How To Run An Ecommerce Business From Your Kitchen Table

Paul Teague

- How to get started with ecommerce

- Taking online payments - why Paypal isn't the only option

- Providing customer support while you're asleep

- Communicating with customers all over the world

- Harnessing the online giants - Amazon and eBay

- Dropshipping - no stock, no premises, no parcels!

- Alibaba and how it can help you to source your products

Coming Up Today …

How I Sell Abroad …

I team up with authors all over the world to

organise cross-promotions of our books

I sell online training products to customers

from all over the world

How I Sell Abroad …

I broadcast a weekly podcast to listeners all over the

world, in order to bring them into my sales funnels by

creating value in my field.

I sell online digital training programmes via

3rd party sites such as teachable and

Clickbank

How I Sell Abroad …

I write under 3 x author names and sell sci-

fi/thriller & non-fiction e-books all over the

world through Amazon … I have also sold

books in Japan, Canada and New Zealand

How I Sell Abroad …

My podcast listeners

My Amazon sales

How I Sell Abroad …

In my biggest digital launch,

we sold over 8000 digital

products in a period of

about 6 weeks to customers

all over the world via

Clickbank.

How I Sell Abroad …

I have a database of contacts and

customers all over the world who

I can email at a convenient time in

their timezone

How I Sell Abroad …

I thought this was exporting, not

what I do ☺

How I Sell Abroad …

I have made $$$$$$ of sales from

my main business hub ☺

Getting Started With eCommerce …

Source: http://blog.litextension.com/6-most-popular-ecommerce-platforms-to-build-your-online-store-in-2017/

Beware of fees and portability issues (DIT gives better than commercial rates on many sites). I prefer WooCommerce built into a Wordpress site because I control the asset that way.

Taking Online Payments Payments …

I have used Paypal, 2Checkout,

Google Checkout to receive

payments.

I don’t particularly like WorldPay

or Sagepay – too complicated!

Stripe is my ‘one to watch’

I have no personal experience of

the others

A Word About VAT Moss …

Note: I am not an accountant, please seek expert advice. This is my experience only.

As a digital seller I am liable for VAT Moss on digital products – and that’s a real pain!

I only sell through platforms which manage the VAT on my behalf, I don’t handle VAT Moss for simplicity –

although I did register when it was first introduced.

See: http://www.sitesell.com/blog/2014/12/definitive-guide-new-eu-vat-rules.html

Use services which handle

the VAT! Amazon,

Clickbank, payhip,

Gumroad & paddle

A Word About USA Tax Retention…

Note: I am not an accountant, please seek expert advice. This is my experience only.

See: https://meritaking.com/2012/09/13/navigating-the-usa-tax-nightmare-for-uk-authors/

It took me about 30 minutes to call

the IRS in the USA and confirm that

I’m a UK business.

I wish I’d done it sooner, I ignored

this issue for years

Once done, you don’t have any tax

withheld again – you get everything

that you earn directly ☺

Providing Customer Support …

See: http://www.capterra.com/help-desk-software/

I have used Zendesk, Kayako, Freshdesk and osTicket

I use Freshdesk

I don’t like Zendesk

Providing Customer Support …

Providing Customer Support …

Providing Customer Support …

Free!

Paid Freshdeskincorporates live chat!

‘Live Chat’ services are very popular nowadays.

They usually involve you ‘cutting & pasting’ a bit of web code onto your site.

Communicating With Customers …

Tip – You have a free and ready-made helpdesk available

via your Facebook page!

Communicating With Customers …

See: http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/best-email-marketing-services/

• I have used MailChimp, GetResponse,

AWeber and ConvertKit

• I prefer GetResponse & MailerLite

• I’m watching ConvertKit, because it’s

very promising

• I don’t really like MailChimp … but it is

very widely used and has a lot of

integrations

Communicating With Customers …

With GetResponse you can send

out emails across the globe

using ‘Perfect Timing’ in each

time zone.

Or you can use ‘Time Travel’ to

deliver at a specific time in the local time zone.

[Mailchimp offers similar options!]

Harnessing Online Giants …

These are the online giants … they can

very quickly put your business directly in

the path of millions to buyers AND they

handle the payments.

BUT be aware of selling fees and that

when you use somebody else’s platform,

they can (and will!) change the rules

halfway through the game.

Drop-shipping Overview …

The definition of drop-shipping … in short,

sell stuff without holding the stock or

having to post it ☺

Drop-shipping Overview …

Alibaba Overview …

Alibaba is a great place for getting goods manufactured at great scale to sell on

Amazon. Don’t hold the stock – let Amazon dispatch it directly for you!

Final Tips …

I use virtual telephony via Vonage, which allows me to

take my business phone number with me wherever I am

in the world.

I also use Invoco.net to buy ‘disposable’ phone numbers

for specific projects – this gives you ‘local’ phone

numbers all over the country.

Use all of these services via apps on your

mobile phone. You can access everything you

need wherever you are in the world at a time of

your choosing.

Always make sure that you software choices

offer properly supported and fully-functional

apps.

Don’t forget social media! It’s the

simplest way to connect with

international audiences ☺

Final Tips …

Get a virtual address – I use City Address in

Manchester, but there are many other

services available for this purpose.

I used to have a PB Box number, but when

a limited company you need a physical

address.

Back up all of your files in the Cloud (use

2-step verification for security) and use the

apps on your mobile phone and devices.

Get used to the cloud and learn more

about it to put your security concerns at

rest – it’s here to stay!

Getting Started With e-exporting …

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e-exporting

Getting Started With e-exporting …

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e-exporting

Resources & Slides …

My ‘e-exporting is great’ slides & resources

https://paulteague.com/DD1

Sell online with DIT's E-Exporting Programme

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e-exporting