Any ideas for a small online business?

twc58

I am 58 and wanting to leave work now, work from home and start an online business.

I am only looking to make £100 a week as I already have a small pension.

I want to sell something that is small in size, not perishable and is unlikley to be returned by the customer (unless faulty).

Any ideas?

Does anyone currently run their own online business?

Thanks

lincroft1710

Very few people who are selling a product which would meet your criteria would tell you about it. They don't want any competition!

LED_Man

You could sell many things the only problem is its not easy with the likes of amazon and Ebay pretty much dominating every market place, I sell lighting International LED's fittings etc , honestly we do ok but its tough I suppose you will have to have a think of what you think you can buy at a cheaper cost than many others that there may be a demand for. Good Luck

soolin

twc58 wrote: »

I am 58 and wanting to leave work now, work from home and start an online business.

I am only looking to make £100 a week as I already have a small pension.

I want to sell something that is small in size, not perishable and is unlikley to be returned by the customer (unless faulty).

Any ideas?

Does anyone currently run their own online business?

Thanks

As has been said already anyone with a half decent idea would be likely to be doing it themselves. THere are plenty of us over on the eBay and others board running small businesses, but I very much doubt they would go as far as tell you about their actual stock and sources.

'Only £100' is also quite an ambition to start with unless you are hoping for the sort of stock most of us can only dream about that you buy at 50p and sell at £20 , the reality Is more likely to be buying at about a third of the eventual sale price, then deducting a third of the sale price for fees and expenses less postage leaving a fair bit not huge margin on each sale.

You may be better off looking at a range of goods, perhaps a dozen lines or more and keeping stock in that you can post daily. How much start up capital you have will determine the sort of goods you should look for, and remember when working out profits to allow for losses, returns and stock that you can't shift. I vary my stock all the time and it's like a game of nerves, how much can I sell and how much will I end up stuck with when the market dies?

Do you have an idea of selling venue yet as that can help determine where to start looking for inspiration. Come across to the eBay board and get a few selling tips, but remember that we tend to only post when things go wrong, so it is a rather skewed view of online selling.

Hedgehog99

I recently spent an interminable time in a Post Office queue while the lady ahead of me was sending off multiple packages of girls' hair bows.

Obviously very light to post, and probably fairly easy to make - and with a good mark-up.

...but this was during that craze that made the news when schools started banning them, so they're probably old hat by now!

theoretica

What do you know about or are able to do that few other people know or can do?

Beartricks

Start a website selling tupperware and call it YouTub.

trailingspouse

Generally people have an idea and then start a business. They don't decide to start a business and then go looking for an idea.

ssparks2003

What are your hobbies and interests, is there something that you do in your private life that you could use a springboard for a business. there is no point someone saying to you, why don't you sell fishing gear if you have no interest or knowledge in fishing, as quite simply it will end in tears.

My farther in law had an interest in model trains, he set up a business doing that after taking early retirement, he had the online shop, sold via ebay and amazon, had a stall at all the model train fairs. In the end he was working 6 days a week for a lot less than min wage (an not because he did not know about business) in the end he closed it and got a part time job in a local shop working a couple of days a week.

trailingspouse

But seriously...

Why do you want to start a business? You're obviously not too desperate for the money as you would be happy with £100 a week. Is it for an interest, something to do now you're retired? Is it just to top up your existing pension and make life a bit easier?

I'm interested in why you specifically want to set up an online business, because there are lots of other things you could do that could potentially bring in £100 a week or more.

bairn7

There are other avenues to achieve £100 per week if it is purely the cash you are doing it for. For example, check out the matched betting forum on here. I don't use the forum but comfortably made £100 per week and have made upwards of £500 on good weeks.

Despite the name, it's not gambling!