As many of you know I am a web monkey-type designery person. We can design nice flowery sites and we can make them function with e-comms and CRMs etc.

For ever I have been thinking I could take all this creative and technical knowledge and make an ecomms site selling ‘stuff’ (for my wife to run in her spare time).

The thing is I have no idea what the ‘stuff’ is – so where can I start looking for inspiration? I am not wanting to take over the world and have the next Amazon or Wiggle, just have something that might make us some reasonable secondary income.

I am thinking that going to some trade shows might be a start – but that’s about it really.

I reckon those diets where they deliver you the food for each week are a licence to print money

M_F, fire me an email – serious

Decent online motor factors.

Umm.. you want to sell ‘something’ but you don’t know what?

Cart before horse, no?

Btw iDave you never replied my reply to your email about IT related stuff..

As many of you know I am a web monkey-type designery person.

Goody- My web needs redesigning, do you think you could knock somethig up for me for a couple of packs of Jaffa Cakes or a couple of beers? Can’t be that difficult, can it?

Btw iDave you never replied my reply to your email about IT related stuff..

??

re-send please

Decent online motor factors.

Technically speaking shouldn’t motor factors only deal with trade customers? So no real need for an online element.

Hey M-F, How about an application which detects which staff are spending all day tossing it off on STW and creates a blackmail database?

Just re-sent, to the addie from which you last emailed me.

Might have a bigger window coming up in a few months in the work calendar that would need filling.

Umm.. you want to sell ‘something’ but you don’t know what?

Cart before horse, no?
Well no I don’t think it is really – not wanting to be an authority (so no motor factors sites as mentioned above). As I said before – just something to tick over to get a bit of secondary income so I don’t really think that what we ‘sell’ would matter as long as no specialist knowledge would be needed to sell it.

For example, if I decided to sell bags of 6” nails, all I need to do is have a site that sells bags of 6” nails and has the ecomms engine to do it. Then my wife packs up and posts bags of 6” nails.

iDave – just mailed you 🙂

Technically speaking shouldn’t motor factors only deal with trade customers? So no real need for an online element.

Technically speaking, perhaps, but how nice would it be to be able to order cheap oil, grease, brake pads from the comfort of your own arse without having to use Halfords, or one of the myriad mickey mouse alternatives?

But you have to get customers away from what they are currently using? Who’s going to get 6″ nails from you when there’s screwfix direct?

I know you don’t specifically mean nails but my point is for most commodities you can think of there’s going to be a screwfix direct/waterstones/wiggle/etc etc with more buying experience, buying power, visibilty, stock lines etc..

Surely you need a USP, and for that you need industry knowledge? By that I mean, why would I log onto http://www.mrsfanylionhardware.co.uk?

Goody- My web needs redesigning, do you think you could knock somethig up for me for a couple of packs of Jaffa Cakes or a couple of beers? Can’t be that difficult, can it?

8)

Recently had someone wanting a new site completely redesigning, building and with online calendar availability, booking and payment system requirements. They had a budget of not much more than that. 😕

But you have to get customers away from what they are currently using? Who’s going to get 6″ nails from you when there’s screwfix direct?

I know you don’t specifically mean nails but my point is for most commodities you can think of there’s going to be a screwfix direct/waterstones/wiggle/etc etc with more buying experience, buying power, visibilty, stock lines etc..

Surely you need a USP, and for that you need industry knowledge? By that I mean, why would I log onto http://www.mrsfanylionhardware.co.uk?

Because I wouldn’t be operating in a high demand and competitive market nor would I be wanting a majority market share – but I am entirely able to create a fantastic website that would give potential customers confidence in the ‘shop’ and a back end that fulfils the required user experience. For a simple product line, the vast majority of people wouldn’t need specialist knowledge, just want to arrive at a shop they have confidence in and where they can easily find the 6” nails they were looking for and complete the transaction smoothly. At least that is how I see it.

Just blown my nose AND had a crap, so the ideas are falling out at the moment. How about brownpaperbag dot whatever… You sell embarrassing things to people that don’t want to get them from a shop.

A one stop shop where you could pick up buttplugs, pile cream, Adelle CDs, bar ends etc. It’ll be orsm.

And I’ll own half… Yeah, I’ve seen that Facebook film, innit.

What about a ‘one stop shop’ for, as one example, all the one-man bands that are on this forum and making bits and pieces – like that chap who was making headset cup removers, trout and other light folks, various other people that I’ve forgotten?

TBH – if you’re selling goods, I reckon an ebay shop is the best way forward for snall businesses
Highish fees but the they bring the customers to you

Hmm.. that might work depending on the site. But you’d need a really good range of stock and bargains to back it up or you’ll get found out really quickly.

