Meet Patrick of FlavorPuff.com and VaporKnowledge.com

Patrick has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He sold his first website on eBay when he was in the 9th grade, and hasn't looked back since. Most recently, Patrick is the creator (along with his business partner, Matt) of the electronic cigarette e-commerce site FlavorPuff.com and the electronic cigarette user review site VaporKnowledge.com.

1. How did you first become interested in the world of electronic cigarettes?

I was out with some friends, and saw that over half of them had made the switch from traditional tobacco cigarettes to electronic cigarettes. I myself smoked, so I became interested in what they were. After making the switch to e-cigs myself, and seeing even more of my friends switching, I realized that this market was something that I wanted to become involved with.

2. How do your websites help educate consumers about electronic cigarettes--and why is there a need for getting information out on this topic?

VaporKnowledge.com exists since my business partner, Matt, and myself saw a void in the marketplace. There are heaps of websites that sell e-cigarette hardware that also allow their customers to review the products, but how much can you trust that? We developed VaporKnowledge.com as an unbiased, user-submitted site where anyone can go on and review most any electronic cigarette product, from the popular to the exotic. Users need this information to make an informed choice in where to spend their hard-earned cash.

3. If people are looking at electronic cigarettes for health reasons (because they are trying to quit smoking), what do you think are the main things to consider in choosing a product?

The FDA has mandated that electronic cigarettes are not stop-smoking aids. Therefore, I can't say that e-cigs help people quit smoking. What I can say, however, is that I have personally had one traditional tobacco cigarette since starting to vape, and it was horrible. My main considerations in choosing an electronic cigarette are price, e-liquid flavor, and the reviews it has gotten. Finding the right balance of cost and personal aesthetic preference, and the tastiest e-liquid, is of utmost importance when it came to me not "relapsing" on traditional cigarettes.

4. When it comes to building a successful website (either for one's own business or as a website to sell), what advice can you share based on your own experience?

I had some website experience while building both FlavorPuff.com and VaporKnowledge.com. In building these two sites, though, I've learned a lot. I think the most important lesson is to outsource what can easily be done by someone else. Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and oDesk are great resources to find virtual assistants (VAs) to do the rote work that comes with running a business.

5. What are some other projects you'll likely be developing over the next year or so?

Looking out over the next year, we're hoping to develop our own product line for FlavorPuff.com. We're also taking steps to establish VaporKnowledge as an authority site for electronic cigarette hardware and e-liquid reviews. It will be interesting to see where we are in a year from now!

Thanks, Patrick!