Summary: This podcast is about Rick who takes us into the depths of building and running an internet business. Ben, who is a software and website developer, interviews Rick who owns an online retail store that sells police type equipment, tactical gear , parts and firearms. Let’s take a peek at how Rick shares his experiences as an online retailer to Ben. On Having An Online Business An online business has its highs and lows. It takes a great deal of effort and passion to make money online, but the same goes when you have an offline business too. It is inevitable to encounter staff issues, taxes and tracking inventory. Rick discloses that his online retail store relies on seasonal sales. Sales tend to pick up in the summer when a lot of outdoor activities happen and the products sold are utilized. “Everything went well until December when sales begin to drop,” Rick said. Selling Online Selling online means more than just selling. For Rick, selling online it is mainly about addressing the needs of customers. It is like taking away that “ache” in what you are doing and making things easier to do in an effective manner. However, the reality of selling stuff online is that you can’t please all customers all the time. But this does not stuck Rick to this harsh reality. Owning and managing an online business has it perks. It gives you a number of benefits and one of that is giving the entrepreneur the chance of living a “dream”. “Living the dream” does not happen to everybody. But most people who own an online business take pleasure in living the dream. Here are 5 benefits of having an online business: You work as your own boss You have the freedom to do what you want and when you want to You do not to construct a physical store in a certain location You get to work on flexible hours since a 9am-5pm shift is unnecessary You can gain financial freedom with a sustainable income even on off-peak months Just like any other business owner, Rick hopes for the best. The hard work continues as the business grows. It is his desire to boost his profits and get a steady increase of sales overtime. In order to achieve that is to come up with an effective marketing plan and a good upgrade of his products and services that will suite his customers best. Customer satisfaction is also part of his goals this year and that means providing them their needs to the best of his ability at all times. Making a point that he gets more sales by covering customer’s needs without having to sacrifice some sales for focusing on others is another plan. And, just as Rick’s business grows, he is looking to hire more staff and expand in full blast.
