With many advantages in the 4.0 technology era, "online business" is becoming an inevitable trend and a startup choice of many people. However, not everyone knows how to do business effectively, especially those who do not have much experience. To get started, you need to prepare an online business plan.
If you invest in the detailed plan , the chances of success when applied in practice are higher. If you don't know how to make a plan , please refer to the online business plan template with the following 9 preparation steps!
1. Market Research
Whatever product you intend to sell online, you need to learn about the market for that product. If you have an online clothing business idea, you need to collect enough information such as:
Are there many people selling clothes online? What online channels do they sell on? Where do you source the goods for sale? Your online business plan should list the advantages and disadvantages of choosing to sell this item.
Selling clothes online has the advantage that this is an item with high demand, wide customer reach, especially selling through social networking channels like Facebook with the sales livestream feature.
However, the advantage is also difficult when you sell on Facebook, there are many people selling clothes like you. How do you surpass your competitors when they have diverse designs, cheap prices and professional sales methods?
Prepare an online business plan to find an advantage over competitors
That said, when making a plan, you need to build a detailed online business plan. Because the more carefully you plan, the more you will avoid unnecessary errors when going into practice. If you don't know how to do it, you can refer to the plan templates that are widely shared online.
2. Set clear goals when planning an online business
When entering the online business path, what are your goals? In addition to solving the problem of income, do you define this as a long-term job and develop into your career?
If you are passionate about your business idea, you need to set clear goals for it. Prepare a perfect online business plan before you start.
For example, you determine to sell cosmetics online, but you do not want to stop at improving your income, but you determine this is a job you will pursue in the long run. You have a hobby of beauty, so you will become a beauty consultant for everyone.
You will become a social influencer when you bring useful beauty tips. Thus, you are not only an online seller but also become a person with a certain position in the community.
Make a cosmetic online business plan
Defining clear goals is an important step you should not skip when planning. Business planners often base on the SMART keyword (smart) with the following criteria:
- S – Specific,
- M - Measurable
- A – Achievable
- R – Realistic
- T - Timely
Applying to the story of selling cosmetics online, you can set goals such as how long will it take you to recover your capital? How profitable will your business be? Can you achieve the goals you set and how can you measure them?
If you are also preparing a business, immediately add the step of defining clear business goals to the blueprint. However, even some online business plan templates can hardly give accurate results with the sales and profit calculations of the plan compared to reality.
3. Competitor Research
Know people - know me, a hundred battles a hundred wins This saying holds true even for business. Online business has flourished in the last few years, so the level of competition is increasingly fierce.
For example, if you plan to sell shoes online, you need to carefully study the source and quality of the competitors who are selling on Facebook or Shopee.
Prepare a detailed online business plan when selling shoes on Shopee
Some competitors have the advantage of importing goods at processing factories, at low prices with diverse designs. Does your item pass these criteria? If you sell goods from Guangzhou, your price is much different from domestic goods; Is the design more beautiful and the way your sales livestream is attractive or not.
That, the online business plan needs to be so detailed! Ask your loved ones, the people you trust the most, to advise you when planning. You can also consult experienced people who have created online business plans, detailed plans to see what can be applied to your product.
4. Brand building when planning an online business
It is also important to locate the product you sell online in which segment and branding your online shop. The online world with "hundreds of sellers, ten thousand buyers", how do you make your mark and be different in the market.
Whether selling directly or selling online, the reputation of the shop is the most important factor in deciding whether or not you will "make a fortune". Therefore, when creating an online business plan, you also need to pay attention to this factor.
Selling clothes online should also build a brand for your shop
5. Create a business philosophy when planning an online business
When starting a business, each person has their own goals, mission, and business philosophy. You can learn the slogans of famous brands with clear messages about contributing to society.
A consistent message along with the right business philosophy will help you go far in your online business career. When preparing an online business plan, you should also keep this in mind.
6. Personnel plan
For those who are just starting to sell online and have a small business, personnel will not be a big problem. You can do business independently and solve all problems without a partner.
If you have a large-scale online business or you are a traditional business unit that wants to open more online channels, it is essential to prepare a management team and support staff. When making a plan, you also need to think about the personnel plan.
7. Financial plan
When making a business plan, capital is the top factor to help you prepare for the best business. You are going to sell clothes, shoes, cosmetics or electronics, ... you need to determine how much the item you are selling will need to import.
How much capital to maintain sales for 6 months to 1 year. In the blueprint you need to state how much capital you have or borrowed capital.
You need to ensure the working capital of goods and costs for suppliers. If necessary, you can take financial management courses for business people to get ready for work.
Planning an online business requires a financial plan
8. Online marketing channel
Online marketing is no longer a strange phrase for business people. When creating a business plan, you must also be well prepared for this issue. You need to learn all the sales advertising tools such as Google Adwords, Remarketing Facebook Ads, SEO website, Affiliate Marketing.
You need to promote and introduce so that more people know what products and goods you sell online? How to attract new customers to buy and keep the old customers, entice them to buy more new orders from your shop?
No matter which tool you use to advertise your sales, you should come up with a marketing plan in 3 steps: 1.Segment (classify customers), 2.Target (select target customers), Position (Positioning). your brand in the mind of the customer).
- SEO website: Selling online must have a website where you display all the items that will be sold. An SEO-optimized website that is always at the top of Google's search will help you have the opportunity to find and increase orders.
- Affiliate Marketing: If you are planning an online business, then also learn immediately about Affiliate Marketing - a form of using other websites to advertise your products/services.
For example, if you sell clothes, shoes, cosmetics or perfumes, you can advertise on another website. If a customer successfully transacts with you originating from that advertising website, they will be deducted a percentage of the profit.
- Running Facebook ads: This is a way used by many online sellers and gives good results. Note that when running ads, you need to choose the right audience with the need to buy by age and occupation. In addition, there are other factors such as the content of writing articles to run ads, time to run ads, ...
If you want a detailed online business plan on how to sell and advertise on Facebook effectively, you can refer to Sapo POS online sales management software for Facebook and Instagram sellers.
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9. Monitor results and come up with new plans
Once you have a plan to start an online business or put a business plan template into practice, you need to check that the steps to prepare and go into operation have worked.
In the early days of your business, you may face many difficulties, when the number of visitors to the sales website is low; the successful transaction conversion rate is not high; Ineffective marketing campaign? Make statistics and monitor all those indicators to adjust the plan in time.
Thus, the article has shared with you 9 steps for an online business plan to surpass all competitors. Make a plan with the most detailed plan to help you overcome all competitors for effective business.
Hopefully the 9 steps in the above article have helped you get the best online business plan template. Good luck!
See also: A guide to starting a successful online business for newbies
