So you wanna start an online business but don’t know where to begin? Welcome to the club, most of us have been where you are and, if it makes you feel any better, some of us are still navigating our way around. It can be overwhelming at first – but that’s ok because I promise you will gain some clarity.
I say this because as a freelance graphic designer, I was where you are – and still am on some level. After the pandemic hit the flow of work pretty much stopped on a dime! It was then that I decided I would focus my attention on something productive. Now’s the time, I thought to myself. I’m going to start an online business. One thing I had in my favor is that prior to everything happening with the pandemic, I had already been thinking about it. I just didn’t expect the whole effort would be put on superdrive!
So here I am a year later, with a lot more knowledge that I am excited to share with you! I really hope my experiences can help you with your own endeavors. I’ll write these posts in parts because it’s a lot to take in all at once. But let’s get started…
Here’s some things you should consider when thinking about starting an online business:
What are you interested in and knowledgable about? One good way to decide on what type of online business you want to start is to think about what interests you have that you’re knowledgable about. Is it art? Education? Photography? Health & Wellness?
What is your experience? Once you know what interests you, now you can think about what experience you have. For example, I already had experience in graphic design & marketing, so it made sense for me to expand that knowledge into an online business offering digital design assets. What’s something you you already know a lot about and have experience in?
Combine your interest, knowledge and experience. If your interest is fashion and you have experience and knowledge in fashion – then you’re golden. If you’re interest & knowledge is in fashion but your experience is in copywriting then you will need to find a way to incorporate your experience into your interest. In this case, you could start an online business selling copywriting services (or copywriting templates) to online fashion blogs, etc.
So where do you start? Believe it or not, the first place you DON’T have to start is a website. Yes, you will need one, but it doesn’t have to be right off. The first thing you should do (once you’ve decided on your online business) is to decide on a name and get a brand.
This is the tricky part so don’t rush it. Once you know what business you’re going to do, research that industry as best you can. Visit any websites, forums, etc. that fall into that industry. What is it lacking? How can your knowledge and experience help people in this industry? What makes you stand out? This is the time to make lists, see what others are doing, especially the competition. Write a list of potential business names down, something that’s unique and fits your personality. Again, take some time with this because once you decide on a name the next step is branding…which I will save for the next post. In meantime, I’ll say it again…do your research.
On the flip side, I spent months doing a TON of research. Maybe too much. You don’t need to go down that rabbit hole – sometimes it’s just a way to procrastinate. And while my suggestions above made it easier for me, by no means do you have to follow them exactly. However, I know that feeling of “I’m not ready!!” and honestly I understand that – I do – but only to a point. Truth is, you may never feel ready but you can get yourself to a place of more confidence…and that might just be the thing you need to set things in motion.
Lots more coming on this…but until then…
