Running an online shop whilst working full time?..
Discussion
Not sure about full online shops, but I started a successful affiliate biz in the evening when I was a young lad. It’s a good first route as you don’t need stock. Also there are many jobs, that will allow you fill gaps with your own side projects. Some legitimately. Others less so.
In some ways it’s useful training for developing processes and delegating. If you are doing all the packing etc, is it a business or is it a job with no holiday pay?
Ok might be taking it too far, but it is possible.
In some ways it’s useful training for developing processes and delegating. If you are doing all the packing etc, is it a business or is it a job with no holiday pay?
Ok might be taking it too far, but it is possible.
I worked full time for around a year, then dropped to part time whilst I started up my online store.
You can do your postage online with Royal Mail using Click & Drop. You will need your own label printer though. You just do your postage on the royal mail website then bag it up and drop if off at the post office. After spending £16K a year on postage they will offer you free collections. If you are selling bulky products (parcel size) I would use a different courier.
If Royal Mail are delivering your goods to you then you can just collect it from the depot on your day off. If you are purchasing from a manufacturer they tend to use couriers like DHL or UPS, which usually let you arrange delivery for a day that you will be available.
Edit: Packaging goods up can really eat in to your time, so make sure whatever you are selling makes enough profit to ensure that it's worth your time.
You can do your postage online with Royal Mail using Click & Drop. You will need your own label printer though. You just do your postage on the royal mail website then bag it up and drop if off at the post office. After spending £16K a year on postage they will offer you free collections. If you are selling bulky products (parcel size) I would use a different courier.
If Royal Mail are delivering your goods to you then you can just collect it from the depot on your day off. If you are purchasing from a manufacturer they tend to use couriers like DHL or UPS, which usually let you arrange delivery for a day that you will be available.
Edit: Packaging goods up can really eat in to your time, so make sure whatever you are selling makes enough profit to ensure that it's worth your time.
Good luck.I've run my own drop ship site (back in the day before it was a thing), been employed as an eCommerce manger and worked in the search department of one of the top UK agencies for search engine marketing where I managed the SEO for many sites. Anyone who thinks it's easy clearly hasn't tried it.
I would say that the biggest issue is finding the right niche to operate in. Selling something technical that requires a base level of knowledge to sell the products is probably the best tip I can offer. The problem is that really requires you to be available on the end of the phone.
Being clued up on internet marketing would obviously also be a major advantage. You don't just automatically start getting traffic.
I would say that the biggest issue is finding the right niche to operate in. Selling something technical that requires a base level of knowledge to sell the products is probably the best tip I can offer. The problem is that really requires you to be available on the end of the phone.
Being clued up on internet marketing would obviously also be a major advantage. You don't just automatically start getting traffic.
D1on said:
Is this possible whilst working a 9 to 5.
Can postage be done after these hours.
How can you make it so your in to receive stock etc...
Anyone here run a side business selling whilst also working?...
We have a family business - i do the listings and the missus does the packaging and posting. When she's away visiting her mum etc (outside lockdowns) I do that too - Can postage be done after these hours.
How can you make it so your in to receive stock etc...
Anyone here run a side business selling whilst also working?...
You can find post offices that open out of hours - usually shops that have a post office attached. They've started a drop off service in some area's too.
If your not using the Post Office - stuff like hermes etc can be dropped off late night at the allocated shops.
With regards to receiving stock I cant really say as the missus buys the stock when the salesman comes over and they post it using couriers.
I did it for a few years. I used self storage for holding main stock and they also received pallets of stock for me and text to let me know. Id bring home and store a handful of fast selling lines in the garage. I could also send parcels from the storage place if needed as well.
I didn't have local shop drop offs like you do know but would have used that.
I didn't have local shop drop offs like you do know but would have used that.
Yes it is possible but prepare to work LONG days, for the first year at least.
I work full time in a marketing role on a reasonable salary, but had an idea last March (link in profile).
I've had some miserable days but overall it's been rewarding and well worth the slog.
My website is an online store built on Shopify, aimed at petrolheads and is in the homewares sector. Since last March it's grown nicely and is now doing over £2k p/m in sales.
Just make sure it's a viable idea and ask for loads of feedback, the more brutal it is the more valuable!
I work full time in a marketing role on a reasonable salary, but had an idea last March (link in profile).
I've had some miserable days but overall it's been rewarding and well worth the slog.
My website is an online store built on Shopify, aimed at petrolheads and is in the homewares sector. Since last March it's grown nicely and is now doing over £2k p/m in sales.
Just make sure it's a viable idea and ask for loads of feedback, the more brutal it is the more valuable!
I replied to your email with the info requested but didn’t hear back.
You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
DSLiverpool said:
I replied to your email with the info requested but didn’t hear back.
You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
So sorry mate.You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
My email is different now to the one this account is linked to.
Il pm you now with my latest email address if you could send me your reply to it..
DSLiverpool said:
I replied to your email with the info requested but didn’t hear back.
You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
Will you only be offering help on Tik-Tok? Not something I use (or wont to) so just wondering if you have a YouTube channel?You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
Anthony Micallef said:
DSLiverpool said:
I replied to your email with the info requested but didn’t hear back.
You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
Will you only be offering help on Tik-Tok? Not something I use (or wont to) so just wondering if you have a YouTube channel?You need to gen up on selling stuff online, my Tiktoks are numerous and aimed at start ups - same identity as on here.
You are why I’m starting a new business on Monday to help people who want to start get decent advice.
It’s entirely possible to run ecomm alongside a day job, it’s how you set it up that matters. I got to £1m t/o whilst fully employed staying 200 miles from home 3 days a week.
By accident I ended up on TikTok which loved me for 3 months (it hates me now) and I quickly grew to 10k followers in 4 months now I am on 12k in 8 months as my "visibility" is choked. No matter it gave me the light bulb moment and the recollection from my DST days how bloody lonely and frustrating running a business is, especially one where you may have a large element in the hands of a third party that behaves like a banana republic.
So since selling Velstar late Sept I have been working on a business / ecommerce self help "club". I (very) soft launched it on FB in November for a small monthly charge while I started to develop a website with a Discourse forum and fast cheap access to expert advice if needed.
DSLiverpool said:
Absolutely
By accident I ended up on TikTok which loved me for 3 months (it hates me now) and I quickly grew to 10k followers in 4 months now I am on 12k in 8 months as my "visibility" is choked. No matter it gave me the light bulb moment and the recollection from my DST days how bloody lonely and frustrating running a business is, especially one where you may have a large element in the hands of a third party that behaves like a banana republic.
So since selling Velstar late Sept I have been working on a business / ecommerce self help "club". I (very) soft launched it on FB in November for a small monthly charge while I started to develop a website with a Discourse forum and fast cheap access to expert advice if needed.
Thanks for that Ill look forward to joining when you launch fully.
By accident I ended up on TikTok which loved me for 3 months (it hates me now) and I quickly grew to 10k followers in 4 months now I am on 12k in 8 months as my "visibility" is choked. No matter it gave me the light bulb moment and the recollection from my DST days how bloody lonely and frustrating running a business is, especially one where you may have a large element in the hands of a third party that behaves like a banana republic.
So since selling Velstar late Sept I have been working on a business / ecommerce self help "club". I (very) soft launched it on FB in November for a small monthly charge while I started to develop a website with a Discourse forum and fast cheap access to expert advice if needed.
Thanks for that
Ill look forward to joining when you launch fully.Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff