Ideas for online business
- Thread starter Dorito
- Start date
A
arnydnxluk
What area do you have expertise in?
What interests you?
What hobbies do you have?
What subjects have you excelled at in school?
What's the end goal for you?
In general, you should pick an area you're knowledgeable in and love. Creating a successful business is hard work, you'll have to put in a lot of hours and there's a good chance it won't work out (which is fine, because you'll have learned loads). Doing something you enjoy won't feel so much like work, so you're naturally going to work harder and have a greater chance at succeeding.
It obviously also helps to work in an industry you have some experience in. If you don't know much about fashion, selling shoes isn't a good idea. But if you have an obsession with shoes, follow fashion trends closely and study Fashion & Clothing in college, then it's a great place to start.
Alternatively, instead of a retail business, you could use your skills to sell services online. For example if you're a good writer, offer writing services online. If you know your way around Photoshop, keep learning Photoshop and offer graphic design services online.
Look at yourself. Double down on your existing skills and areas of interest.
Good luck!!
What interests you?
What hobbies do you have?
What subjects have you excelled at in school?
What's the end goal for you?
In general, you should pick an area you're knowledgeable in and love. Creating a successful business is hard work, you'll have to put in a lot of hours and there's a good chance it won't work out (which is fine, because you'll have learned loads). Doing something you enjoy won't feel so much like work, so you're naturally going to work harder and have a greater chance at succeeding.
It obviously also helps to work in an industry you have some experience in. If you don't know much about fashion, selling shoes isn't a good idea. But if you have an obsession with shoes, follow fashion trends closely and study Fashion & Clothing in college, then it's a great place to start.
Alternatively, instead of a retail business, you could use your skills to sell services online. For example if you're a good writer, offer writing services online. If you know your way around Photoshop, keep learning Photoshop and offer graphic design services online.
Look at yourself. Double down on your existing skills and areas of interest.
Good luck!!
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0
Ideally something where people won't return stuff much.
Shoes purchased online you can imagine the returns over wrong size. Leaving you out of pocket.
Not helped by there really not being a standard size in footwear that you can say yes this size always fits and is comfortable.
I take 3 different sizes when buying UK footwear so could end up buying 3 different sizes to return 2. Or 3.
Shoes purchased online you can imagine the returns over wrong size. Leaving you out of pocket.
Not helped by there really not being a standard size in footwear that you can say yes this size always fits and is comfortable.
I take 3 different sizes when buying UK footwear so could end up buying 3 different sizes to return 2. Or 3.
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Hey @Dorito,
I've worked in e-commerce for 14 years and have the scars to prove it!
With the way technology is these days, I would focus on digital products - software / information downloads.
I know it's not as sexy as selling fashion products like shoes but you don't have the problems with stock, shipping, cash-flow, etc. You can soon lose your shirt if you get it wrong.
Actually, you can even lose your shirt if you get it right because the decisions get larger and so does the investment. Cash-flow is always a major problem.
With digital products, yes you have to create them (or have them developed) but you have:
Whatever you sell, you need to make sure there is a need in the market. Does the market need more shoes? What benefit do they offer? Who's problem are you solving?
If you want to sell shoes because it's what you like then that's the wrong way to approach business.
You should be fulfilling a need or solving a problem. If there is no demand then you'll always struggle to sell anything.
A low-cost way to get started could be drop-shipping. If you create a Shopify store and then import products from AliExpress using the Oberlo app. It's easy to get set up and you can sell products without buying any stock.
Yes, there is a longer delivery time from China but you can get around that.
You can promote it using Facebook ads.
Above all, find products that take away someone's pain!!!!
Happy to help you decide if you need further help.
Good luck.
I've worked in e-commerce for 14 years and have the scars to prove it!
With the way technology is these days, I would focus on digital products - software / information downloads.
I know it's not as sexy as selling fashion products like shoes but you don't have the problems with stock, shipping, cash-flow, etc. You can soon lose your shirt if you get it wrong.
Actually, you can even lose your shirt if you get it right because the decisions get larger and so does the investment. Cash-flow is always a major problem.
With digital products, yes you have to create them (or have them developed) but you have:
- No stock (because stock is limitless)
- High margins
- Delivery to customer is automated
Whatever you sell, you need to make sure there is a need in the market. Does the market need more shoes? What benefit do they offer? Who's problem are you solving?
If you want to sell shoes because it's what you like then that's the wrong way to approach business.
You should be fulfilling a need or solving a problem. If there is no demand then you'll always struggle to sell anything.
A low-cost way to get started could be drop-shipping. If you create a Shopify store and then import products from AliExpress using the Oberlo app. It's easy to get set up and you can sell products without buying any stock.
Yes, there is a longer delivery time from China but you can get around that.
You can promote it using Facebook ads.
Above all, find products that take away someone's pain!!!!
Happy to help you decide if you need further help.
Good luck.
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0
M
Minions
16 years old! cool!
I suggest you to register an online shop on online trading platform. You open your own shop,decorate it,display your products and wait for your first client.
I agree that the platform you choose should based on what you sell. Remember to choose a free platform to try a little bit.
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And you will be waiting rather a long time if that's all you do.
If you're in shoes, then you are competing with the marketing budgets of some big players. Customers don't just come along because you have "decorated" your store.
Not trying to put you off - it is a noble endeavour and I definitely want to encourage young people to get into it, however listen to the more realistic views around you.
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At your age, it's more about testing things and learning, and you'll learn from your mistakes... Everybody is searching for ideas, but they will have to be within your budget and experience. Inevitable lack of knowledge about any sector you enter will teach you some hard lessons. Keeping a note of things you struggle to buy online, or find online can be a useful source of ideas. Personally I'd look for a part time job with a smallish company that already does ecommerce (obviously don't mention your plans to them...) you'll shave years off your learning experience with good observation, and get some ideas for running good internal systems, and some extra cash to fund your endeavor.
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Wow it's great that you're thinking about it at 16!! Hope since you posted you've made some progress about it. You can totally have an online business about anything you want - and if shoes are your passion then it would make it a lot easier to talk about. I think these days you don't even need to have your own stock, you can start with 0 money, you could sell other people's products - via amazon or affiliates. You need a good content strategy in place - that is great blogs, inspiring stuff and social media.
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At the age of 16 you are doing an amazing work, but in retail there is hard compilation to stand out you need hard work and dedication for a one or two years.
In retail my own experience
- customer will cheat you not all, but some scammers is everywhere
- Get return order from customer
- without search engine marketing, getting order is really hard
I appreciate you young thinking but before going in the online retail market please think creafully
In retail my own experience
- customer will cheat you not all, but some scammers is everywhere
- Get return order from customer
- without search engine marketing, getting order is really hard
I appreciate you young thinking but before going in the online retail market please think creafully
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If its online likelihood is you'll need a website to start proceedings unless you're using alternate ways such as ebay, amazon, gumtree etc.
E-commerce could be another path with products listed but I think the priority is getting the business idea written down, do your research with other businesses and see if you can offer something that they cant and/or something that'll make you unique.
A marketing budget would also be needed but you could try Google's £75 offer when you spend £25 see how that goes and what return you get, also Bing are offering £100 credit when you spend £20, again if you've got an e-commerce business but just some ideas.
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