1) Finding a Supplier
Task: List out the key points to note when you are looking for a supplier and highlight the ways to establishing a good relationship with your supplier.
Process
Before you set up your online apparel business, it is important that you first source for a supplier and establish a relationship with your supplier. This will be where your goods are coming from!
2) Designing your online website
Task: List out the various steps taken to create a website
Process
Step 1: Click here to learn how to go about building your first website.
Step 2: Access the following links:
More on building your first website
http://www.how-to-build-websites.com/lessonTwo_part3.php
Step 3: Create your website.
Step 4: Access the link to learn the basic steps to create a website.
Step 5: Read the link and note the importance of organizing and navigating the contents on your website.
Step 6: Click on the link and learn the 10 tips on choosing a good domain name.
Step 7: Register your domain name with an affordable or free web host. (E.g. Blogger, LiveJournal, Multiply, Wordpress etc.)
Task 8: Read the link to find out how to maintain your website.
3) Market the website/ online business
Task: List out the various various options available to market a website and debate their pros and cons
Process
Read the following:
1) MSN
Step 1: Get an MSN account if you do not have one here.
Step 2: Put the website of your shop on your MSN nickname.
Step 3: Message your contacts and tell them about your online shop.
Pros: Very low or no cost.
Cons: Might take some time especially if you message your contacts one by one. Low impact because the people who you reach out to are only people you know. Therefore, dependent on your social network. People might also treat is as spam.
2) Facebook
Step 1: Get a Facebook account here.
Step 2: Put the website of your shop on your Facebook nickname
Step 3: Write a note on it and tag as many friends as possible
Step 4: Send messages to your contacts
Step 4 Set up a page on facebook about your shop and invite people to join it. You can also message everyone who joins the page.
Pros: Very low or no cost. Able to reach out to lots of people.
Cons: Might take some time especially if you message your contacts one by one. People might however treat it as spam.
3) Forums
Step 1: Sign up at forum websites to be able to make posts. One example is Hardware Zone.
Step 2: Make posts on the forums about your shop
Pros: Very low or no cost. Able to reach out to lots of people.
Cons: People might treat your posts as spam.
4) Blogs
Step 1: Make posts about your online shop on the blogs of other people. Avenues include tagboards, comments and guestbooks.
Pros: Very low or no cost. Able to reach out to lots of people.
Cons: People might treat your posts as spam.
5) Posters
Step 1: Come up with a poster. Software like Adobe Photoshop or InDesign can be used. If not, simple Mircosoft Office software like PowerPoint and Word can also be used.
Step 2: Print the posters
Step 3: Paste it at places where you think there will be lots of people in your target audience. For instance, if you are targeting students, you can paste it in schools. If you are targeting heartlanders, perhaps you can paste it around HDB flats.
Pros: Might be able to reach out to lots of people and target specific kinds of people
Cons: Cost is involved. Also, it takes time and effort to get the posters up. People might ignore the posters.
6) Flyers
Step 1: Come up with a flyer. Software like Adobe Photoshop or InDesign can be used. If not, simple Mircosoft Office software like PowerPoint and Word can also be used.
Step 2: Print the flyers.
Step 3: Give out the flyers at places where you think there will be lots of people in your target audience. For instance, if you are targeting students, you can give it out in schools. If you are targeting heartlanders, perhaps you can drop them at mailboxes.
Pros: Might be able to reach out to lots of people and target specific kinds of people
Cons: Cost is involved. Also, it takes time and effort to distribute the flyers. People might also treat it as spam.
7) E-Mails
Step 1: Type out an e-mail and send it to all the e-mail addresses of all your contacts.
Pros: Very low or no cost
Cons: Low impact because the people who you reach out to are usually only people you know. Therefore, dependent on your social network. People might also treat is as spam.
4) Mode of payment and delivery of goods
Task: List out the various options with regards to the receipt of payment and delivery of goods to customers and understand the pros and cons of each
Process
Step 1: To know the different modes of payment and choosing the right one
Step 2: To gain a better understanding of credit card payments
Step 3: To know more using PayPal in the online business
Step 4: To make the most of post office services
Step 5: To gain a better understanding of managing international shipping and delivery
Step 6: To choose a courier for overseas delivery
5) Bookkeeping
Task 1: To access the link below and understand how to do bookkeeping
Basic bookkeeping
Task 2: To click on the link and decide which accounting method is appropriate for online fashion apparel business.
Process: Also, read the basic bookkeeping tips to understand it better.
