Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Starting a Business (6)

Every year, the eCommerce industry sees new progress and developments that has business owners and their teams working on new strategies and adapting to the current landscape. Not only is technology advancing at a rapid pace, but customers are also evolving and changing what they want to see from businesses. To keep you up to date and ahead of the curve this year, we asked more than 20 business professionals what their 2020 eCommerce essentials are and what they predict will change in the[...]

When we start a subscription to a paid website builder or host service, we hope that it serves it’s intended purpose and that we won’t ever have the need to cancel it. Unfortunately, there can come a time where your chosen service doesn’t meet your needs anymore or ends up not delivering on what you thought it would. At that point, it may come time to cancel your subscription and look for a new option.

Services can sometimes make it unnecessarily difficult to cancel paid subscriptions in an[...]

Businesses large and small depend almost entirely on their phone systems.

These business phone systems support more than just a large network for inbound and outbound calls. Most of these systems are VoIP-based phone systems with cloud hosting options. This enables a more affordable and scalable solution that supports collaboration between employees. This collaboration can also be done through several applications. It also provides you and your employees with the capacity to work outside of the[...]

More and more people are using the internet to buy nowadays. Not having to go out to buy anything is among the many things that contribute to the preference of eCommerce businesses over others.

Entering the potentially lucrative world of eCommerce is easier than ever before. Anyone interested in entering this field can find a variety of eCommerce platforms, on which they can build and run their own online store. Of course, all these platforms are quite different from each other. Business owners need to think carefully about which one would be best for their needs.

Although you may have an official website, having a presence on a separate platform where you can showcase your products and services is an added advantage. Online marketplaces make it possible for you to concentrate on improving your business, leaving the platform operator with the responsibility of handling logistics and processing all transactions. A shoppers’ preference survey by Statista shows that more people are inclined to make repeat purchases from online marketplaces than any other[...]

It seems that every day, more states and countries are legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. As cannabis commerce becomes less restricted, opportunities are growing and business is booming. The expansion of eCommerce platforms coinciding with the advent of cannabis legalization means that you have the ideal outlet for selling CBD oil and related merchandise beyond your local dispensary. If you want to start your own cannabis online store, keep reading for tips on building your[...]

Looking for passive income ideas? Smart move.

Robert Kiyosaki, the businessman and author of Rich Dad Poor Dad once said, “To obtain financial freedom, one must be either a business owner, an investor, or both, generating passive income, particularly on a monthly basis.”

The business world is cold, harsh and, if you’re not careful enough, can cause your dreams to be crushed into pieces before you know it. However, it’s not doom and gloom all the time; there are also many successful businesses that have made their way from the ground up.

In this article, we will discuss the nine worst mistakes that new entrepreneurs make most often. Read through and you can save yourself and your business from making the same mistakes.

Digital products offer great opportunity for building an eCommerce business without any material inventory. Compared to physical products, they pose less hassles in terms of fulfillment. In the current eCommerce landscape, selling digital products can be a lucrative prospect for a lot of entrepreneurs, technology enthusiasts, artists, educators, freelancers, and more. Today, let’s explore different digital products and how you can sell them through your website.

With the rise of cloud technology, it’s never been easier to get an e-commerce brand off the ground without breaking the bank.

Innovative software vendors like 3dcart, Shopify, and Magento have been steadily introducing a wide array of features that go beyond simple “shopping cart” functionality, and built-in integrations with a variety of turnkey business applications and plug-ins make it easy for online retailers to add on specific functions as they’re needed.

With these built-in features and[...]

Dropshipping’s rise as a money-making model is evident from the fact that more than $85 billion in sales come from dropshipping each year. Just to put that into perspective, Intel earned $79 billion in revenue in 2018.

The dropshipping model itself is very simple. You market your products online (while holding no inventory), and when a customer pays for one of your products, your supplier fulfills the order, taking care of packaging and shipping. And, therein lies the appeal of dropshipping:[...]

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are sequential instructions that act as a benchmark to guide the work process that employees follow. SOPs enable companies to operate their day-to-day operations in a way that’s consistent and predictable. There’s benefits of implementing SOPs for all types of businesses, however ones that require strict adherence to standardized procedures and rules will benefit the most.

SOPs are not typically implemented for businesses that thrive on creativity, however[...]

If you’re thinking about starting a subscription box service, you’ve clearly got some good entrepreneurial intuition. These businesses play to a few important facts about American consumerism: in a world of endless choices and minimal free time, convenience reigns supreme and sampling is huge. Plus, everybody loves a surprise in the mailbox, and a solid unboxing experience is almost addicting. But there are some unique challenges with this business model, which every budding entrepreneur must[...]

Nothing opens doors like education, and none of it would be possible without the hard work and dedication of teachers all over the globe. World Teachers' Day is a special holiday to commemorate their devoted efforts to bring knowledge to students of all ages and to help them find their passions and craft their futures. At Shift4Shop, we're immensely thankful to the teachers in our lives who helped us discover and hone our skills, whether in marketing, writing, design, development, or any other[...]

This year, eCommerce continues to be a consistently growing aspect of world commerce. But, it’s also constantly evolving; what may have been a successful product on an online store yesterday may be flopping in sales today. It’s the nature of the internet itself, and eCommerce is no different. While there’s a lot that goes into your business, from web design to marketing to management software, there’s one thing at the heart of it all: your products. If your store isn’t selling good products[...]

Procrastination is a problem that can affect anyone of all ages and in all walks of life. It's something we're all familiar with, and many people struggle with it on a daily basis. No matter the task we're supposed to be doing, the urge to put it off can be strong. But why do we procrastinate, and how can we stop it? Imagine how much more productive we could be if we can figure out how to put an end to this behavior — we could have more time for the things we love, become more successful in[...]

Dogs have a well-deserved reputation as man's best friend. For longer than recorded history, dogs have been at our sides providing everything from security to companionship. Today, dogs continue to prove themselves as valuable (and adorable) members of society. While we can show our appreciation with treats and belly rubs, we humans have taken it a step further with the creation of National Dog Day, a holiday specifically for celebrating our canine friends.

As you can imagine, the market for[...]

If you’re running a successful online store, turning it into a marketplace platform with vendors might sound like a great next step to expand your business.

Inviting outside vendors to sell on your platform may not only help you grow your product catalog without increasing your own inventory levels, but it can also create an additional revenue stream from vendor fees for your business.

However, there are a few crucial differences when it comes to running an online marketplace compared to a[...]

One of the most important parts of building a profitable, viable, and scalable online business is ensuring that you always manage inventory effectively. Whether you’re an ecommerce rookie or veteran, inventory management can definitely be challenging –, especially when deciding which inventory accounting method is best for you.

In this article, we’ll look at what inventory accounting methods are and why they’re important.

Finally, we’ll highlight how to make the right choices for your online[...]