 | Amal Xavier, A techno-marketing professional who thrives on Software Project Management, Business Process Automation; Software Solution Design, Development and Deployment. He is the Owner of Blue Horizon Infotech, headquartered in Cochin, Kerala, India. Blue Horizon Infotech is a company whose primary focus is the building of customized software applications and solutions for businesses throughout the world. Blue Horizon has employees and contracted personnel with more than 65 years combined experience in virtually all software applications, including but not limited to PHP/MySQL, Open Source technologies, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flex, ActionScript 3.0, Flash Media server, JavaScript, Ajax, XHTML/CSS and jQuery. Chart Marketing, Inc. is the marketing arm of Blue Horizon in the United States. You may contact Amal by sending an email to sales@chartmarketing.com. |
Custom Software Solution
2011-11-17 13:26:30
Setting up your eBusiness - series
Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they also have built intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Any other things I need to be aware of?
A: Last month, in this series, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the differences between online retail and traditional retail. This month, we will talk about some inherent and learned skills that would be good to have….primarily in the area of multi-tasking. Also, we will touch on a few things to expect…and not to expect.
Owning an eCommerce business and managing the day to day tasks it takes to make that business successful requires that merchants perform various roles and become flexible in the roles they are able to play. Often times, a merchant may even find themselves involved in multiple roles or tasks at the same time. Many online retail startups have little or no staff at the beginning and typically the business owner is the only person available to manage all the sales, marketing, billing and service related tasks. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily duties involved in running an eBusiness, and when things get really busy, the constant bombardment of problems that require immediate attention can be overwhelming.
The ability for online merchants to multitask is crucial and can greatly affect whether or not an eBusiness venture will succeed or fail. It’s important to keep accurate records and maintain a working file system that you can continue to use as the business grows. Get as much as you can organize in the beginning so that as you get more issues stacked on your plate you have time to address them in a timely manner. Many eBusinesses online today have several separate departments to handle different aspects of the business. When you launch your business, you will become the head of the sales department, shipping department, customer service department and, of course, the complaints department. In order to manage all these different business aspects, you will need to be skilled in the art of multitasking. You may not feel that you need to learn how to multitask, or that it’s one of your strong points, but you will certainly need to develop those skills as they are crucial, especially in the beginning stages of starting a business. Quite simply, if you hope to own and operate a successful eCommerce storefront, you had better be good at multitasking.
In the area of a few things to expect and things not to expect, let me provide the following…
I can’t count the times I have seen individuals get into the business of selling online for all the wrong reasons. Many eBusiness owners get into selling online because they are under the belief that it will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams or that it is somehow easier than opening a traditional brick and mortar storefront. Selling online does have certain advantages and it can be easier to get started making money from your investment and effort, but you shouldn’t have unrealistic expectations about what you are getting into and what you will get out of it.
One major part of your potential success selling online is in avoiding the pitfalls that many first time merchants encounter upon starting a new venture. Don’t convince yourself that running a business online is any easier or any less time consuming than it would be for you to open a traditional brick and mortar business.
Expect:
You are going to have to work hard to create a place for yourself within a particular niche and it won’t happen overnight.
You will be a 24/7 business capable of servicing customers all over the world at all hours of the day.
You will have to invest time and money to get the word out about your products and store brand.
There will be times where your sales are through the roof and there will be times when you get no sales.
You need to test different strategies, analyze data and refine your processes to bring your business to optimal potential.
You will have to learn a lot about selling online and take time to continue your education.
Do not expect:
To get rich beyond your wildest dreams the first time you attempt running your own online business.
That you will have help and support from those around you during the setup and launch of your store.
To bring customers to your store without putting in any work yourself and learning how to market online.
Your customers to be any different than a typical customer or that they expect anything different from you.
That you will already know how to sell online and that your present knowledge of technology will be sufficient.
