In our ongoing series of Startup profiles, we interviewed Jason Keath, the Social Media Director of Heels.com, an online women's shoe boutique. 1) What is your 30 second elevator pitch? Jason Keath:  Heels.com is an interactive online women's shoe boutique.  People often say that with the big box retailers and the impersonalization of the internet that shopping has lost a little of its fun.  Heels.com was created to bring the fun back to shopping.  We aim to be the top online shopping destination for women's shoes. 2) Describe the planning leading up to your launch? Jason Keath:  We arduously studied the women's designer shoe industry as a whole but also the top players in the industry.  We analyzed where we thought we could be the most competitive and built the site around that target demographic. Selling high end women's shoes also creates many inventory challenges.  Shoes must be ordered 6 months in advance typically and the brand has a large impact on the numbers of sizes you can order. This makes growth and sales projections incredibly intricate as we try to estimate our sales numbers so far in advance.  And for products whose demand depends greatly on quick changing trends, our planning must be careful, but at the same time, we set high growth goals. 3) What market need do you fill? Jason Keath:  We turn the shopping process into a fun experience.  We ship all over the globe.  Our target demographic is female, age 18 to 35 but we have many customers from 13 to 80.  There is really no age limit for enjoying a good pair of shoes.  If someone wants a new pair of shoes to put a little strut in her step, then Heels.com is the place to be. There are lots of online shoe stores out there, but few are focused on selling designer and high fashion shoes.  Our international reach and focus on using internet technology to give our customers a better experience sets us apart as a shoe buying experience. 4) What is your and your team's background? Jason Keath:  We host a diverse mix of fashion experience, entrepreneurs, web developers and designers; while also including strong marketing backgrounds. 5) How are you funded and what is your revenue model? Jason Keath:  We are privately funded.  Our owners have created and sold past successful startups. 6) What is the importance of being based in NC? Jason Keath:  Our founder/CEO, Eric McCoy, lives in uptown Charlotte and he would not have it any other way. Charlotte and NC in general are a growing tech region for the east coast.  Heels.com is just one of many startups that are beginning to thrive here.  Charlotte also offers a great shipping home in the center of the east coast and is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and great for new businesses.  Charlotte is home to 8 Fortune 500 companies, the 2nd largest financial center in the country, and is one of the top cities for young, talented professionals who decide to relocate.  We are big believers that Charlotte is a great place to do business.