoothly with Shopify, and have pricing on par with traditional merchant accounts.