A father-son business is creating jobs, and spreading happiness, through socks

In 2016, Mark and John Cronin started a company with a unique mission: spreading happiness through socks. It was inspired by John's love for colorful socks, or what he calls his “crazy socks.” John has Down syndrome, and when he graduated high school, he wanted to go into business with his dad. And so, John’s Crazy Socks was born.

Like many retail businesses, selling socks is a seasonal business. So to expand their customer base year-round, John and Mark turned to advertising online. Since then, the company has soared. They now ship more than 1,500 orders a day to 44 countries and employ 35 people, 16 of whom have different capabilities. The company donates 5 percent of their earnings to the Special Olympics and supports a variety of other charity partners.  

Watch the video to learn more about how John and Mark are spreading happiness through socks, and check out google.com/retail to learn how retail businesses can grow with the help of Google.