UNLESS you make the online equivalent of a niche boutique that sells a small range of very expensive beautiful and expensive stuff, and your website could back it up… hmm… How about STW’s idea of men’s products? Fancy razors, expensive classy watches, whiskey, fine cigars, bikes with too many tubes and not enough gears, that kind of thing.

EDIT – Chrisped wheel – I typed my post before I saw yours 🙂

How about Etsy for men*, then?

* by which I mean engineering stuff like home made lights, brackets, dongles etc – yes I know it’s sexist I was making a poor joke 🙂

Shibboleth – we actually once got into advanced discussions with someone on an adult toy venture but the flagship product we wanted to stock was a student’s uni project and not in production. Without that we would have been a very small fish in a massively over-subscribed market unfortunately.

I reckon an ebay shop

I have thought about that but my perception of them is exactly the opposite of what I would want our site to appear – I wouldn’t want it to look like just one person selling in their spare time (although it would be).

Because I wouldn’t be operating in a high demand and competitive market nor would I be wanting a majority market share – but I am entirely able to create a fantastic website that would give potential customers confidence in the ‘shop’ and a back end that fulfils the required user experience. At least that is how I see it.

If your USP is going to be the buying experience, then you need to be looking at the premium end of the market. Any idiot can buy an online shop and get up and running in an afternoon – or open an eBay or Amazon shop for box shifting end of the market.

The problem may be that at the premum end of things, folk expect some specialist knowledge or added value. In internet selling land, that usually means you have to offer a product that is not available anywhere else e.g Guatamalen monkey shit coffee for example.

The product has to come first.

Compete with poshbikes.com?

Ti Bolts and Brake pads 💡

mastiles_fanylion – Member

the flagship product we wanted to stock was a student’s uni project and not in production….

I NEED to know what this product was! What the hell kind of University lets its students develop V8 Ti strapons for example?… Now there’s an idea for you…

You want to set up an online shop, but not sure what to sell?

Have I missed the point?

I have thought about that but my perception of them is exactly the opposite of what I would want our site to appear – I wouldn’t want it to look like just one person selling in their spare time (although it would be).

why? – I thought the idea was to make money rather than start a vanity business

……and for that reason, I’m out 🙂

You don’t even have to sell the ‘stuff’, just provide the marketplace. I met a founder of Etsy.com recently. First year of business, five years ago, $100,000 of business was done through the site. Last year: $350,000,000.

You want to set up an online shop, but not sure what to sell?

Have I missed the point?
You have missed the posts above I guess 😉

Shib – it was an induction-charged set of vibrating massagers (set of three) really nicely designed in stainless steel and wood. Very much the luxury ‘sexy and erotic’ end of the market rather than the utilitarian ‘get the job done’ rabbit end.

pipe dreams.

Interesting thread. Coming from a similar area I often think the same, it’s all very well working on other peoples brands, identities online and offline but I would quite like to use my expertise on a venture of my own.

I guess it’s a case of taking one of your hobbies or interests and building on it.

pipe dreams.

You are most probably entirely correct.

I guess it’s a case of taking one of your hobbies or interests and building on it.

Okay I will build her a site that sells Cadbury’s Creme Eggs. Available as single eggs or in packs of six.

Sorted.

Stuff from local bric-a-brac shops, artists,photographers,local college/uni artists and farmers shops. All people who may not otherwise have the where-withall to afford/design and maintain a web site 💡

Friend started off selling porcelain stuff he bought at car boot sales, retired from work and opened a shop selling “antiques”

What interests has Mrs m-f got? She may not be too interested in any of your ideas esp running around after 2 kids ❗

Missed a good weekend at Inners/GT btw 🙄

Technically speaking, perhaps, but how nice would it be to be able to order cheap oil, grease, brake pads from the comfort of your own arse without having to use Halfords, or one of the myriad mickey mouse alternatives?

Do Halfords not have web sales?
http://www.checkpointautostores.co.uk/ seem to have an online store and the prices should be quite good as they used to hammer us for discount… 😥 The owner is/was a good businessman and more Scouse than Mickey Mouse!

I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but what would be wrong with setting up a company that uses your obviously salable skillset and markets it to entrepreneurs who have no idea how to bring their ideas to market online?

It kinda offloads the risk element onto the dragon-fodder…

Mate of mine is a drop-shipper. Does ebay, Amazon and a Play-Trader. Just the regular crap we line our living rooms with, TV box sets, DVDs, video games. Trawls the sites for special offers or remainders, then offers these at just under the standard price on the other sites to catch the business of folk who don’t shop around fully. He makes a decent little sideline out of it, but he does have to stay right on top of the pricing and juggle things daily.

Do Halfords not have web sales?
http://www.checkpointautostores.co.uk/ seem to have an online store and the prices should be quite good as they used to hammer us for discount… The owner is/was a good businessman and more Scouse than Mickey Mouse!

Your comments and that site, make the case better than I could myself.

iDave you get that mail or what?

Spam filter issues here I suspect.