Monday, August 12, 2013

Is An Online Quilting Store The Business For You?

Is An Online Quilting Store The Business For You?



By Andrea Davidson





Due to the continuous advances in technology, thousands of new Internet businesses are started daily. Many consumers are taking their hobbies and interests and turning them into lucrative business opportunities. Many avid quilters are looking into starting businesses, but do not want to have an actual storefront. Consider the following in order to determine if an online quilting store is the right business for you.



When choosing whether or not to start a quilting business, the first thing you will need to consider is what kind of store you would like to start up. Will it just be a method of you selling the quilts that you have already made? Would you like to sell patterns and quilting supplies? Or do you want to just sell quilting fabric? Once the type and function of your store has been decided, the next step is to figure out how much the start-up costs will be.



After you have determined how much money it is going to take to start the business, the next important step is to decide where that money is going to come from. This start up money can come from many different sources. The most popular source is your own savings and small business loans. You can also apply for personal bank loans. If you decide to apply for a loan, make sure that you have a precise business plan to include with your loan application.



Once you have obtained the start up money and purchased the supplies that you will need for your business, it is time to begin thinking of a marketing plan. The first thing you must do is build a web store. There are many ways to do this.



One of the easiest and most expensive options is hiring a professional to build your web store. If hiring a professional web designer is not something that you budgeted for, consider doing it yourself. Building your own store that has a professional appearance is not as hard as it sounds. There are tutorials and templates available to assist you.



Once the store has been built, it is time to set your prices and figure how you are going to get your products to your customers, especially if you are selling patterns, as most quilting stores do. A very popular trend is allowing customers to download their patterns as soon as they have purchased them. Adding this option to your store will also help to decrease shipping costs.



Now that you are all set up, the next step is to start telling people about your online business. This is when social media like Twitter and Facebook start to play a huge factor in your marketing plan. If you are not familiar with how social media works, hire a professional for assistant. You will find the majority of your customers on quilting websites and blogs so you will want to subscribe to those sites and advertise there as well.



Now that all the planning is finished, you are ready to move ahead with your online quilting store. All you need to do now is activate the website and invite customers to the store. Now you can present your love of quilting to others without having the stress of a physical store.









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Is An Online Quilting Store The Business For You? Is An Online Quilting Store The Business For You?



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Is An Online Quilting Store The Business For You?



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