Wines for Autism is an online wine retailer, and this week’s featured ShopTab user, that is devoted to making a difference through funding research and raising awareness of Autism.

Christine Roffi, founder of Wines for Austism, is spreading her message by leveraging Social Media to expand her business and increase brand awareness. Her website offers a very interesting blog, helpful wine education, and links to the company’s featured Non-Profit Organizations.

Q: Why did you start Wines for Autism?

A:  Before my son was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday, I was working as a freelance translator and helping my husband with his wine business. Helping my son recover from his initial diagnosis became my full time job and forced me to stop everything else I was doing.  As he improved significantly thanks to biomedical interventions I had a little more time on my hands.

I felt an obligation to give back to my community for getting my son back.

Using my background as an advantage, I started Wines for Autism from home on a zero dollar budget less than two months ago. The goal of Wines for Autism is to promote awareness that there is hope for children suffering from an autism spectrum disorder and to help fund non-profit organizations that aid the families affected by autism.

I have made it my mission to spread awareness of the effectiveness of biomedical interventions while supporting charities that share my beliefs and have been helping families like ours. Wines for Autism, Inc. gives one-third of its gross profits from all sales to our autism non-profit organizations.

Q: How does your business raise awareness for autism?

A: Whenever possible the products themselves have an Autism Awareness Ribbon logo as well as the websites of my autism charity partners on the labels. With each wine or wine club purchase we include a letter about Wines for Autism’s mission for the recipient.

We also donate wine to our autism charity partners for their fundraising events. We supplied wines to the National Autism Association for their National Autism Conference last November and we have several events for which we plan to supply wines to our partners in 2010.  This is a win-win since it builds awareness of Wines for Autism among our community and brings in revenue for our partners.

Q: How does Wines for Autism contribute to the research and cure for autism?

A: My immediate goal is to help families in a dire financial situation that are unable to access biomedical interventions which are not covered by health insurance or any other sources through grants provided by my autism charity partners.

My dream is to have Wines for Autism help fund the research and cure for autism too.

Q: Where do you get your wines?

A: My wines are provided by my partner, Geerlings and Wade, which has been in business for over 20 years. Like many people, several members of this company are personally affected by autism and know all too well the difficulties and challenges associated with autism.

Q: What markets do you cater to? Do you sell offline as well?

A: We cater nationally.  We do not sell offline although some of our wines are offered in a few retail outlets or restaurants through other sources.  However, only when you order online can we benefit our autism non-profit organizations and this is something I want to stress upon.  Order at www.winesforautism.com only.

Q: How has Social Media helped expand your business?

A: Our Facebook Wines for Autism Fan Page is an integral part of the business.  It is here that I share my daily successes and trials of my son’s battle with other people in the Autism community among other things and encourage my fans to spread the word about Wines for Autism.

What we need to do over 2010 is move outside our fan base that is primarily families directly affected by autism to reach consumers that don’t have to deal with autism on a daily basis and the financial burden that comes with it.

I am firm believer that Social Media is a tremendous tool for any company.  I now need to learn how to crack the code of Social Media and make my mission go viral.

Q: How do you feel ShopTab could benefit businesses and entrepreneurs?

A: I was immediately seduced by the application when searching for ways to make my wines more easily available to my Facebook Fans.  It just makes sense to me to have this feature for any business with a Fan Page on Facebook.  I particularly loved how easy it was to sign up and set up a Facebook Store especially since my computer skills are very limited not to mention the price factor and how great it looks.  I felt like the monthly ShopTab cost is such a small investment to make for my business that I have nothing to lose.  Being a start-up business, I am watching my pennies.

There is no doubt in my mind that ShopTab could benefit any business regardless of its size and any entrepreneur whether he/she is a business veteran or a stay-at-home mom.

Please check out Wines for Autism at http://www.winesforautism.com/ as well as their ShopTab Facebook.

Please leave any comments or questions about Wines for Autism, ShopTab, or your own business below or on the ShopTab Facebook Application page.