Christianna Cannon

Did you know that 80% of businesses fail within the first 18 months? It's a sad, frightening reality that often scares budding entrepreneurs away from the idea of starting a business of their own. But as hard as the facts are, they shouldn't discourage you from trying — instead, take the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others.

There's a time-tested process for starting a business, and the better you do in these early stages, the more likely you are to survive later on, even in the[...]

"Mistakes were made."

This is a phrase that has been spoken countless times throughout history, usually when a speaker is trying to distance themselves from actions and their consequences. Of course, if you do make a mistake, the best course of action is to take responsibility, correct it, and improve.

This isn't always easy, but sometimes, it's as simple as understanding where you went wrong, why it matters, and what you should change. In that case, there's no reason not to jump right on it,[...]

Many people dream of starting their own business, whether to make money and improve their lives, to build something they can be proud of, because they have an idea they'd like to see come to fruition — or all three of these reasons combined. Being an entrepreneur is both challenging and rewarding, and it's easy to see the appeal of being your own boss and reaching success through your own efforts.

Some potential entrepreneurs know from the very beginning what type of business they want to[...]

Amazon launched an enhanced version of Amazon Brand Registry in May of 2017 to help manufacturers and brand owners protect their registered trademarks (on Amazon) and create an accurate and trusted experience for customers.

What is Amazon Brand Registry?

A new and improved registry for a brand’s rights owners that helps you deliver an accurate and trusted customer experience on Amazon while protecting your intellectual property.

Why You Should Try Amazon Brand Registry

For brand owners,[...]

All businesses need a website. In fact, in today's internet-focused world, the lack of a website will put any business at a disadvantage. With a website, a business can provide potential customers with up-to-date information, news, product and service announcements, and all the information needed to catch and retain customer interest. A website broadens a business's audience and helps to nurture customer relationships. Without a website, a business will miss out on these benefits and find[...]

Selling on Amazon is an exciting prospect. Your products can be out there on the world's largest marketplace, where every day millions of shoppers hunt for their most-desired items.

If you want to start selling on Amazon as soon as possible, this guide is for you. We'll walk you through account creation, listing your products, and more. We'll also provide you with tips to help you build your Amazon strategy and get more sales.

To start, the first thing you need to do is create your seller[...]

People shop on eBay because they're looking for desired items at the best possible price they can get. You know they're looking for bargains, so you can make your own listings stand out from the crowd with eBay promotions. All customers everywhere are more likely to buy when a promotion is in effect, and in fact, 75% of eBay customers are hunting for promotions specifically!

You can set up eBay promotions with the eBay Promotions Manager, which gives you several options. To get started, enter[...]

Starting a business is a long, involved process, but you can make it a lot easier on yourself by following a structured plan.

The secret to completing any task is knowing what to do, and when and how to do it — and while starting a business might seem like a massive undertaking, it really isn't if you break it down appropriately. The process is long and involved, but like everything else, it's just a matter of completing the steps one by one until you get there!

This checklist will summarize[...]

If you're interested in selling more online, you could be starting from a few potential points.

Maybe you already have an online store of your own and you're looking to break into a larger market. Maybe you're already selling on a large marketplace like eBay and you want to expand your reach. Or, maybe you're just starting out, you have no website or item listings anywhere, and you have yet to make a single sale.

These are very different situations, but they have a lot in common, and that's the[...]

The vast majority of shoppers these days browse from their mobile devices, and eBay shoppers make up a strong portion of them.

It's common for eBay users to rely on their smartphone even more so than most online shoppers — eBay users who bid on auctions like to be able to check them frequently with a device they keep close at hand.

Even if you don't auction your items and sell only for a Buy it Now price, you still need to optimize your listings for mobile devices in order to appeal to the huge[...]

If you sell business-to-business, it's in your best interests to make every step of the purchase and checkout process as smooth and easy as possible. B2B buyers rely on a streamlined experience — that's why they prefer to make their purchases online in the first place. Keep in mind, too, that B2B buyers are often pressed for time and working within a strict budget, which makes it even more important to nurture the relationships you've formed with them. Think of it this way: if you're always[...]

Most customers these days are used to shopping online, and they generally know what to expect. However, these expectations can work against you if your store operates any differently than how the customer thinks it will. If you lay out your store policies in an easy-to read format, and in an easy-to-find location on your website, you can help avoid misunderstandings with your customers and keep them satisfied.

Since its founding in 1995, eBay has grown into one of the largest and most popular online marketplaces in the world. Every day, millions of people log on to list items for sale or auction, or to shop for the products they need. Over 2 billion transactions are made on eBay each day and the site hosts thousands of dollars' worth of sales every second.

As an eCommerce retailer, what do these huge numbers mean to you? You may think that owning your own online store means you have to compete with[...]

Sales on Amazon add up to almost half of all online retail sales, and that number is likely to continue to grow. For a large proportion of online shoppers, it's clear that Amazon is the first stop they make when they want to buy something.

If you're an eCommerce merchant already or if you're looking into getting started selling online, you're probably considering listing your products on Amazon.

Selling on this overwhelmingly popular marketplace can work out very well, but there are some key[...]

In this day and age, it's easy to assume that everyone prefers to use a credit or debit card. PayPal and other digital wallets are also prevalent, and for the most part, checks have become a thing of the past. However, that isn't always true.

Many people have negative associations with the word "check." The idea of checks brings to mind slow processing speeds, mental images of waiting behind someone in line as they painstakingly make one out… you get the idea.

It's easy to assume eChecks are[...]

For many people, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of making an online purchase is eBay. Founded in 1995, eBay has become a major online marketplace for buyers and sellers in many countries all over the world. Every day, millions of people visit eBay to bid on auctions, make purchases, or sell their products and services.

As an eCommerce merchant, you have a very good reason to learn the ins and outs of eBay beyond the basics. Expanding your business into eBay sales can be a[...]

On January 21, 2018, all USPS shipping services are experiencing a rate increase averaging at about 6% across the board. The price of First-Class Mail Forever Stamps is also rising by one cent to $0.50. You can read the official USPS announcement here.

This rate increase affects all USPS services including Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, both weight-based and Flat Rate shipping, and all Commercial rates, however not all services are increasing by the same amount.

After these changes, you[...]

Choosing a domain name when creating an eCommerce website is one of the most important business decisions you can make. As the URL (web address) your customers type into the address bar of their browser, your domain name affects your branding, visibility, search rankings, and more. What with all the competition out there, you need to be memorable, and your domain name can do a lot to help or hinder that.

A bad domain name can make your site hard to find and impossible for customers to remember[...]

So, you've decided it's time to expand beyond eBay sales and build your own online store.

This is a great idea — your eCommerce website will serve as your unique presence on the internet, which opens up tons of new ways to establish your brand and enter the public consciousness.

Having your own online store provides you with several business advantages. And we'll cover them in this article.

Gift registries are very popular. They're a huge convenience for anyone planning a wedding, baby shower, anniversary party, or other event.

Gift registries simplify things for their guests as well— it can be tough to pick out the perfect gift, and registries eliminate the need to guess what the event hosts want or need.

Adding a gift registry to your online store can provide a boost to your sales, even if you sell products that aren't usually associated with weddings or similar events.

Remember[...]