how to succeed online with a niche business: (part 2)
Read Part 1: How to succeed online through niche business: the RedWagons case.
How do you provide customer service?
We send a confirmation email when we receive the order.
When the order is shipped, we send a confirmation email again to give them the UPS tracking number.
We would like to address some of the issues that the client is most concerned about, especially \"will I get this order ? \"?
How can I find someone?
\"We decided in early 1999 to put our phone number anywhere on our website so that our customers can call us.
We don\'t have 24/7 coverage, but we have enough staff to handle the phone during office hours.
We never let the phone ring two or three times.
The answer and the voice of the customer are rarely put on hold.
Knowledgeable staff answer questions.
If you have any concerns, deal with them quickly.
We are also very generous in terms of return policy, providing information, helping people get along, making decisions or solving problems.
Is the freight prohibitive for customers? Probably.
But we have a choice. we have a service.
Yes, our products are very expensive to ship.
But we have reduced our profits in order to remain competitive.
If someone goes to a large toy store and if they find a particular item that we also sell, many times they will find it at a lower price.
With specialty stores, we are generally more competitive.
When someone gives it as a gift, we blow everyone out of the water.
Because these vans are too big, no one will pack them.
So we give it away. wrap them.
We pack them up, put a card and ship them to anywhere in the country at the same cost, just like you ship it to your house.
Many times, you will buy the same fee somewhere in the store.
If you go to ToysRUs and spend less money on a carriage and try to wrap it up and ship it out, first of all, it will take you about three hours to get the job done, and you will spend the same money.
We have a great advantage when you try to send it as a gift.
This is a very large item.
So when you buy it from the store, you have to take it off the shelf, bring it into your car, and then try to put it in your car.
Imagine if you\'re a parent with a screaming child trying to put this big van in your hatchback or small suitcase-it\'s hard.
There are differences in cost, but from a convenient point of view, we can pump our competitors from the water.
How do you manage your business growth?
In early 2000, we experienced a three-fold increase a year ago.
After three years of operation, we intend to 24-
It doubled from our first year.
At that time, I was considering whether to outsource our business or expand our business.
I don\'t know what will happen.
I decided to outsource because I don\'t know how much more we will grow.
If I were to expand with the growth booth, we would have people sitting in an empty warehouse.
So we together decided to outsource our full performance in September 2000.
Of course, the market began to collapse.
Before the second quarter, instead of achieving the triple growth target, we slowed growth to about 50%.
So we finally got a 2-
On the contrary, it increased by 2000, more than 1999 Times.
Our decision to outsource is good because we are not expanding too much now.
We are still strong and focused on customer service.
Our repeat and referral customers have returned very strongly because of the services we have provided to them in the past, which has driven us to grow by 60% this year over the past.
In the early days of your startup, you work from home.
What is the feeling?
It\'s not that hard because we are virtual.
The manufacturer is responsible for performance.
We had no phone support at the time.
It just replies to the email, processes the order and ships it.
Soon after, the online business merged with my together handyman business.
Then I have some staff to help me out.
I move other businesses out and keep bringing in staff when necessary.
We have five employees now.
What is the turning point when you realize that you have to take your business out of the house?
We plan for the growth of our business.
We are going to move the business in the house to our own place.
It\'s always one thing to sign a lease, buy equipment and do all of this.
Our predictions are like this, and we still take conservative action on what we do.
We can choose a brand.
New office, all new furniture, etc.
Instead, I just moved the business from my home to a small storefront across the street, about 200 feet.
It\'s like at home because I have my computer at home and I can work from home if I want to, or I can walk to the office to see what\'s going on there.
We have always taken very conservative measures.
We how always make the most of our equipment, our space, our staff.
My customer service representative is also loading and unloading trucks.
We are designing the website.
We\'re dealing with accounting.
So I let everyone deal with every skill and every job that needs to be done. (
Adbygoogle = window. Adbygoogle | []). push({});
So, what are the factors that make your online business successful?
This is our excellent customer service.
Also, we have a good location on search engines.
One of the secrets of making our business successful is everything.
From people to equipment-
They have exceeded their original abilities.
