Ramping Up 2013 – February

If you are a member of the Facebook group, then you saw many of the members post their sales numbers for the month of December. With Amazon continuing to grow by leaps and bounds and eBay making more changes to help compete with sites like Amazon, online selling is a great way to create income. It is never too late to start. Over the next few months, I will be sharing tips and ideas to help prepare you for success. Many of these are simple things that Here are a few things you can do to get ready for the upcoming season:

1. Create a (social) media frenzy If you are not using social media to help market your online store, you should start. If you use Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest for personal posts, consider peppering in a few posts that market your store to your network. If you wish to open new accounts, try to name them as close to the name of your store as possible. Include your logo or a common picture on every profile. Doing so helps you create a brand. Your buyers will begin to recognize you and become interested in what you are offering. Remember not to flood your followers or friends with your store information. Post a few times a week. Make sure you mix some posts that show your personality with the posts that share your store or listing information. Also, start following others. Often they return the favor and their followers may find you through that connection. To make this a successful venture, make sure you set up a plan or schedule for staying in front of your fans and followers.
2. Consider new wholesale partnerships Take the opportunity while sales are not overwhelming you to look at possibly using wholesale partnerships. If you are already a reseller for a company or two (or more), look at expanding your line to include a new supplier. This is the perfect time to try them out. Watch how they deliver, monitor their customer service, and take the time to review their product offerings in depth. Look for product and company reviews online. If this is a new venture for you and you don’t know what to sell, take a look at things you would buy. Find things that you know about.
3. Consider selling St. Patrick Day itemsIncrease your income for future product sourcing by selling items for St. Patrick’s Day. Many people go all out for this holiday and are always looking for unique items that feature the holiday. If you are planning to sell by Amazon, you may want to get those items in quickly! If you are selling by eBay, there is no time like the present to start listing them!

Even if getting ready for Holiday 2013 is not your current goal. These tips can help you become successful.

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SBA Revamps Website to Help Entreprenuers

Recently the Small Business Administration or SBA has upgraded the way they do business online, with the introduction of their user friendly browsing tools specifically designed for emerging business owners. These tools will allow them to add to their customer base while expanding on their recruitment of new employees. The SBA Learning Center has simplified it's search catalog, so that anyone can use it therefore spending less time going through loads of pages to find specific instructive videos or classes that they are searching for. The SBA has become 'a one stop shop' for emerging business owners to do everything from creating their business plan to quickly finding out the exact information they need to market their business.

Business owners can enjoy SBA's affiliate partner resources which include access to e learning material for their businesses from other third party colleges and organizations. The great thing about these SBA affiliated programs is that business owners will have access to both the tools as well as friendly counselors who are their to assist with any questions that may arise. It's a win win situation for all! Being that the internet is so cost effective for start up business marketing and attracting a loyal following globally, both the SBA and their affiliate partners are committed to training business owners on the most current social media applications that are being used for business.

The site now offers:

Online Classes

Tips for Disaster Planning and Recovery

Step-by-step Help For Creating a Business Plan

Marketing Planning Tips

Connection to Local Counselors

Event Calendar for Local Events

If you have questions about structuring your business or what licenses and permits you need, this is a good place to start.

Visit SBA.gov, for help.

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