Setting up a virtual gift shop is the dream of many entrepreneurs in Brazil and around the world. But how to start this business? And more than just getting started, how do you go about it and make it a good business for years and decades to come?
Well, in recent years working as CEO of e-Plus, an e-commerce agency where I oversaw the creation of more than 300 online stores , I can say without a doubt that such a venture requires a plan, a team, funding, and good management to succeed. This is true for any store, including gift shops.
Therefore, in this article I will basically cover the four steps mentioned in the previous paragraph. On the way, I will give you some tips that will certainly be useful to you both for implementation and for Marketing. Keep reading and stay in the loop!
- As soon as you can, also click on “Online toy store” and find out if this market is worth entering.
VIRTUAL GIFT STORE: FIRST SKETCHES
The first sketches of an online gift shop can be scribbled on a napkin while you and your partner have lunch. You can start, for example, by designing a basic layout, which can later be improved by the e-commerce agency you hire.
But what to put on paper? Well, when we think of gifts, certain important dates come to mind when people usually give or “exchange” gifts and souvenirs. It is then possible to write all of them to create a coverage area:
- Special dates: Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Children's Day, Christmas, Carnival, etc.;
- professions days: days of teachers, biologists, doctors, etc.;
- business dates: customer days, consumer days, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc;
- Birthdays: dating, marriage, friendship, age, etc.
As you can see, every day is a day to give someone a gift. This is great because it gives you many ideas for creating a successful product mix in this sector. Keep reading to understand how to do it.
- When desired, also click on “layout for online store” to read a companion post. Get to know, in this way, the main elements of an e-commerce siteand and create a quality sketch.
Creating a product mix
To start creating your product mix, I suggest you look at the list of important dates you created and establish between 10 and 20 cool products for each of the departments I present below:
- Decorative: gifts to decorate rooms, rooms and different environments;
- Thematic: gifts related to books, movies, music, cities, etc.;
- For the kitchen: utensils, appliances, miscellaneous objects;
- Accessories: jewelry, watches, caps, hats, wallets, pens, etc.;
- Electronics: smartphones, tablets, readers, headphones, etc.;
Note that, when you complete this fun exercise, you will end up with a list of up to 100 gifts (which will be your product mix) and a rudimentary layout or diagram with the position of each element of your e-commerce site. With that, move on to the next step!
official planning
From playful to official. At this stage, it will be necessary to create more comprehensive and scientific documentation of your project. Here, it's a good idea to use the Business Model Canvas tool . With it, you can create a visual representation of the following aspects of your business:
- customer segment
- Value offer
- Communication channels
- Relationship with customers
- Sources of revenue
- Key Features
- key activities
- main partnerships
- cost structure
Once you have this visual representation, start developing an e-commerce business plan . After that, call your accountant and open a company. Now you and your partner are ready to develop an online gift shop.
A TEAM FOR VIRTUAL GIFT STORE
The size of your team will depend on the size of the business you are trying to start. You may need, for example, an e-commerce manager , as well as employees for logistics, back office, and front office . Make sure you have the necessary staff!
With regard to the development and dissemination of e-commerce, you can hire an agency such as e-Plus, which performs both services. So you won't need to purchase hardware, software or maintain these things. You won't have to worry about training staff and you won't even be anxious about turnover. It will be much easier, believe me!
The agency can help you optimize the layout/design of your online store and implement e-commerce. Furthermore, being a performance-oriented agency like e-Plus, it can continuously improve the online customer experience and gradually increase sales and profits over time. Speaking of time…
LONG-TERM FOCUSED ADMINISTRATION
It's not worth creating fleeting businesses that wither away in less than 2, 5, or 10 years, as they frustrate us and drain our energy. So, I hope you're trying to create a business that will last for decades. That is, a business that can be passed on to your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. At least that's how we at e-Plus agency like to work . We think long-term.
Likewise, I suggest that your management focus on the long term. You need to create the foundations of a sustainable business. To that end, it is essential to invest in strengthening your brand . A strong brand survives almost anything. They may even die, it's true, but they soon resurrect, just like Mappin.
FINANCING YOUR VIRTUAL GIFT STORE
Having said all that, it remains to inform you about one thing. Where will the money come from to create your virtual gift shop? I'm talking about funding. Well, it can come out of many places, such as:
- of funding agencies;
- the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES);
- of angel investors.
Finally, did you know that there are over 7 angel investors in Brazil willing to invest at least R$ 50? What do you think of that? Not bad for a country where most e-commerce entrepreneurs start with just R$ 1, right?
Furthermore, it's possible to be your own investor. This is what we call a bootstrap entrepreneur . In this case, you can take that money you have saved in your savings account or what you received in your severance pay and invest " all in " (as they say in poker) in e-commerce. Why not do it if the chances of winning the game in the long run are good? =)
- Visit and also read our article “Tradition in e-commerce”. Discover, in this way, the virtual store of a 500-year-old butcher shop.
