Current Availablity:

One of the most requested types of sites I get these days is an E-Commerce site. With commerce shifting slowly but surely to the web, it's no wonder that everyone would like to have a store online where they can sell their wares. However, most e-business owners are grossly unprepared for what it takes to make an online store successful.

Planning

Usually the folks I talk to contact me needing a way to sell a few of their products. However, their train of thought stops there. They have no plan of how to go up against the competition, market their products, or provide excellent customer support. They just expect that as soon as they have a website online that people will find their store and purchase products from them. This rarely happens.

Running an e-commerce store is just like running a brick & mortar store in many ways

Managing

Another misconception I see all the time is that people expect their stores to run themselves once they're setup. After a few months of no sales, many of them realize that they have to actually put work into their e-commerce store, just like a brick-and-mortar store owner does. Unfortunately, I've seen far too many beautiful e-commerce stores become vacant once their owners find out the realities of the time commitment needed.

Selling

Unless an idea or product is truly unique or one-of-a-kind, chances are that competition is fierce out there for the very product that most people are trying to sell. This isn't meant to be a discouragement, but rather an honest look at the way online commerce works. Most people would have a hard time answering if they were asked about the ways by which their e-commerce store stood out from the competition. 

Some Advice

Here are a few things to think about before jumping into the wide world of e-commerce:

• Do you have a way to process credit cards?
• How do you plan to stand out from the crowd?
• How often do you plan to update your website?
• Will you be available daily to handle customer support?
• Do you have a dedicated address (P.O. box) and phone number for customer support?
• Do you have a business plan, including a solid plan for growth?

There are lots of other things to consider before having an e-commerce website built for your e-business. But if you plan and work hard at making your business a success, e-commerce websites can be great sources of addidional income or a way to escape your 9-5.

Contact me if you have more questions about starting an e-commerce website and I'd love to chat with you and help you through the process. In the mean time, here's a website with a ton of resources for e-commerce owners.

I was reading up on an interesting thread regarding how a solo Freelancer like myself presents themselves to clients and the world. The question was posed: 'Is it better to act as a sole entity or as a group'. Their answers were surprising and a little saddening.

Industry Standards

Overwhelmingly, the solo Freelancers out there tend to present themselves as a group: We can provide this or that... and they've found that it actually improves business. Their reasoning is that it makes the person seem less susceptible and more professional. Case in point: companies don't have sick days while individuals do.

Do you know what they said was the only time that a Freelancer should admit to being solo?

When they were directly confronted by the client. And even then, only about half of the responses said that they'd be honest with their clients.

Full Disclosure

Just so there is no confusion, I am a solo Freelancer. I work one on one with my clients. If you have a question, call me or email me. That's how I work. However, I am a big believer in delegating and playing to one's strengths, so if there is something that a client of mine needs, I have a team of go-to people that can help me deliver what the client needs in less time and for less money. But it will still have my stamp of approval on it.

So that's where I stand. I prefer honesty in life and in the business place. I don't think there's enough of it out there and all that does is lead to clients who are suspicious of their service-providers and an undercurrent of distrust in most business relationships. I sincerely hope that doing business with me in whatever capacity I can serve you will be an honest and open setup where we can both trust one another. If you ever have a question, you know how to find me. :)

I wouldn't consider myself an overly-social person, by any stretch of the imagination, but I love being around certain kinds of people. In particular: people with big ideas.

I had a meeting today with a couple of guys who have a great idea and the willingness to see it through. I'm not sure if it was their excitement or their vision that I enjoyed, but whatever it was, I left the meeting feeling energized. There's something in the way that people with big ideas talk about their ideas that make them seem so plausible and achievable--almost like you could reach out and make it happen. In a way, the confidence they have in their ideas gives me a greater confidence in my big ideas too!

So, if you're a person with big ideas, I'd love to talk to you! Even if there's nothing I could do for you other than be a sounding board for your ideas, I'd love just to sit around and listen to you talk for a while about your big ideas. In the long run, it will probably help me achieve my big ideas!