Any parent will know how difficult it can be to work as a full time employee at the same time as raising a family. The office nine to five might work well during term time while the little ones are occupied at school, but during holidays, things get a little more difficult. It’s not surprising that so many parents are turning to working from home as a more viable option of making a living. The good news? There’s no better time than the present to become your own boss. E-commerce is one of the most rapidly expanding sectors of the retail sector and you can engage with it from the comfort of your own home, choosing your working hours and making all of the executive decisions to do with your company. Now, it isn’t all plain sailing. It will take time and patience to set up, establish your brand and start making a profit. But if your concept is good enough, you should see the profits start rolling in relatively quickly. So, if this sounds good to you, follow these essential steps that will make a success of your online business. Testing Your Concept Chances are that you have a business concept in mind. But you need to put it to the test before quitting your day job and investing time and money into it. An easy way to do this is through market research. Conduct questionnaires and surveys for members of the public. These will help you to determine whether your business venture is worthwhile. Scope out whether there is demand for your product. If there is, what sets your concept apart from current competitors? Is it a strong enough idea to create strong competition and draw customers away from their current favored brand? Market research will also be able to help you identify your audience and the level of disposable income. This is vital information when it comes to settling on the price of your product. If all goes well, it’s time to go ahead and start building your business empire! Branding Yourself Now you have an effective concept and confidence that it will sell. You also have an understanding of the consumers you are targeting. It’s time to brand yourself. Key aspects of your brand include your brand name, aesthetic, logo, tagline and color scheme. Keep things simple, but ensure that your brand stands out from the crowd. Your name should be catchy. Check that it isn’t already taken by checking out copyright directories. Always have a backup name in case your preferred one is already taken. Then develop a logo. It should be minimal but eye-catching. Think of how simple logos used by Mcdonald’s, Apple and Nike are. These are some of the world’s leading brands. So take a page out of their book and keep things minimalistic. Make your tagline catchy by using alliteration and rhyme when possible. Your color scheme should employ tones and shades that complement one another. Once you have all of this completed, protect your intellectual property. Copyright and trademark everything to prevent others from operating under your name. Setting Up a Website Next, set up your website. This is the platform that consumers will use to access your products, make purchases and generate profit. So take your time with it and ensure that it is perfect before you launch it. Opt for the color scheme you’ve already settled on and ensure that your logo is a predominant feature on the home page. Remember, your homepage is your storefront. Make sure customers know who they are buying from so that they can make recommendations to their friends and family! Your site needs to look as professional as possible. To achieve this, call in the help of specialists in e-commerce website design. They will be able to make sure that your site is easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing and secure for both you and its users. Visual communication is key to making online sales and these specialists have essential background knowledge of what sells and what doesn’t. They will be able to optimize your site, consequently generating more profit than you could by attempting to design it yourself. You can also work alongside these designers to develop apps. More and more people are using their smartphones to make purchases, so capitalize on this. Using the same designer to develop your website and app will also create a sense of continuity and stability for your buyers, which will make them feel more comfortable and secure in purchasing from you. If you follow these three easy steps, your business will take off and thrive in no time. You will be able to work from the comfort of your own home at the same time as prioritizing your children’s needs. It’s a win-win situation!]]>
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