Where Should I Sell My Products?
Congratulations on taking the first step to becoming your own boss! To run a successful business, you need to ask yourself a few questions. What should I make and where do I sell it?
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The two options are to sell online or locally. I do both. With the power of social media, sharing your business with the world is easier than ever. Facebook has an estimated 2.89 billion users. Instagram has over one billion users. I have used Facebook to sell my products since the very beginning. I recently started my own website and that’s something I wish I did much sooner.
Family & Friends
Start learning your machine by making projects for your family and friends. Share photos of your work on your Facebook page or try posting to Facebook Marketplace. I was surprised to see how supportive my community was when I launched my business. I found that people were really excited about shopping local and supporting my small business. Word of mouth spread fast and my business steadily grew each day.
Shipping Or Local Pick Up?
When someone purchases an item you’re selling, you need to decide how to get it to them. Do you want to offer shipping or local pick-up? I started off selling in local “For Sale” groups on Facebook. I would meet customers locally to drop off the items. This can be intimidating because you need to meet people you don’t know face to face for the exchange.
Safety First!
If you need to meet a stranger off the internet to buy or sell something, please use safe ways to do so. Always meet in a public place during daytime hours. A store parking lot, police station or gas station are all good options. Choose somewhere with people and cameras around. If you have to meet in a home, keep a friend or relative with you. Always keep a phone in hand. I’ve been buying and selling things online for years and fortunately, I have never had a negative experience. Meeting people face to face has helped my business grow by connecting me with a lot of great customers.
Shipping
Maybe meeting people face to face isn’t for you. If you don’t live in a safe area, have social anxiety, small children at home with you or a busy work schedule, shipping products might be a better option. There is a lot to learn and buy when it comes to shipping products. You need to make sure that the product is properly packaged so it does not arrive broken. You need to buy materials like bubble wrap, boxes, packing tape and padded envelopes. A shipping scale is also important to calculate shipping costs. I like to ship with the United States Postal Service or Pirate Ship. Shipping online can really expand your business by allowing you to reach billions of people worldwide.
