Setting up a business. Any advice?

Question

Hey. I'd like to set up a small business seling homemade products but I'm not sure how to. At first I think it would be best to set up an internet based one and if that is successful maybe set up an actual shop. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

how about a market stall?

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I would certainly advise taking the time to produce a basic business plan, to see if there is profit to be made plus who your market is and where.

The thing about selling online it that it needs to look professional otherwise people will simplynot buy from you.

If you need to some no obligation advice on the website/ business identity side of things we would be happy to help.

Kind Regards

Ashley

info@

acknowledgedsolutions.co.uk

Answer 4

hi, i own an online clothing company, squishy.com check us out, the easiest way is firstly start up a fan base of people who like what you sell, no matter what it s, hand out leaflets, send emails ect. get a free website running, i suggest bigcartel.com as that allows you to sell ure items online and is very customizable, make sure you always have ure items in stock or at least over half stock, as you never now, you can have a random chunk of your stock baught at once, basically promote yourself as much as possable, meet other clients and get them intrested in what you sell. one thing i can say is that in the business industry, the internet is your home :)

Answer 5

Definitely use the net first, shops incur massive overheads.

Answer 6

Put your ideas down on paper, &  cost out how you would make a profit. How much would you expect to make an hour? If it's reasonable, take your plan to a Business manger in your bank, who will advise you further.

Answer 7

get quick books

Answer 8

Your biggest overhead would be premises, so starting online is the best way - open an Ebay shop, the best value showroom in the world. Good luck.

I wouldn't bother with even thinking of progressing to opening an actual shop - you'll never get the coverage that a good spot on Ebay will give you, but it may be worth setting up a decent website at some time.

Answer 9

Before setting up your own business you need to do your homework.

Think about what you can offer - make sure that you are going to enjoy what you are doing.   Make a list of your possible products, look around for ideas.

Think about the prices you will have to charge in order to make a living.  You might find that with handmade products you will have to make a great deal to be able to live off the profits.

Next, look for your competition.  What are they selling?  How are they selling it?  What are the prices?  Can you compete?

Finally, building a business is hard.  There are many people out there trying to make money.  If you want to sell on the Internet you need to know a great deal about Internet Marketing.  You will have to spend a great deal of time trying to drive traffic to your website - it doesn't just appear over night.

I suggest you find the address for your local business enterprise centre.  The people there are very welcoming and they are full of good advice.  Being your own boss can be very rewarding, but make sure you are well prepared before you take the plunge.

Good luck with the research - and the business if you go ahead with it.

Answer 10

I guess starting it off on the internet will be good. Then you can see how successful it becomes and then you can open your own shop. But i think you'll mostly like it better online. As long as the items are great and reasonably priced, you should have no problem. Good Luck!