Sean University: Ecommerce or Brick & Mortar?
Thursday, August 11, 2011
In ancient times, there were normal shops with awnings, and cash-register abacuses, and lists hanging up of people who had passed bad checks. And then there were also guys who travelled around with carts and backpacks full of stuff so that you could buy goods and services that came from other places. That guy is the first known instance of what we now call the Internet. Eventually he evolved into the paper version of the Internet, known as catalogues, and then the digital form of the Internet, known as the Internet. Shops, meanwhile, are still around and have stayed exactly the same throughout history, except now they have more light bulbs in them.
When you’re starting your own small business, the biggest decisions you need to make is whether to base it in reality or on the Internet, and once you make this decision, there’s no going back in time to change it (unless you’re opening a time machine shop). Luckily, today’s course here at the Sean Adams University of Business Management Development Leadership will help you make this very decision. Here are some things to think about…
Decide what you’re selling: If you’re selling digital stuff like music files, you’ll probably want to put your store on the Internet because you can’t put digital files on real shelves (yet!). Meanwhile, other businesses lend themselves to structures. For example, a cabin in the middle of nowhere might be your ideal location if you’re going into the homemade bombs business.
Weigh the pros and cons for your business: Let’s say you’re selling scented candles. If you put your store on the Internet you’re less likely to burn it down during a seemingly innocent candle demonstration. On the other hand, people can’t smell stuff through the Internet (yet!), so you’ll have to rely on describing smells using pictures.
Be realistic about how clean you are: When I first started SAUMBDL, I wanted to hold classes in my studio apartment, but then I realized that if I did that, I’d have to clean up my apartment, which meant taking out the trash, which meant going outside, which would’ve increase the chances that I’d see my landlord and she’d start talking to me all about how she “really needs June and July’s rent.” So instead, I started it here on the Internet where nobody has to clean anything!
Evaluate your relationship: This one might not seem so clearly related, but think about it: if your spouse or significant other kicks you out –for any reason, even if it’s stupid and tiny reason, like all you did was forget to turn off the iron and also you iron all your clothes on the ”antique” love seat – you can’t sleep on the Internet (yet!).
These are the main things to consider when deciding to make a real business like a shop or an invisible business like an Internet store, but there a bunch of other factors that might come into play with your own specific business ideas, so feel free to ask me questions in the comments.
Remedial Sean Adams University of Business Management Development Leadership students are directed to Lesson one and Lesson two.
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