In the world of reselling, the process of getting items to resell is called sourcing.Sourcing can be done at thrift stores, yard sales, or in your own pile of items that have collected dust.
There are times when you come across an item that speaks to your soul. It could be the pair of shoes you’ve always wanted, a designer jacket that happens to be your size or an item that is just too good to be left in the store.
Recently my partner found a pair of shoes that I believe were made just for me. My style tends to be simple black with a pop of color or colors. That’s the perfect excuse to have a closet full of black clothing.He came into the house and grabbed my foot and helped me put them on. I felt like Cinderella!
I fell in love with a sneaker ( In my T-Pain voice ) but I had to decide if I wanted to stay in love or list it on eBay or posh and get the money … decisions….decisions.
The beauty of being a reseller is that you have the choice to find some really great things for yourself or your loved ones, or you can find really dope items that you can sell online.
Need some assistance with coming up with some e-commerce business ideas? Maybe I can help…Schedule some time to chat with me today.
We’ve been discussing e-commerce lately. Over the past few months, there has been an increase in E-commerce sales due to our new normal of being quarantined and home more . You don’t have to be an expert in business to start an e-commerce business. Some of these ideas require little to no financial investment. Just in case you needed a little kick in the butt or a few ideas, I put together a quick list of e-commerce business ideas for you to start today :
E-commerce is defined as commercial transactions conducted electronically on the Internet. Let’s simplify that. E-commerce simply means selling a product or products via the internet.
No matter what type of business you have, you can add e-commerce to your business plan. If you have an offline business, you can start selling your products and services online. If you have a service-based business, you can sell digital products or physical products.
E-commerce businesses can be modeled in four ways:
Business to Business (B2B) – Your business sells to other businesses
Ex. manufacturers and wholesalers.
Business to Consumer (B2C)– Your Business sells to directly to a consumer
Ex. One of the most popular examples is Amazon
Consumer to Consumer (C2C) – Consumers sell to other customers.
No company is involved. Ex. eBay
Consumer to Business(C2B)– Consumers sell to businesses
Ex. Upwork or Fiverr
If you are a blogger, you could sell physical products that include your brand name or logo. If you are an artist , you can sell your artwork. Maybe you’re in the beauty industry, you can sell the products that you use via your website, or you can sell courses on how to create a particular look or style.
Starting an e-commerce business doesn’t have to be difficult. Considering getting into the world of E-commerce, Here are a few questions to help get your mental juices flowing:
1. What products or services are you going to sell?
2. Who is my target market? Who will buy your product or service?
3. Where will you sell? Will you use a third party or sell on your own site?
Before you dive into any e-commerce venture, so a little research and inventory. Take stock of the products that you currently offer offline and figure out if there is a way to sell them online. Research other entrepreneurs or business owners that offer similar products or services.
Do you have any questions about e-commerce? Let’s chat. Sign up for a 1 on 1 strategy session or contact me. Comment below and let me know your thoughts, comments, or questions.
Over the past 10 years, I’ve been blessed to start a few different businesses. Even though the industries are all different, there are a few things I’ve learned along the way that I wish I had known before getting started. In this post, you will learn some ideas or strategies that you can apply to your own business.
Lesson #1: Start where you are
When I first began my career as a natural hair stylist, the only thing that I knew without a doubt is that I knew how to do hair. That’s it. My goal was to find clients and do their hair and get paid. Sounds simple right? The advice I received at the time was to go to cosmetology school first, then focus on building a business. I already had a few clients and they had no issue with referring their friends and family to me. I wasn’t in a position to enroll, so I focused on making sure that people could contact me. Back then there was no FB or Twitter, so I took a few dollars and ordered simple business cards through Vistaprint. I had 0 logo, no brand colors, and no website. I added my name and a phone number and a free image Vistaprint offered. Was that my final business card? Not even close… but it got the job done.