Take our order processing system as an example.
Instead of buying the software, I converted QuickBooks, the accounting system I used for the handyman business, into an order processing system.
This is not perfect because there is a lot of manual work that needs to be done with it, but it keeps things working well.
It effectively tracks our customers.
We were able to see the inventory and run smoothly.
But as we expand and grow our customer base, we need a multi-customer service software.
This is beyond what our system can handle, so let\'s look for another system.
Some systems are priced between $50,000 and $70,000 but still need put regular maintenance.
We found one for $6,000. the-shelf product.
There is no smooth interface between this new system and the one we have, but we came up with a way to connect the two systems together.
Now, we have a system that is very efficient and runs smoothly.
It helps us finish it manually before so we know what the parameters are and what we need to do.
So we can solve it.
When we start dealing with other companies, like performing the company, they brag about that half. a-
They have built a system of millions of dollars;
4 IT personnel maintain the system full time. It took them 6-
Just to get the system to work for 8 months.
I would say that our very simple system works better than half of someone\'s. a-
I see the million dollar system running.
What advice can you provide for other online entrepreneurs?
If everything you do is right, expect to make a profit for the third year.
Don\'t expect to be profitable on the first day.
Since the first day, many people are looking forward to making money.
Because of our exposure at Yahoo.
People have been asking me for advice now-I\'m one of the featured merchants.
Someone bought $20,000 worth of inventory before they opened the site and I told them no, no, no
Get your website up first.
Start with as few dollars as possible.
Spend as little as possible on inventory.
See what market is out there.
One of my equally successful friends is now starting with a product.
They succeeded.
They began to feel the stock.
They did this and added another product. a similar one —
Expand their team.
They did a good job in developing their business.
They will have something to quit their job and work for themselves in two to three years.
But it\'s hard to have ideas today, especially in the field of e-commerce.
Commercial, this will just get you 6-through the roof-
Calculate the income within six months and leave.
If you want to sell a product, go to the search engine first.
If there are not many lists under this keyword, then you may do something right for yourself and you can start competing.
Take the scooter as an example.
If you enter it on the search engine, you will be listed there as 780,000 of 790,000.
You will be at the bottom of the list and no one will find you.
But if it\'s left hand
You might find something.
Of course, you have fewer markets.
That\'s the problem: you have to look at the whole market and the market share you will take.
If you have 100% on your lefthanded yo-
If it\'s a million dollar industry, that\'s fine.
But if you were.
More than 00000001%
The billion dollar industry then makes little sense.
Avoid those who give you empty promises, especially those who sell ads.
Remember, your best friend is your calculator.
I said shoot for the stars but start with the ladder.
So, you\'re in the next 2-3 years?
We are seeking to diversify, grow steadily and build our business slowly.
We expect revenue to reach 30% this year, an increase of 60% over last year.
Now, we are actually hiking at 80% m, but we started slowly due to the collapse of electronic toys.
They cut all the prices, which hurt us in the first quarter.
We will be between 60.
70% by the end of the year.
We expect about 20-
In the next few years, 30%, we are satisfied with this product line.
If we take out the other routes that start to become more successful, we may increase the percentage a bit.
We\'re not looking for big killers.
We are looking for something small to add that we are doing well now.
So if we find the month, give us 5% boost and have a 100% increase, that\'s not a big deal.
This is my advice to everyone who is developing their own business: When you go and build something, think about the real Amazon.
It was built by many creeks and creeks, as well as small drops of dew falling on the branches, and all the curves and streams on these branches form this huge body of water. Amazon.
Com spent billions of dollars digging a ditch for everything because they had the money.
You just need to find something that can give you a customer in a month to really build a huge revenue stream.
You should have the goal of finding a source of income-whether it\'s a link or a small banner where you have a reciprocal agreement with another site --
Just keep looking for a place to give you one or two customers a week, a month, a year.
And continue to develop on these bases.
Some may become larger and some may become smaller.
The same strategy is the acquisition of product lines.
Your expectations for these products are low, but keep an eye on them.
Work with them-some of them may get big, while as a whole for all, they may work well together.
