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Can I get an online shop?
You can make extra money from an online shop either as a your main business activity, side hustle or craft hobby, This could be the basis or ecommerce extension of your a profitable and fulfilling future business. Selling other people’s products, it easier than selling your own, otherwise you’ll hit a minefield of compliance and certification.
How do people start selling with online shop?
Many people who sell products via an online shop do this via eBay, Amazon, or Etsy. There are others but these are the 3 biggies. While these platforms are great and set the benchmark, there are some serious downsides to putting all your sales through these platforms. Get a online shop.
The downsides to watch for
Once you’re set up selling and established these big ecommerce platforms that don’t advertise the painful facts of their 40% to 70% sales and marketing fees, that are deducted at source from your earnings. Plus drop shipping can become a nightmare.
Example 1
If you sell £1000 worth of goods, you think ‘great I’ve made a grand!’ Sorry not the case. By the time you manage to decipher the accountants figures, or your own analysis spreadsheets and bank statements, you’ll find that the good old “Big Tech Platforms” have robbed you blind! You’ll be left with only £300 if you’re lucky. This may prove quite expensive if not totally disastrous to the many small businesses in the UK who are unware of these.
Unsustainable and insane conditions for any new business.
The worst common mistake people make when setting up an online shop
Its easy to start selling branded goods only to find out later that the brand owner is not keen on unlicensed resellers. Check this thoroughly or you’ll end up with products that are barred from sale via eBay, Amazon, or Etsy. Worse still it could get legal. That mistake could cost a lot of money!
You’re selling lots of things on Etsy and Ebay, what next?
Why not have your own Online Shop running in parallel and save on all these high sales platform fees? Woocommerce is a good platform, see an example here: https://mie.me.uk/
Do some smart basic marketing
Put a brochure and business card in all your delivery packs, pointing buyers to your own online shop and beat the robber barons to the sale! Money in your pocket not paying for someone else’s child’s school fees, or the new Tesla for their wife.
Taxes
The rich documentation features of Etsy are all available via Royal Mail and Shiptheory. The cost is around £60-£150 per year, once you’ve paid for initial set up. Then no more fees!
Take control of the situation and get your own retail website!
Have control over your own retail shop sales. Don’t pay extortionate sales fees to platform owners’ shareholders. Don’t have all your eggs in one basket. Increase your gross profit by 70%. Take control now!
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