Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Starting a Business

So, you have a great idea for an online business. You’ve done market research, know current eCommerce trends, sourced the products you will sell, and built a snazzy new website to connect with your customers. You have also identified the best social media platforms to market your products, so you’re ready to get on the path to that first million, right?

Inflation is a standard economic process. But runaway inflation leads to steep price increases for businesses and their customers. 

With the pandemic affecting everyone’s life in many ways, many people have tapped into the possibility of doing business remotely. The biggest misconception about establishing a remote company is how challenging it is to start. 

Aside from the toilet paper shortages and newly-formed streaming service addictions, the pandemic has also given rise to a number of more positive trends, like a huge boom in new startups that have given people from all walks of life the excuse they need to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Starting a business can often be expensive. It can sometimes take all the money in the bank just to get started, and you may not see any returns for a while.

However, as the pandemic caused almost every industry to shift online, there is an abundance of opportunities to establish your own digital business with little to no money. 

Leading into the start of 2023 is the perfect opportunity to take stock of your current operations and learn what works and what needs improving.

Over the past few decades, employee engagement has become a top priority for global organizations. Although "employee engagement" may appear ambiguous, it truly refers to doing things that make an employee feel happy, fulfilled, and safe at work. Employees are more likely to maximize productivity and performance if they are more engaged.

Launching a startup business requires creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and courage. The first year in the life of a startup business can pass in the blink of an eye; it’s a busy, exciting, gigantic learning curve. However, amid all the challenges of setting up, hiring staff, and deciding on your marketing, website, and content strategy, it’s a moment to assess how the business has done and what you’ve achieved.

There is no such thing as a business that’s easy to run and manage. Regardless of your industry, there will be various challenges and obstacles to growing and staying competitive. It should go without saying that when trying to run any business — especially a relatively small eCommerce store — it’s vital that owners and management allocate resources appropriately and efficiently. 

Dropshipping is one of the most popular ways to start an eCommerce business because it allows you to focus on building your brand while still making money with every order. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t need to invest funds into a dropshipping business. You may run into several costs, ranging from marketing tools to wages.

Even if you’re running a small business, having an HR team is incredibly important. The HR department can handle new employee onboarding, interpersonal disputes, and more when necessary. However, the odds are that your small business’s HR department is stretched thin — you may even have only one HR employee.

The eCommerce industry has exploded in recent years due to the retail sector's ongoing digital transformation and an exponential surge in demand resulting from the global pandemic. Consequently, more money than ever before flows through digital stores across nearly every conceivable vertical.

There was a time when screen printing was the overwhelmingly favored form of printed t-shirt production for businesses. But now DTG is becoming increasingly popular, particularly with Etsy and other small online shop owners who recognize its many benefits to them.

Have you noticed that every successful eCommerce business uses multichannel sales? And have you wondered why that’s the case? The answer is simple: because it increases our chance of being noticed by potential customers and increases your sales. But, if it was that easy, everyone would do it.

It takes a village to run any successful large venture or implement ambitious ideas. That’s why business owners need a group of people to bounce ideas off of, critique, and provide invaluable feedback to each other. They may be a group of C-level executives, or simply some trusted individuals and peers from various companies who are qualified to run a business. This is called a “mastermind group,” a term coined by author Napoleon Hill in the classic self-improvement book “Think and Grow Rich.” 

Branding isn't your brand name or your domain name. It isn't even some blog post or press release that you publish. It's more than a strategy that you lay out on a company wiki.

The truth is, branding cannot be seen; it can only be felt.

Think about some of your favorite brands, ones that you actively recommend to your peers and prefer over other options. That feeling? That's good branding.

Let's be honest, building a custom sticker business is difficult and there is a lot of competition. However, it’s not impossible to succeed. Customers are more supportive of small businesses than ever before, and eCommerce platforms make it easier than ever to reach a worldwide audience. Forget about expensive brick-and-mortar locations — the best place to have a sticker business is online! A couple of sticker ideas won't make you wealthy, but if you have a vision, a business strategy, and a[...]

Most people don't step into a new venture with a wealth of experience in financial management. Knowing how many new start-ups have failed to succeed financially — and why — is essential for any business owner.

A smart business owner comprehends the central role of accounting and bookkeeping to make effective business decisions.

The last few years have seen an absolute explosion in eCommerce growth, and there has never been a better time to get in on the action yourself with an online boutique.

During the 2020 pandemic, eCommerce sales soared upwards by an incredible 33.6%, destroying previous estimates in its wake.  That growth has only continued since, and it’s just common sense to want to get in on the action with your own venture.

Let’s be honest: it’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur. In days past, starting[...]

Identifying and analyzing trends is an excellent way to get a jump on future business, but it's important to remember that the best trend analysis will depend on taking everything into consideration. With that in mind, below are some tips on identifying market trends for long-term success.