Is An Online Quilting Store The Business For You?

By Andrea Davidson


Technology becomes more advanced every day. Because of this type of growth, there are thousands of online businesses that are incredibly lucrative that are being started every day. Most of these businesses are started because the owners have a desire to work for themselves doing what they love. If you are an avid quilter looking to make some extra money, consider starting an online quilting store.

The first step in starting a quilting store is to determine exactly what type of store you want to have. Will you be selling finished quilt or patterns? Will customers be able to purchase fabric and quilting supplies from you? Once you have determined what type of store you want to set up, then you will need to determine how much it is going to cost you to get started.

As with knowing what kind of store you are going to have, knowing how much money you need to get started is just as important. Seed money can come from a variety of different sources, including your own savings. Personal bank loans and small business loans are another option. Keep in mind that business loans require you to have a sound business plan as part of the application process.

After the money has been procured and you have purchased the supplies for your online quilting store, the next step is to start your marketing plan. A major component of your online business and marketing plan is your web store. There are many ways to build a professional website and web store.

You can pay a professional web designer to build your site. If you have the inclination, a more cost effective way to get started is to build your online quilting store yourself. There are many how-to forums online that can help you build a professional looking web store, even if you do not have experience doing that.

After you've designed, or had your store designed, the next step is setting prices and getting your products to your customers. If you are selling patterns, a popular way to save on shipping costs is to offer the option of instant downloads of patterns instead of having them shipped. This money saving trend is becoming increasingly popular.

The next step is to inform the public that you have a new online business. The best place to start is social media like Facebook and Twitter. If you are unfamiliar with social media marketing, consider hiring a professional to help you. You will also need to follow blogs and websites dedicated to quilting and advertise there. This is where you will obtain most of your customers.

Once all of the initial planning has been done and you decide that you are ready to move forward with your business, you are ready to activate your website and start inviting customers to your online quilting store. You can now share your love of quilting with others without the pressure of running a storefront.




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