Nation of E shopkeepers! The bright future of online selling.
Dear Readers
About the future of online selling, 10 months ago I was invited to join a private forum for small UK start up businesses where members could exchange ideas, information and their experiences of building up and promoting a business. This group had and still has a lively forum and talks about everything from online selling platforms to couriers, legal information, website advertising and various mistakes and successes that they have made. The group works like a co op where business owners try to help & promote each other across the internet including twitter, Face book and various other platforms.
The group itself is brilliantly organised by small business owners who allow only recommended small businesses or vetted applicants to join. Needless to say it’s a brilliant resource center for people who are starting or running a small business and who are looking for help or advice.
Sadly due to the workload of setting up my own website and online platforms I neglected to contribute as much as I wish I had to this forum until I received a newsletter from them 2 weeks ago and logged back in, the business members on this forum kindly forgave the fact that I was a complete slacker and welcomed me back with open arms.
which brings me to the reason for this blog:
The various members working together have been very busy not only in the forum exchanging information but also on the new project( nationofeshopkeepers ) a website made to look like a high street with shop fronts linking back to members individual websites, The idea being to create a selling platform of individual websites selling everything from children’s toys, tools, handmade items, jewelry, books, clothing, art supplies and so much more! Even including silver bullion now.
Rather than each small business promoting just its own products they are advertising the high street itself and thereby promoting the other small business members as well across the internet.
With eBay, Amazon and other selling platforms becoming more and more greedy, constantly creating new rules and higher fee’s in which to fleece small business sellers! not to mention the obvious moves they are making to give preferential treatment to the big sellers like Argos on their platforms I rarely find a seller who is happy, yet we all seem to be held hostage to these selling platforms and struggle to reach the wider audience on the net without having to pay through the nose for advertising services which rarely come close to expectations.
So wouldn’t it be brilliant if this was the bright future of online selling! Small businesses working together, creating their own selling platform to compete with the impersonal corporations and bringing back that personal friendly customer service we used to enjoy before it all became about margins, overheads & automated contact systems. a platform without fee’s allowing small traders to pass on the savings to the customers while also allowing customers direct contact with the people in charge who they are dealing with.
Maybe it’s not the future maybe it’s already starting here!
nationofeshopkeepers.co.uk
If you’re a UK small business you can contact the organisers of nationofeshops through the above link to either become part of the High street project or to join the forum and exchange advice and help with others like yourselves.
hope to see you there
Sincerely Martin