My Venture - Any opinions?

[darrenwis]

Hi,

Over the next few weeks I am planning on putting my website together and starting to trade online. I originally aimed to go into the sporting world, however, this has not been followed as there are no decent sports drop shippers. Starting with a limited budget this is where i am going to have to start.

I am now looking into baby/children’s products, offering a range of products for babies such as prams and small toys up to
children's motorised vehicles, board games etc. I'm also going to have a section dedicated to educational material to give small children the best possible start to life. I know this is a competitive market but i have found most markets are and just like sport and electronics industry i will always be undercut by the big guns. Any initial views on this?

I want to pride myself on service and although this will be starting part-time customer will either get a reply within a couple of hours or a call back regarding any queries.

Through marketing, I am looking to target schools/nurseries and obviously posters, newsletters and local papers to get the public aware of my business. By having an article page I am looking to advertise other schools/nurseries etc so they are getting publicity on my site in swap for my publicity and word of mouth their side.

I would love to hear your professional views on this and as always i will take everything onboard. I've been researching different ideas for a few months now and would love to hear your opinion on this.

Kind regards,
Darren

[dave_n]

Hi Darren
The first question I have is - what made you move from your specialised area (sports) to babywear rather than from sports to a.n other?

[darrenwis]

Hi Darren
The first question I have is - what made you move from your specialised area (sports) to babywear rather than from sports to a.n other?

Good question, i feel that this is a place with a lot of potential and where i know i can be motivated and determined to become a successfull business. Like any other market it is competative but unlike most industries, chidren always NEED toys, prams etc. While in the sporting market a new pair of football boots could be a option rather than a need.

[dave_n]

One thing you should always remember for website based business is that it is STILL word of mouth that gets you noticed.
You can do all the SEO in the world but if your service and cust care status is shoddy then you won't win (just ask gerald ratner).
Often you see people totally obsessed with SEO and web rankings.....this is not the basis of a good business.
Do some market research first...establish your customer targeting and take some samples out into the world.
Get a feel for the type of customer you will attract and the type you want to attract...assess how much business u want to generate thro the web and how much you realistically will generate.
I have developed sites for customers who insisted their clientelle would be web based and against my better judgement they failed....no point having a shop window on a street that no-one goes down!!!

[ken_uk]

Dont forget that all the best 'good service' intentions in the world wont mean much to your customer if your dropshipper does not uphold the same level of service as you do. If they mess up or deliver late, it will reflect on you, so make sure you get a good one!

[darrenwis]

Dont forget that all the best 'good service' intentions in the world wont mean much to your customer if your dropshipper does not uphold the same level of service as you do. If they mess up or deliver late, it will reflect on you, so make sure you get a good one!

I totally agree Ken, the dropshipper i am planning to use have got total respect from its shopkeepers and good reviews all over the web. So do you think this is a possible good venture?

Dave.... In reply to your comments, i am not going to concentrate on the SEO part, as i said by targeting schools and nurseries aswell as the general public (mainly parents) it would mean i wouldn't only be putting my fait in seo and search engines but by advertising in papers etc it would be giving myself a much better chance. You agree on the market choice?

Darren

[Chris Ashdown]

Have you sorted out your postage coast for things like Prams and what happens with returns, as with women purchasing you can expect a fair number of returns which you must accept under the goverments distance selling regulations

[darrenwis]

Have you sorted out your postage coast for things like Prams and what happens with returns, as with women purchasing you can expect a fair number of returns which you must accept under the goverments distance selling regulations

Hi Chris,

posted cost would reflect that of the dropshippers. With returns they actually have a returns policy the dropshippers side. Obviously dealing with childrens goods would mean there maybe returns, this like most businesses is just something that i would be required to abide by. I don't seem to be getting much positive feedback over this subject. Am i heading in the wrong direction or missed something?

[INDIZINE]

Have you sorted out your postage coast for things like Prams and what happens with returns, as with women purchasing you can expect a fair number of returns which you must accept under the goverments distance selling regulations

"as with women purchasing..." what is that referring to?

