True Story from Quora – If you want to start a business selling things, how do you get the products to sell?
My wife and I started a business (on the side) and we sold our first product 3 years ago. Last month we sold about $65,000.
Here’s what we did:
- We set up a free account with ecwid.com
- Uploaded the products photos, descriptions, and prices of the products we wanted to sell
- Set up a business Facebook page
- Ran Facebook ads to our target audience
- Set up a WordPress website
- Ran Google Ads for people searching for our products
- Put together a free online training course on how to use our products
It’s not as easy as it sounds.
For the first two years, we lost money because we invested heavily in ads. But our sales were growing steadily.
About a year ago the manufacturer called us and asked if we would become a distributor for our territory. That’s really when sales took off, and it made everything worth it.
However, you have to start by selling the first product, stick with it and stay consistent, and you never know what doors will open up for you.
Good luck!
Good luck!
PS: here’s more about my story here…
I had a good job with a great company that offered to pay my way through Washington University to become an accountant for their lumber supply business. I had to decide if I wanted that security or if I wanted to quit and strike out on my own. I ended up starting a business with my brother and we got it off the ground because we both went all in.
I’d argue that most people are too afraid to go all-in on their business idea. So they stick one foot in and keep the other foot out. And because of that, they can never get it off the ground.
About 8 years later our business ended up failing and I had to get a job again. Shortly after that I had another business idea and so I quit the job to go all-in on my new idea. No matter what I tried with the new business idea, I just couldn’t get it off the ground.
Not long after that another business idea came along and that one did get off the ground. From there I bought into another company and now own a holding company with various businesses.
It all came down to having the courage to quit my job and I had to do that more than once. That often means borrowing money or living off your savings.
In most cases, it’s really hard to get a business off the ground even if you’re doing it full time. I’m lucky I went all in at a young age and failed several times in my 20’s. Those years ended up being my education in business. And I don’t think I would have ever gotten any business off the ground if I had decided to not quit my job.