Small Budget - $0.00 to $2,000 (eCommerce Related)

[Admin]

Hi Felicia,

This forum thread is for you to help you develop your internet businesses ideas with our experienced staff members.

[F.Henderson]

Hi Team,

My name is Felicia and I'm interest in an online business with a small budget of $0 - $ 2,000. I'm looking for an online business that I can start from the beginning but have possibility to be very profitable. I thought about several ideas but don't know where to start. I really need help developing my ideas and to get started with the website development. I only have a small budget to start but if the business becomes profitable I can invest into it more.

My first idea is an Online Art Prints. Selling art prints to customers anytime, anywhere with an online store. Develop a website that exclusively features art prints for sale. The site can be indexed by print theme and artists from around the world can submit pictures of their prints to be posted. Upon sale of a print the artist would ship it to the purchaser and I would receive a percentage of the sales value.

It would be marketing would be aimed at individuals and organizations that routinely purchase art prints such as decorators, corporations, and property developers. I want it to be easy to establish and able to operate if from home on a part-time basis.

I'm not sure if this can be profitable. If you have some suggestion, please let me know.

Felicia

[Admin]

Hi Felicia,


Thank you for sharing your internet business idea with us. I understand you would like to start an “online art store” that would sell prints by various artists. These artists would be able to upload their prints, sell them, and you would take percentage of all sales to monetize the website.


Creating an online community where artists can sell prints would grow exponentially as users promoted their product & businesses through your website. You can tell internet users demand such a service from the quick market research I did:


Community “Art Print” Networks
1.artistrising.com (20,000 visitors a month)
2.imagekind.com (80,000 visitors a month)
3.fineartamerica.com (40,000 visitors a month)
4.artwanted.com (35,000 visitors a month)


Don’t let this discourage you because it just shows there is a large demand. But facing the obvious fact that there is established competition is necessary. With a budget of $0.00 to $2,000 competing DIRECTLY with the above internet businesses is not viable in my opinion.


I say “directly” because what struck my interest was your stated target market; decorators, corporation, and property developers who routinely purchase art prints.

How many websites target that market? Your 'homework assignment' tonight is to find 4 websites that sell art SPECIFICALLY to decorators, corporations, and property developers.


Please post your response in this same section

[F.Henderson]

I checked online and I didn't find a website that sell art SPECIFICALLY to decorators, corporations, and property developers, unless I didn't use the right keywords.

[Admin]

Your next Step:


NOT to create a website that sells art prints to decorators, corporations, and property developers. That may be a different advice than you were expecting but with a $0.00 to $2,000 budget we need to go about building your internet business differently.



Your Next Step is Answering this Question:


How can I reach decorators, corporations, and property owners who routinely purchase art prints? From now on we will refer to decorators, corporations, and property owners who routinely purchase art print as your “target market.”


·Can I buy a list?
·Can I find an online directory where I can get this information for free?
·How can I build my own list?
·What does this target market read online?
·What does this target market search for online?
·What types of associations/groups/clubs does this target market belong to?
·What can I offer this target market?
·What can I offer this target market to make buying what they need easier?
·What does this target market hate about the “art print” buying experience?
·Does my target market need help determine the correct art print to buy?
·Will my target market buy the first / cheap print they see…or do they perform hours of research?
·Does my target market like seeing examples, examples, examples?


Put yourself in your target market shoes. What process would you go through if you needed to routinely buy art prints online?

[F.Henderson]

Hi,

I can started by searching the yellow pages for information.

Felicia

[Admin]

Hi Felicia,

Yes, if you want a FREE way to build a list of decorators, corporations, and property owners who routinely purchase art prints this will be great place to start.

I have listed the top local search engine directories & Internet Yellow Page Directories to start your search:

Local Search Engine Directories

Yahoo Local
Ask City
Windows Live Local
True Local
Local.com
AOL Local
City Search

Internet YellowPages Directories

AnyWho
InfoSpace
SuperPages.com
The Real Yellow Pages
Yellow Book
Dex
411
WhitePages
Yahoo Local
YP.com
YellowPages.com

[Admin]

Hi,

What type of categories do you think decorators, corporations, and property developers would be under?

Jeff

[F.Henderson]

Hi Jeff,

It can be listed under architechs & decorators. Also, I can check the Home Builders Association to attain a list of Property Developers and Corporations. Should I start a list?

Felicia

[Admin]

Hi,

YES, you next step would be to create a list. I think the categories & ideas you have work great. Once we have that list I will explain what to do next...I have a lot of ideas on how we can use that list

Jeff