4 Things to Consider When Starting a Sustainable eCommerce Business

Julie Starr • Jan 06, 2022

You’ve probably heard that you can make a ton of money by running an eCommerce business. But the one thing most people don’t talk about is the tons of failed eCom businesses in the marketplace.

Research shows that 80-90 percent of all eCommerce businesses fail, usually within 90 days of launch. That means only 10-20 percent enjoy any success. And most of the businesses that fail do so because of many reasons. If you want to improve your odds of success in eCommerce, there are things that you must consider before launching the business. Let’s take a look at them.

Product Source

Before you start an eCommerce store, you need to first ascertain that you’ll have a dedicated product source. This can be a manufacturer, supplier, or you can even manufacture the product yourself.

Most successful eCom store owners just source the bulk of their products from China, sign an agreement with the supplier, and receive steady shipments. This is how they’re able to sustain their inventory and make sure that they never run out of product.

So, after choosing a product, make sure that there’s a reliable supplier who can consistently maintain the quality you want and can meet your order volume.

Ensure There’s Adequate Demand

This is pretty obvious, but it bears repeating. ECommerce should be about your passions. It should be about demand first and foremost. For example just because you like your machinist tool chest and think it’s cool doesn’t mean that other people like theirs.

They may just be indifferent. The same applies to model trains. You can love them and talk about them all day. But not everyone does. In fact, the percentage of people who like model trains is simply not enough to sustain or grow an eCommerce business.

However, there are few instances where product demand lines up with passions. When this happens, you can easily hit a home run in your eCom business.

Optimize Your Product Delivery Process

How long will it take for customers to get their products if they order from you? Remember, we live in a world where Amazon is currently doing same or next-day deliveries.

And while many customers will understand that you’re not Amazon or Walmart, they’ll expect a relatively fast delivery process nonetheless. So, make sure you have your order fulfillment and delivery process thoroughly lined up so there are no delays when the orders start flooding in.

Secure Adequate Manpower

One of the biggest complaints that eCommerce business founders have is not having enough manpower particularly during the seasonal rush. As a result, they often have to work overtime and with little sleep to get orders out the door to customers.

Unfortunately, this often leads to order mix-ups with customers receiving products they didn’t order. And when customers are unsatisfied, they tend to spread the word about their negative experiences. This is why you must make sure that you have enough manpower to fulfill customer demands at all times.

In fact, some eCommerce operations have a temp staff roster –sort of like Amazon- that they call on when the order volume skyrockets. If you have to hire temporary staff, do so.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.