Appliance Zone

Jim Allen launched ApplianceZone.com in October 2008, offering customers the lowest prices on appliance parts found anywhere on the web. Appliancezone.com is a leading on-line retailer of appliance parts and accessories for do-it-yourself homeowners and repair technicians alike. We have conducted a short interview with Jim.

What was your key philosophy for the success of your business?

When my wife Paula and I started this business we knew that above all it was going to take a lot of long hours and hard work if we were going to do it right. Hard work pays is a saying that applies 100% to our situation.

How did you startup at first, and how do you make a deep impression for your customers?

We started off with $1,000 and a web page made by my son. Customer service was what made us stand out from the competition. We want our customers to come to us anytime they need an appliance part or accessory. That's how we started this business and that's how we still operate today.

Who are you targeting and how did you grow your business?

We've really focused on the do it yourself homeowner. Homeowners need a trustworthy place that not only has the parts they need but can also get sound advice. We have customer service reps that will work with you over live chat to make sure you get the part you need.

What leads you to the charitable cause?

As a company we wanted something that would benefit a very deserving part of our population. We also wanted to help the appliance repair industry. A natural fit is our Appliance Zone Veteran Scholarship Program. We’ve received a ton of applications for this scholarship which is for some online coursework. We have had multiple people in the program and feel that it is a growing success. To help get the word out we created ApplianceTechScholarship.com. The site has all the information about the scholarship as well as a link to the application.

What are the challenges you have faced since your business was ranked 3rd in America by Inc 500?

It is important to us that we don’t lose sight of our goal. That goal is to provide quality parts and excellent customer service all of the time. As long as we stay with that mindset I think we’ll be around for years to some.