Credit: Photo by Kaboompics.com
Choose Your Niche and Business Idea
Starting your own online business can be difficult because of the sheer amount of competition you’ll face as a start-up. The eCommerce industry is only growing and it can be difficult to cut through the noise and differentiate your business from others. This is why it is important to have a niche that makes your business unique. Fortunately, as a work-from-home mother, you may have already found that niche. Mothers who work from home or whose time is entirely eaten up by caring for the family can be a unique audience that you genuinely relate to. This will give you an advantage over other competitors who neglect this valuable corner of the market. Now that you understand how a niche can give your online business a head start, let’s look at some common business ideas that you can consider.
Mom Blog
Starting a blog is one of the most common recommendations for beginning an online business, but this can be especially true for businesses targeting mothers. In fact, “mom blogs” are one of the most profitable blogging niches because of the buying power that mothers have. One of the most common issues that new online businesses face is the struggle to bring traffic to their new website.
Blogging can help with this because it is technically also a form of digital marketing. Maintaining a blog falls under the umbrella of content marketing, which is an organic way of earning traffic for your website. Basically, creating content that your target audience finds informative, entertaining, or interesting will encourage them to continue visiting the website and even share the website with their friends. This will increase the number of visitors your website gets without ever having to pay for an advertisement. Additionally, a well-maintained blog will improve your website’s domain authority, which will help it rank higher on google search engine result pages.
Craftsman/Graphic Design
If you are the creative type then you may want to consider using your talent as a basis for your online business. Handmade goods such as jewelry, baskets, self-care products, and art can fetch a good price if you generate enough interest around them. There are simple eCommerce solutions that can be implemented on your website to let you sell your products, or you can use third-party online stores such as Etsy to begin building an audience of buyers.
If you are a more tech-savvy creative, you could also consider entering the field of graphic design. What’s great about graphic design is that there is a very low cost of entry. All you need is software that enables you to manipulate images and you can begin making professional-grade graphics. You can create samples of your work and upload them to your website to show potential buyers what you’re capable of and begin earning clients organically.
Advisor/Freelancer
If you worked in a high-demand field before you started a family, then transitioning those skills to fit your online business model may be the best bet. For instance, if you have experience managing finances or teaching a specific skill then you can begin offering your expertise as a freelancer. The only caveat with freelancing is that the work can be inconsistent. Freelancers work on a per-job basis and must continuously look for new clients to make a steady income.
Credit: Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom
Tips for Starting a Business
Choose the Right Online Business Model for You
One of the decisions you must make early on when starting a business is choosing the right online business model. This will have a major impact on how your business operates and generates revenue. The business model you choose doesn’t necessarily need to be permanent, but remember that transitioning to another business model can be difficult after you’ve already committed to one. Fortunately, you can speak to someone who specializes in change management consulting if you feel that you’re in over your head. Here are a few common online business models to consider.
Affiliate marketing
CPA marketing
Creating and selling your own products/services
Set Goals
As obvious as it sounds, you need to set concrete goals to be able to measure the success of your online business. These goals need to be SMART, which is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. For example, selling 20% more products by the end of the year is a SMART goal. Setting goals to reach will keep you on track and give you something to strive for.
Take Advantage of Online Payment Platforms
Online payment platforms make it simple for customers to purchase a product through your website directly. This is important because digital payment trends tell us that customers expect websites to have a convenient way of paying for a product or service. In fact, if a customer’s preferred payment method isn’t available on a website, then they are likely to find another online store that is easier to use. It is recommended to offer a few different ways to pay for your product/service. This way everyone who visits your store will be able to make a purchase.
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