10 tools for the earnings revenue growth Book: Millionaire great
How do you provide customer service?
We send a confirmation email when we receive the order.
When the order is shipped, we send a confirmation email again to give them the UPS tracking number.
We would like to address some of the issues that the client is most concerned about, especially \"will I get this order ? \"?
How can I find someone?
\"We decided in early 1999 to put our phone number anywhere on our website so that our customers can call us.
We don\'t have 24/7 coverage, but we have enough staff to handle the phone during office hours.
We never let the phone ring two or three times.
The answer and the voice of the customer are rarely put on hold.
Knowledgeable staff answer questions.
If you have any concerns, deal with them quickly.
We are also very generous in terms of return policy, providing information, helping people get along, making decisions or solving problems.
Is the freight prohibitive for customers? Probably.
But we have a choice. we have a service.
Yes, our products are very expensive to ship.
But we have reduced our profits in order to remain competitive.
If someone goes to a large toy store and if they find a particular item that we also sell, many times they will find it at a lower price.
With specialty stores, we are generally more competitive.
When someone gives it as a gift, we blow everyone out of the water.
Because these vans are too big, no one will pack them.
So we give it away. wrap them.
We pack them up, put a card and ship them to anywhere in the country at the same cost, just like you ship it to your house.
Many times, you will buy the same fee somewhere in the store.
If you go to ToysRUs and spend less money on a carriage and try to wrap it up and ship it out, first of all, it will take you about three hours to get the job done, and you will spend the same money.
We have a great advantage when you try to send it as a gift.
This is a very large item.
So when you buy it from the store, you have to take it off the shelf, bring it into your car, and then try to put it in your car.
Imagine if you\'re a parent with a screaming child trying to put this big van in your hatchback or small suitcase-it\'s hard.
There are differences in cost, but from a convenient point of view, we can pump our competitors from the water.
How do you manage your business growth?
In early 2000, we experienced a three-fold increase a year ago.
After three years of operation, we intend to 24-
It doubled from our first year.
At that time, I was considering whether to outsource our business or expand our business.
I don\'t know what will happen.
I decided to outsource because I don\'t know how much more we will grow.
If I were to expand with the growth booth, we would have people sitting in an empty warehouse.
So we together decided to outsource our full performance in September 2000.
Of course, the market began to collapse.
Before the second quarter, instead of achieving the triple growth target, we slowed growth to about 50%.
So we finally got a 2-
On the contrary, it increased by 2000, more than 1999 Times.
Our decision to outsource is good because we are not expanding too much now.
We are still strong and focused on customer service.
Our repeat and referral customers have returned very strongly because of the services we have provided to them in the past, which has driven us to grow by 60% this year over the past.
In the early days of your startup, you work from home.
What is the feeling?
It\'s not that hard because we are virtual.
The manufacturer is responsible for performance.
We had no phone support at the time.
It just replies to the email, processes the order and ships it.
Soon after, the online business merged with my together handyman business.
Then I have some staff to help me out.
I move other businesses out and keep bringing in staff when necessary.
We have five employees now.
What is the turning point when you realize that you have to take your business out of the house?
We plan for the growth of our business.
We are going to move the business in the house to our own place.
It\'s always one thing to sign a lease, buy equipment and do all of this.
Our predictions are like this, and we still take conservative action on what we do.
We can choose a brand.
New office, all new furniture, etc.
Instead, I just moved the business from my home to a small storefront across the street, about 200 feet.
It\'s like at home because I have my computer at home and I can work from home if I want to, or I can walk to the office to see what\'s going on there.
We have always taken very conservative measures.
We how always make the most of our equipment, our space, our staff.
My customer service representative is also loading and unloading trucks.
We are designing the website.
We\'re dealing with accounting.
So I let everyone deal with every skill and every job that needs to be done. (
Adbygoogle = window. Adbygoogle | []). push({});
So, what are the factors that make your online business successful?
This is our excellent customer service.
Also, we have a good location on search engines.
One of the secrets of making our business successful is everything.
From people to equipment-
They have exceeded their original abilities.
Take our order processing system as an example.
