Saturday, October 13, 2012

Tips for Starting an Online Business



This article is the first in a series. I've written this series in the hopes that working moms will find them helpful when searching for ways to make money from home. Please feel free to comment, and/or send your story and feedback.

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The internet has made it possible for many women to begin successful online businesses. If you've ever thought about starting a business, but weren't sure to start, we've presented some tips and ideas here to get you started.

Assess Your Skills

Begin by taking stock of your talents, skills and areas of expertise. Make a list of ideas and work from there. If your quilted baby blankets are always a hit at every baby shower you attend, then consider an ecommerce business. Selling custom-made quilts online is a great way to earn income from a creative skill. Maybe friends and family consistently compliment you on your handcrafted jewelry. An online custom jewelry shop can be an excellent creative and profitable outlet for your jewelry designs.

Register a Domain Name and Set up an Online Shop

There are several ways to set up a website. Many free website builders exist online, but when you want to present a truly professional business, it's advisable to choose a private domain.

It's quick and simple to register a domain name, but be aware you'll need a place to host your site. Many domain name registering sites offer hosting services as well, but this can be a little tricky for the average internet user to set up. TycoonMama offers full-service ecommerce website development services, which can definitely save time, money and a lot of frustration.

Sell Other People's Products

If you'd like to offer a bigger product line to customers, consider some creative collaboration with other crafty moms. Partnerships that include products that compliment yours are ideal. Using the baby quilts as an example, consider collaborating with other entrepreneurial moms that make quilted wall hangings, bumper guards, car seat liners or cloth diapers. With this idea, it wouldn't even be necessary to be in the same state as your mom/entrepreneur partners. You could easily set up a mutually agreeable drop-ship arrangement.

As moms, we know all too well what it takes to multi-task and think outside the box. Getting creative by using our talents to turn them into valuable income-generating resources can result in a rewarding online business.

2 comments:

  1. I'm starting to read your series, love it! This is exactly how my friend started selling products online. Word of mouth and of the internet, and a little advert, she was able to make her brand known. This is the only time she changed her website to a more customer and Google friendly e-commerce site. Also she partnered with Blue Snap for payment solutions, and hired a social media marketer to attract more customers globally.
    Starting from (the right) scratch may take a lot of time and can be tiring too, but with it comes a business experience and able to start a business without investing much.

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  2. I agree with the first tip: Assess your skills. It only means that before you start an online business or any business at that, you must first determine your passion. Choose a business that you will never get tired of running and that which your skills have been honed to be best suited for.

    -Lowell Nguyen

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