This post is
the result of a tweet I saw, made a comment on, shared on WhatsApp with
caption, replied by many, and with a very good friend asking that I write more
on it, though others asked for more input too. But, SMOG was more intentional
with his statement. He wanted something lengthier that could be shared on his
weblog.
When I shared
the tweet, I did not exactly focus on the fashion direction like the original
poster. Rather, my point was building lean businesses or startups.
I’m
discussing WooCommerce, Shopify, WordPress, Jumia, Jiji, Facebook, Instagram, and
Paystack.
While I have
never been in the e-commerce space as a seller, I have almost done that
previously. I am not thinking about it at the moment, but working with over 50
personal brands has opened my eyes to lots of things about e-commerce. I am
definitely not an expert in that field, but I have an extensive knowledge about
it and about building businesses, starting up, and growing further.
First, my reply to
a certain tweet that said fashion designers should consider patenting their
works still stands. Patents destroy innovation. There’s just too much I can say
about that. Imagine cars were continually patented like they were ab initio? Imagine
the mobile app store was patented or even 3G? Already, patents have limit to
claims, but it shouldn’t be embraced going forward. In the IT space,
open-source is now the real thing.
Back to
e-Commerce and Business Building
If you are
starting a business, no matter how much you are starting with, you are a
startup and should acknowledge that. I believe startups should embrace the lean
way of doing business. So, to e-commerce starters, my points are:
1.
Build an e-commerce store, not
a website. Platforms like Shopify, Instagram, and Paystack have made it easy
for you to actually sell online without necessarily building the website ground
up. I think Paystack allows you to sell on Facebook and even accept payments
without the buyer being directed to some other ‘proper’ website. Instagram now
allows you to sell the products you display and accept payments for them as
well. With Shopify, you will of course have to pay some dollars monthly. Yet,
it is nothing compared to doing the work or paying someone to build a website
for you, then using all the plugins like WooCommerce and maybe integrating
Paystack as another layer or whatever.
2.
If you have the money to pay
some developer to build a website from ground up, you may do that. However, I do
not encourage spending hundreds of thousands on a business you have not even
started, especially something you can start with near zero capital like e-commerce.
It’s great to have your own WordPress e-commerce platform that has been
integrated with a WooCommerce plugin and all the beautiful themes the world has
never seen. However, you may just discard this advice and the one above and go
for the third…
3.
Platforms like Jiji and Jumia
are easy markets where you can sell anything. Jumia receives commissions on the
products you sell, while Jiji none. If I wanted to be closer to my customers,
which is something I love, I’d go with Jiji. If I wanted to just make it a side
hustle, make some cash while someone does the rest, I’d choose Jumia.
In all, I’d
rather go with using Facebook and Instagram plus a Paystack layer that handles
the payments in conjunction with Jiji and Jumia.
One, the
social media platforms give me a better understanding of my customers who are
liking, commenting, and buying. Two, Jiji gives me a great connection with my customers,
while Jumia does the selling and marketing part (though you should do some
marketing on your own too).
Last Words
Weigh your
options. Start wise.
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