Jumpstart Your Startup - Part I

If you want to be in the ecommerce business and you just cannot wait, here is a down and dirty list of the most important things you have to do to get your foot in the door. It is not pretty and it is not going to win you the business person of the year award but it will get the job done.

Find a market with a need. Look around and figure out what people need. You can spend a lot of time looking at keyword analyses or try EBays hot item list but you can just as easily think about it yourself. Stay away from the big items that the big sellers have covered. For example, you probably cannot compete on cell phones. But, knowing that everyone has one, you may be able to compete on accessories, especially if you find accessories that do something special or that make a statement - think teenage girls!

Find a product to sell (as above). You need to find a product that you can buy at a price that is low enough to allow you a decent markup. Look for wholesale deals at one of the major, respected trade portals. Do not buy wholesale or drop shipper lists; they are not worth it. Negotiate the best deal you can. Try to get an arrangement that lowers the price as you bring more business that is a win win situation.

Name your company something that makes sense and will help you sell your product. Be sure you can get a domain name that matches or compliments the name you choose. Be sure you can get the version of the name.

Create a decent logo. It is worth some money to do it right. Go to Elance and hire someone. Be sure they give you the vector file or you will be tied to them forever.

Put up a website. Sure, you can spend buckets of money on design and features but if you are trying to get in quick, do what is necessary to get that website out there and being noticed by search engine spiders. Length of time in business counts so get the clock ticking. Be sure that your website has a decent shopping cart.

Establish a merchant account and payment gateway so you can accept credit cards. Establish yourself with PayPal as well.

Find some people who will link to you. At first it may only be your neighbors and your friends but it is a start. Links are critical to search engine rankings. The more relevant they are, the better, but any link will at least get you on the radar.

Create a Twitter account with a name that matches your company/domain name. Link to your Twitter account from your main site and to your main site from your Twitter account. Do the same thing with Facebook. You will need these social media sites to help you create buzz. They may not seem like priority one items but social media really is taking over and you will be sorry if you do not.