How to start a small business online

small business

So you want to start a business but don’t have the money or time? Starting an online business is the perfect budget-friendly solution for entrepreneurs. This article will discuss starting a small business from home and what you need to be successful.

Decide on a product or service that you can provide

In the first step, you need to decide on a product or service that you can provide. There are two options for starting a small business online: creating your products and services or reselling someone else’s. 

Your product or service of choice should be something that you are passionate about and easy for you to train someone else how to do it.  Think big and long term. Will you be able to keep up with 200 orders if you are working by yourself?  Will you be successful in this scenario? 

Another option is to resell other products. This happens often on websites like www.Ebay.com and www.facebook.com/marketplace. So, you know it’s possible for you to be successful at it as well. One thing to consider, make sure you will have a constant flow of products you can sell. Once you build your clientele, you want to keep your quality high and customer satisfaction.   

You can do both! For example, make and sell jewelry. You could create the designs or use other people’s designs as long as they have an applicable license that allows for resale.

Find out if your service is legal to offer in your state

You will first need to research if your service or product is legal in the state you plan on doing business. It must be registered with the secretary of state for a small business to operate and obtain all required permits before beginning operations. 

Depending on what type of business you are starting, special regulations may apply specifically to that industry. The cannabis industry is a good example. They must get a state license before beginning operations and obtaining the necessary permits from the local government.

Be sure to do your research and fully understand the regulations before beginning operations.

Set up an online storefront

This one is a no-brainer. However, this doesn’t mean you have to have a superb-quality website from the very beginning. You can start with a free website from WordPress, Wix, or Weebly. Or, a well-optimized Facebook page can do the trick too. The main goal is to create a storefront on one of these platforms that offers your products and services.

Don’t forget to optimize your SEO! This is important so people will find you on the internet. You can contact The Kool Source to help you get started as well. 

Set the best payment method

One of the most important steps in starting your own online business is choosing a payment method. According to a study, 77% of customers prefer paying via cards; regardless it’s debit or credit card. This is because they are safer and more convenient.

Some of the popular payment processors are PayPal, Stripe, and Square.

Hire talented team members

Startups are always in need of talented team members. If you don’t have the necessary skill set, it can be hard to complete tasks on your own. Hiring someone with that specific expertise will enable you to devote time and energy to other business areas (and not stress out about completing a task).

Some of the tasks you can outsource to  The Kool Source to help you get started as well. 

– Graphic design 

– Web development 

– Marketing tasks (SEO, PPC)

– Social media marketing

Starting an online business is a good start to getting your product and/or services to the masses quickly. I provided you with a starter guide to get you started, but always do your research on the industry, target market, and price points. Set yourself up for success. You can do it!

If you have any questions? Feel free to comment below or contact us if you need help getting a website up and running.

Arnitra Jackson
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