[Chris Ashdown]

Simple really of the many returns we get each week, 99% are women who have no idea of their measurements, typically asking for a size 12 and then exchanging for a size 16 even after showing a size chart, it's never the other way around asking for a smaller size

I think the old gratons type catalogue is to blame in that ladies think there is nothing wrong in ordereing many items or sizes with no real intention of purchasing and can then send them back for free, Gratons and the like charged very high prices to make up for this, we as internet companies do not

We have had ladies order for their companies 20 blouses and then return them as the colour is not what we thought, Men ask for a sample and then get the rest when they aprove it

We could reduce prices by 15% if we had sensible returns, and all are items are supplied from major multi national companies so the sizes are not that different

[darrenwis]

I guess this is just one of the things businesses just got to live with. I know if i bought something that wouldn't fit i would ofcourse send it back for an exchange or refund.

Not sure how this came off my venture :) I guess i could just try this website for a year or two and see if i get anywhere? Testing the water so to speak.

What do you think? Any other comments on this idea? I must admit, it seems to be quiet on here today!

But then again it is Sunday!?!

[Naughty Vend]

...a question about distance selling.

Does the act clearly and concisely cover the new era of drop shipping and in particular those goods which have been supplied directly by an overseas supplier outwith the EEC. At a guess the responsibility would fall back upon the UK retailer but what if they are based offshore for example?

[darrenwis]

...a question about distance selling.

Does the act clearly and concisely cover the new era of drop shipping and in particular those goods which have been supplied directly by an overseas supplier outwith the EEC. At a guess the responsibility would fall back upon the UK retailer but what if they are based offshore for example?

I would be using a dropshipper based in the UK.

[Baby's Best]

If you plan to sell prams etc. you should be careful: many suppliers don't deal with websites because they think that people should be able to look at the prams before they buy. When I started to look for suppliers their first question was: shop or online? There are a few suppliers you can contact who don't have a problem but this will put you in a worse position than your competitors who can offer all sorts of prams. Most of your online competitors have a shop or whatever they call it to "show" the products. If you want to sell online your range will be quite limited (no carseats at all for instance). When you do dropshipping you can be in a worse position too. Some suppliers "penalise" you for doing this: One supplier told me that it would take up to 6 weeks to send the item to the customer as drop shipping is handled last. This doesn't comply with my delivery terms! I don't need to tell you how cheeky that is...:eek:
I think the best you can do is check out the next nursery fair and have a look around. Speak to the people and get a feeling for what you would be able to sell through your online business and what not. Depending on the suppliers you find you have to adjust your range to make it look like a professional shop, maybe even with a specialised range of baby products.
Anyway, if you need more information, just pm me and I'm happy to share my (limited) knowledge.
Tina

[darrenwis]

Hi Tina,

I agree, however, my dropshipper can supply me with a range of goods including games etc so my site is going to be selling a range of goods and not just prams etc.

As a dedicated dropshipper there is no penalty or delays in delivery which is good to know. And it is well respected in its market. How is business with you? Everything picking up in the rush to christmas, possibly a bit early i guess.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but are you full time in this business or part time and growing. I am going to be starting P/T.

Darren

[Baby's Best]

HI Darren

I'm still waiting for the big rush but it's steady.

Good to hear you sorted the dropshipping. So you are basically ready to start. If you need any help, tips, etc just shout.

Of course I don't mind you asking. At the moment I'm a full-time mum and part time online retail grower:D. I would love to do this full time but my little one is still too little to go to nursery.

Sorry it took me so long to reply...

Tina

[darrenwis]

Thanks,

I may just take you up on that offer and ask more questions as i start :) Glad to hear business is growing and i hope the little one is doing well. Essentially, i think i will be in a position to start trading mid November. I want to just test the water with different products and could even possibly start another website using my current dropshipper.

Its still a case of learning the good markets for me!