While it may sound impossible to start an e-commerce Business while working full-time in your job, believe us when we say that it is totally doable because many other ‘sidepreneurs’ have done it successfully before you. Of course, it will require you to don two hats at a time, but the result is totally worth it if you do it right.
Initially, you will struggle to balance a side business while your full-time commitment still lies with your employer. But, if you are passionate and determined to start an e-commerce store, then you will make everything fall in place. You can dedicate your late evening and weekend hours to your e-commerce business.
The advantage of an e-commerce business as a side hustle is that you can dropship orders. Dropshipping is a fulfilment model which allows you to sell the products without maintaining an inventory of your own. Once you accept the customer order on your e-store, you pass it to the dropship supplier who then ships the product directly to the customer.

What is Dropshipping?

A dropshipping e-commerce model is a low-cost investment and you’re safest bet while starting a side business. There is no hassle of inventory stocking and logistics management. Since you don’t have to spend on these business functions, it increases your cash flow and enables you to maintain liquidity in the business. You can regularly test new products and expand your business without buying inventory. Even if the product doesn’t click with customers, the risk of loss is minimal. A dropshipping model will significantly reduce the challenges of a new e-commerce business.

Things you need to keep in mind while starting an e-commerce business as a side job.

1. Make Legal Terms Clear with Your Employer

There could be friction in the workplace when your employer finds about your business. It is best, to be honest with them from the beginning. You need to make sure there is no conflict of interest between your business idea and your job. For example, if you work in a store selling computers, it is not ethical to sell the same on your e-commerce store.
You will also need to assure your employer that your side business will in no way hamper your productivity and commitment to the job. It is necessary that you have your employers support while you juggle between your full-time job and a side business.
If you can, you ideally should seek professional legal advice to understand if there would be any issues in pursuing a job and a business simultaneously.

2. Learn to Prioritize

Striking a balance between your professional, entrepreneurial and personal life will at times be difficult. The idea is to work smart and make the most of the time and resources you have. The easiest way to make time for things that matter is to stop doing things that don’t matter. You may want to cut down time spent watching television or browsing on your phone, basically, any activity which you think does not value-add in any way. This in no way means you stop socializing, working-out or meeting friends, but prioritization will be the key to get you going without feeling exhausted and overworked.

3. Decide on a Product

Research thoroughly to find a product you want to sell. There are two ways to look at this, you either find a product niche that you are passionate about or one that is trending. The ideal would be to obtain a balance between the two. Whichever way you go, base your decision on figures, margins and market research.

4. Create a Business Plan

A solid business plan is the foundation of any successful business. List your business activities, set your long-term goals and accordingly your short-term goals. Assign a timeline to each. Your goals must be ‘SMART’, i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Create a realistic plan for your business that will not affect performance in your full-time job.

5. Schedule Everything – even the smallest task

Schedule any task, chore or errand you may have. Jot everything down in your diary or digital calendar so that you don’t forget things and fall behind on your timeline. Even if the task is as small as calling up a bank for a business loan, or uploading your business presentation on the pen drive, schedule everything.

6. Look for Suppliers

Finding the right dropshipping supplier can be challenging but, it is crucial to your e-commerce business. Your supplier stocks the products for you and fulfils orders on your behalf, hence they are the key to your brand management and reputation. Look for suppliers who are reliable and experienced.

7. Harness the Power of Automation

Initially, the number of orders may not be overwhelming, and you could manage things manually.
But as you scale, manual operations will not only be difficult to execute but will be time-consuming. Automate as many processes as possible, starting with an order management system. An automated OMS will be a blessing. You will not have to manually keep track of every order on your store, to create a purchase order with your supplier. With a good OMS like VARStreet’s E-commerce Store, a confirmed order automatically creates a purchase order with the supplier who then fulfils the order. The room for error is minimised as is the duplication of orders etc.

8. Outsource Business Tasks

We understand that you would like to be responsible for everything initially to save costs but outsourcing some processes or tasks will serve you well in the long run. There will be days when you may not have enough time to commit to your side business, either because of professional commitments or personal matters. Or you may not have the expertise for certain things, like social media management or photography. You can outsource the task of clicking product photos or writing product description. Social media postings is another task you can outsource.

How VARStreet Can Help You Start Your E-commerce Business?

VARStreet’s e-commerce store gives you the power to automate all your e-commerce requirements. It also comes equipped with connections to 35+ IT distributors that include Ingram Micro, Synnex, Tech Data, D&H, Digitek etc. The VARStreet aggregated catalog combines catalogs from 35+ distributors to give you up-to-date well-structured information. This catalog comes ready with rich content saving you time clicking product images and writing descriptions.

You only require to create an account with the suppliers you wish to partner with. All these distributors provide dropship services that are reliable and trustworthy. With the VARStreet platform, you can quickly start and run your online store at minimal cost.

If you are thinking to start an e-commerce business while doing a full-time job, VARStreet can guide you to quickly get up and running. Read here for more information.

Learn more about E-commerce Business

• Top Ecommerce Metric to Grow Your Ecommerce Business Effectively
• Easy Tips to Build an Online eCommerce Store with VARStreet
• 10 Reasons why a Value-Added IT Reseller should have an E-commerce Store

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