Instead of buying the software, I converted QuickBooks, the accounting system I used for the handyman business, into an order processing system.
This is not perfect because there is a lot of manual work that needs to be done with it, but it keeps things working well.
It effectively tracks our customers.
We were able to see the inventory and run smoothly.
But as we expand and grow our customer base, we need a multi-customer service software.
This is beyond what our system can handle, so let\'s look for another system.
Some systems are priced between $50,000 and $70,000 but still need put regular maintenance.
We found one for $6,000. the-shelf product.
There is no smooth interface between this new system and the one we have, but we came up with a way to connect the two systems together.
Now, we have a system that is very efficient and runs smoothly.
It helps us finish it manually before so we know what the parameters are and what we need to do.
So we can solve it.
When we start dealing with other companies, like performing the company, they brag about that half. a-
They have built a system of millions of dollars;
4 IT personnel maintain the system full time. It took them 6-
Just to get the system to work for 8 months.
I would say that our very simple system works better than half of someone\'s. a-
I see the million dollar system running.
What advice can you provide for other online entrepreneurs?
If everything you do is right, expect to make a profit for the third year.
Don\'t expect to be profitable on the first day.
Since the first day, many people are looking forward to making money.
Because of our exposure at Yahoo.
People have been asking me for advice now-I\'m one of the featured merchants.
Someone bought $20,000 worth of inventory before they opened the site and I told them no, no, no
Get your website up first.
Start with as few dollars as possible.
Spend as little as possible on inventory.
See what market is out there.
One of my equally successful friends is now starting with a product.
They succeeded.
They began to feel the stock.
They did this and added another product. a similar one —
Expand their team.
They did a good job in developing their business.
They will have something to quit their job and work for themselves in two to three years.
But it\'s hard to have ideas today, especially in the field of e-commerce.
Commercial, this will just get you 6-through the roof-
Calculate the income within six months and leave.
If you want to sell a product, go to the search engine first.
If there are not many lists under this keyword, then you may do something right for yourself and you can start competing.
Take the scooter as an example.
If you enter it on the search engine, you will be listed there as 780,000 of 790,000.
You will be at the bottom of the list and no one will find you.
But if it\'s left hand
You might find something.
Of course, you have fewer markets.
That\'s the problem: you have to look at the whole market and the market share you will take.
If you have 100% on your lefthanded yo-
If it\'s a million dollar industry, that\'s fine.
But if you were.
More than 00000001%
The billion dollar industry then makes little sense.
Avoid those who give you empty promises, especially those who sell ads.
Remember, your best friend is your calculator.
I said shoot for the stars but start with the ladder.
So, you\'re in the next 2-3 years?
We are seeking to diversify, grow steadily and build our business slowly.
We expect revenue to reach 30% this year, an increase of 60% over last year.
Now, we are actually hiking at 80% m, but we started slowly due to the collapse of electronic toys.
They cut all the prices, which hurt us in the first quarter.
We will be between 60.
70% by the end of the year.
We expect about 20-
In the next few years, 30%, we are satisfied with this product line.
If we take out the other routes that start to become more successful, we may increase the percentage a bit.
We\'re not looking for big killers.
We are looking for something small to add that we are doing well now.
So if we find the month, give us 5% boost and have a 100% increase, that\'s not a big deal.
This is my advice to everyone who is developing their own business: When you go and build something, think about the real Amazon.
It was built by many creeks and creeks, as well as small drops of dew falling on the branches, and all the curves and streams on these branches form this huge body of water. Amazon.
Com spent billions of dollars digging a ditch for everything because they had the money.
You just need to find something that can give you a customer in a month to really build a huge revenue stream.
You should have the goal of finding a source of income-whether it\'s a link or a small banner where you have a reciprocal agreement with another site --
Just keep looking for a place to give you one or two customers a week, a month, a year.
And continue to develop on these bases.
Some may become larger and some may become smaller.
The same strategy is the acquisition of product lines.
Your expectations for these products are low, but keep an eye on them.
Work with them-some of them may get big, while as a whole for all, they may work well together.
10 tools for the earnings revenue growth Book: Millionaire great
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