Opening an Online Store

Even if you have a regular full time or part time job, there is that desire to earn additional income - especially if it can be earned from home. It appears to be an easy way to acquire an additional bit of cash to cover even small expenses. Also, it saves you from the dilemma of trying to fit a second job into an already hectic schedule. The first question to be answered is "how do I earn additional income?" Personally, I have done a lot of research on earning money from home through using the Internet and have learned through experience. My solution to earning some "bonus money" was through opening an online store. However, I have discovered this is not an easy process by any stretch of the imagination.

What kind of store to open?
Focus your store on something you love. If you choose what you think will make money over what you love, it becomes easy to stop working on your store and put other things higher on the priority list. Choose a hobby or passion and figure out what you can do to generate income. In my case, I adore art in all forms from creating to looking at it. From there I used several search engines to find sites where I could market my work. By utilizing an existing site you get many features and advantages for free - but more of that will be covered later.

What should I expect?
Fact - You will not get rich overnight.
You will make money if you are willing to put forth the time and effort. This means many hours, days, and even months of working for free to earn that eventual payoff. When creating an online store the first sale is the biggest motivation for working on your project. However, after time passes another motivator will be needed which is why you should always choose something you love. If you enjoy what you are doing it will seem less like work - but it will eventually feel like it. Whatever you do, do not give up. If you need to, take a break from it for a day or two, even a week if it is necessary. That break will add up to renewed energy and allows for your mind to refresh and refocus.

How do I open a store?
The search engines on the Internet will be your biggest resource to learn how to open a store. New stores are easier to open if they are through a "host" store. In other words use an existing website that already has traffic and the ability to open a business through them. For example I decided to apply my artwork to apparel, mugs, clocks, and other items. I found several sites that allow you to do this - Printfection, Zazzle, Cafe Press and Spreadshirt are only a few that I encountered. Depending on what you want to do you will be able to open a store with minimal investment.

Investing money in a store is another factor that should be taken into consideration. Do you want to do everything for free or are you willing to spend a bit of money in the eventual hope of having a return on the investment? If you are willing to spend money set a budget and stick to it. Also save your receipts for tax time, you may be able to write off what you spend as a business expense. Taxes and income have to be taken into consideration as well. Make sure to do your research - each state has their own requirements on taxable income and requirements (such as a business license) that may be needed.

As you are doing your research mark your favorite sites so you can return to them. Keep a notepad handy as well to scribble down ideas as they pop up. Some of the best ideas are lost when you don't write things down and then forget what you were thinking about. Forums are another handy tool - there is always someone who has experience that is willing to give up tidbits of information. There are no questions that are off limits except for "how much money do you make" however do not expect business owners to divulge their secrets. After all they learned how to build their business on their own and they are not going to willingly create competition to take profit away from themselves.

In other words, you get to open your store by learning a ton first. Rome was not built in a day and don't expect your online store to be built in a day either.

How do I build my site?
If you know HTML or CSS you are one of the lucky ones. For those (like me) who do not know even where to start there are a number of premade templates that can be used for free or any amount you are willing to spend. Template generators are another help, preventing your store from looking like all the others. Making your site unique is key to setting yourself apart from the competition. Don't be afraid to ask around either. Chances are you or your friends may know someone who can help you build your site. Just remember to keep it simple, complex or rainbow colored sites will drive traffic away faster than any other factor.

How do I market?
Again this is where the search engine is your best friend. You can submit your site to a number of these engines for free - even the larger ones. Make sure to follow the rules for submission, and do not submit your site more than once since that is considered spamming and will actually keep your site from being posted. New sites are not posted immediately, and will take several weeks to a month to appear.

When you start marketing make sure to install a tracker into your HTML. This will give you a ton of useful information such as where the site traffic is coming from and if the visitors are new or returning. Based on this information you can work on improving and making changes to your site, and you can see how these changes are impacting your business.

When do I open?
Always wait until you have a substantial amount of items posted and information completed before you open the store. You may loose customers if you open too early if they do not see enough quality product available. Post a note in your introduction that your site is under construction and to visit back at a later date for new products.

On a final note this is not all the information you will ever need to open an online business, but at least creates a starting point. The key things to remember are to use all your resources that are available (and most if not all are free), take notes, do research and be willing to put in the time and effort to make your idea a success.