Lesson #2: Delegate
This is one of the lessons I still find it difficult to apply. More and more every day, I’m learning that I don’t have to know how to do everything. In order to fully focus on the things I really love to do, I can delegate the things that someone else knows how to do well.
For example, as a hairstylist, I had a list of services that I offered. Some services I could do in no time and efficiently, others were added to the list when I thought I had to do everything. Cutting and color were not my specialties! And whenever someone would schedule those services, I would get really anxious. Life changed when I decided to partner up with someone who loved to do it. Not only did it save me time, but I was able to make more money doing the things I loved, and it gave someone else the opportunity to make money and do more of what they love. I call that a win-win.
Lesson #3: Pace yourself
How often do you scroll through Facebook or Instagram and get distracted or bombarded with articles about how to quickly grow your business, or how to make 6 figures in a month? Sometimes those posts make me feel a little anxious. Every once in awhile, I get caught up in those posts and my brain goes into overload. I start thinking about all of the things I’m not doing in my business, and a huge list of things I need to do immediately. Overwhelm eventually leads to mental shut down and I stop putting any energy into anything.
This is your reminder to pace yourself! It’s not a race, but a journey. Listed below are a few things that you need to keep in mind and take into consideration when you first get started.
Accounting
Keeping track of your business income and expenses doesn’t have to be difficult or take a lot of time. It’s better to get set up early, instead of waiting until the business is booming, and you’re overwhelmed with importing expenses, mileage, and receipts. I use Quickbooks for my accounting. Here is a short video on how to get set up in Quickbooks.
Basic Website
You don’t need to be a tech guru to create a website. First, you must secure your own domain, choose a reliable host , install WordPress, and choose a template. You don’t have to have 5 page of content. You can start with a one-page site or landing page that tells who you are, what you offer, and how to contact you.
One social media account
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and the list goes on. Guess what? You don’t have to choose them all. Just pick one, and focus on creating consistent content, and connecting with potential customers.
What lessons have you learned thus far in your business? Which lesson resonated with you the most? Comment below and let me know your thoughts.
Problem: You need to make extra money from your business
Solution: Adding an additional revenue stream to your business doesn’t have to be complicated . You can easily sell branded products from your website with little to no money upfront.
Here are some examples of branded products:
T-shirts
Hats
Mugs
Artwork
Tote bags
Pillows
You don’t have to have a complicated design or pattern. You can add your logo to each one of the above products and sell them from your website . Here are a few items that I’ve designed for my clients :
With the help of Printful, each of my clients were able to set up a store on their site and sell their products . Once your store is set up , customers can order directly from your site , and the item shipped directly to their door from the fulfillment center . There’s no need to carry a lot of inventory .
Have you ever considered adding custom products to your business ? Want more information about how to add custom products to your business ? Email me or use the contact form on the site for more information .
There are many ways to build a website. You can use Wix, Weebly, GoDaddy Site Builder, Squarespace, etc. You can Google the phrase “How to build a website” and get tons of options. It ain’t for everyone, but those that use it, love it! I’ve been designing and producing websites since 2008, and even though there is so much more for me to learn, I consider myself a bit of an expert.
It’s a fully-featured content management system. You can not only use it for blogging but also to sell your products, host your videos, and other content.
There are many themes to choose from and many of them are free. I use a premium theme called Divi, which is a Drag and Drop editor.
You can enhance your site by installing plugins, without having to hire a coder or developer. Most plugins can be added with just the click of a button.
It’s search engine optimized (SEO friendly).
With the right theme, WordPress is responsive, which means it will look good on all devices
WordPress is mature, over 10 years old with a huge following and growing more and more daily. It is used by solo business owners as well as major corporations.
You always have full control. You can use the WordPress software any way you choose and host your website anywhere you choose. Most hosting providers have a one-click installation.
WordPress software is free. Certain plugins will cost you a fee but I have always managed to find free versions.
Conclusion
There are many other options to use other than WordPress, but so far WordPress is my go-to favorite. Do you use WordPress? Wanna chat about whether or not it’s right for you? Contact me 🙂
