More and more people around the world are turning to entrepreneurism, as digital solutions empower you to like never before, and starting a business has never been easier. If you think you’ve got what it takes to create a successful e-commerce business.
1. A Great Concept – This is the very core of your business and what makes you different from your competitors. It might be that you offer unbeatable prices, or your service is second to none, or it could be that you offer 24/7 support to your customers, and your concept is what drives your business. It is a good idea to come up with your very own slogan, something like, ‘We take care of you like no other provider’, or ‘premium products at affordable prices’.
2. A Comprehensive Business Plan – Some entrepreneurs mistakenly think that a business plan is only necessary when you are looking for investment, when in fact, your business plan is your guideline. Spend lots of time on this and there are free resources online to help you create a good business plan that covers every aspect of the operation, and when you think its complete, ask a business guru to take a look.
3. Funding – Even the best business idea will remain an idea if you don’t have adequate funding and you might be surprised to learn that many small businesses fall during the first 12 months, due to lack of funding. Thankfully, there is always Nimble, a leading Australian online lender who has helped thousands of Australians start their own business.
4. Digital Marketing – Simply put, if you don’t want to end up as an ‘also-ran’, you will need to invest in digital marketing from the word go. A good SEO company would focus on improving your website’s ranking within Google searches, and the closer you are to the first page of Google search results, the more traffic you will have. Google is very secretive about the algorithms they use to rank websites, but an experienced search engine optimiser would know enough to achieve their clients’ goals. Here is an article on the basics of digital marketing, which is invaluable if you are not familiar with IT.
5. Efficient Organisation – Just like any other major project, launching a business is all about planning and efficiency, and it is likely you will need to employ people. You should outsource work on a single-fee basis, at least until you are established enough to hire people, as being an employer brings with it many responsibilities. Here is an article on organisational skills, which you might find helpful. You need to have a competent ability with IT and for a single person, there are only so many hours in the day, and if you need help, then outsourcing is the smart thing to do. Here is a great blog to motivate your staff, which makes for an informative read.
In addition to all of the above, you will need a good helping of optimism, determination, and enthusiasm, as you will encounter many obstacles on the way to success. The project should become your life, especially for the first year, and don’t make the mistake of thinking you can do without SEO services, you cannot, it’s simple as that!