AD – This post is a paid advertorial with Lil Packaging
As we’re coming towards the end of yet another year, it’ll be the time where we start thinking about our goals for the next one. I’m a hugely goal oriented person so I find this period of time incredibly exciting, motivating and inspiring. Business is a big part of my life too and most of my goals for next year are centered around blogging, business and my career going forward.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Having an online business is tough – having ANY business is tough. But it’s also incredibly rewarding and exciting when things are going well and you’re motivated and thriving through it. If you have something to sell, whether that’s art, gifts, books, services or something else entirely and you’ve been putting off setting up your own online business…
Well there’s no time like the present, is there?
There’s so much to think about when running an online business, such as packaging, marketing and even paying those who work for you – here the help of HR Compliance can come in handy. So whether you already have an online business of some kind, you’re a couple of years in, only just started or it’s one of your goals for the new year (and new decade), here are 5 things worth thinking about in regards to your online business:
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Eco-friendly packaging
If you ship out physical products (or plan to in the future) obviously packaging is a big thing that you’ll have to consider. Quality, so your products get safely from A to B without damage. Quantity, so you have enough packaging at the ready in case you have an influx of orders. And also the material you use in your packaging is more important now than ever.
I’m sure I’m not the only one to have received a tiny product in a massive box before? Or received something that’s unlikely to have got broken anyway in a ton of unnecessary plastic wrap? It’s annoying, not needed and certainly harmful to the environment. But it doesn’t need to be one or the other.
Lil Packaging provide eco-friendly packaging in a whole range of forms to suit whatever you’re sending. They work with the Internet’s biggest retailers and help them make the switch to plastic free packaging by providing sustainable, biodegradable and plastic free packaging!
Marketing, marketing, marketing
If you’re not marketing your business properly, you could potentially be missing out on a lot of clients or sales. Marketing can make or break a business – depending on how you use it. And there’s different marketing strategies and tools you can use to make it work for you and your business.
Expanding
Perhaps you’ve had your online business for a while and it’s ticking along but you need to take it to the next level? Maybe now is the time to start thinking about expanding. A scary concept, yes but it could also take your business to new heights.
Expanding could mean a bunch of different things, depending on how far you want to expand and what areas of your business you want to expand on. It could mean setting up a new social media platform, creating and selling a new range of products, upping your pricing or investing in extra resources to help you thrive.
Get clear on your vision
Sometimes when we’ve had something going for so long and it’s ticking along nicely, we forget to reflect on what we REALLY want. And sometimes, our vision isn’t aligning with what’s going on any more. You might be selling a product you’re not longer 100% happy with. Or not sending out the right message to your customers any more.
Similarly, if you’re embarking on a new business journey, it can often be so exciting that we forget to REALLY get clear on our vision of what we want before we jump in head first. Regardless of where you fall, make sure your vision and your business are in alignment. And anything that isn’t, tend to it.
Take it offline
Yes, we’re talking about online businesses but let’s not forget there’s a real world out there. This might be harder for those who sell non-physical products such as eBooks or online courses but if you sell physical products such as art or craft items, then perhaps consider taking part in a local craft fair or Christmas fair and selling your products there.
This is also a great way to get your business out there locally. You can produce business cards or flyers to give to people, detailing where they can find you online and the sort of things you sell in case they can’t buy something on the spot.
Do you have an online business? How do you plan to grow your business in the new year? Are you looking to start an online business in 2020?
* This is a sponsored post with Lil Packaging. All thought and opinions are my own.