Here at A Better Lemonade Stand we often say that the best way
learn about starting a business is to just start one and learn
through your mistakes and experiences. While we will always
stand by that advice, there’s something to be said for taking
guidance from someone who’s already “been there, done that”.
There are so many different types of businesses, each selling
different kinds of products in different ways to different
customers, that having guiding advice from someone who’s walked
the same path ahead of you can result in immense value, usually
in the form of time saving tips and pitfall warnings.
That’s why these 11 posts from the Shopify Blog are so great.
They are industry-specific articles designed to give you
focused insight on one specific type of business, with the
intention of helping you learn exclusively about that business
and industry, so you can learn more about the finer details.
Use these 11 posts to dive deeper into each of these vastly
different industries and understand more about what it’s like
to sell their kinds of products online whether it be fashion,
food, electronic accessories, jewellery, art, enamel pins or
vintage clothing.
If you’re interested in learning more about what it takes to
start up one of these 11 industry-specific businesses then read
on for our excerpts and check out the Shopify articles for the
full details.
How to Start a Fashion Line: Secrets from a Project Runway
Designer
Starting a fashion line has to be one of the most popular
businesses that people always seem to want to know more about.
How to start one for themselves, how to manufacture clothing
items, where to source suppliers from, and just general
information regarding the whole process. This post by Shopify
has caught up with designer, boutique owner and Project Runway
contestant Sarah Donofrio to get her insight into the fashion
industry.
Donofrio discusses skills and training, branding and trends,
inspiration, design and development, production, fabric
sourcing and textile design, ecommerce stores, social sales and
more, plus her own insights and experiences having worked in
the fashion industry for over a decade. She started out working
as a retail buyer, moved into product development and now owns
her own boutique and runs an ecommerce store though Shopify.
Her skills range from design, production, teaching, ecommerce,
wholesale, consignment and retail.
If you’re interested in starting your own fashion line, the
information shared in this article will put into perspective
the realities surrounding this seemingly sought-after industry.
Donofrio discusses her experiences candidly and doesn’t glaze
over how she’s managed to achieve success with her fashion
business. For an interesting glimpse into the fashion industry
and to gain insight into what a fashion designer needs to take
into consideration to operate a successful clothing line,
check out this article.
Read More
Learn How to Start
a Fashion Line Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of Online
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How to Start a Phone Case Business: The Ultimate Guide
Starting a phone case business is definitely one of the most
accessible options. Based on the advantages shared in this
post, there are an astronomical amount of mobile devices in the
world, nearly half of mobile phone users upgrade their devices
every two years and phone cases are a fun way for people to
accessorize their phones while adding extra protection.
This article discusses why a phone case business is an
accessible option for new entrepreneurs: the inventory is small
and thus easier to house, they’re pretty low-cost to produce,
you can sell them online or offline, you can print, package and
fulfill them through a drop shipper, you can create an infinite
amount of prints on the same type of phone case, and every time
a new phone model comes out you get to sell a new product.
Selling accessories is one of the best ways to get in on the
electronics game; you don’t have to have any technical
experience or knowledge and you can easily play into trends and
help your customers increase the functionality of their
devices. This article will help you understand aspects of the
mobile phone device market that will help you to create a
successful business around selling accessories for it. It
discusses the different types of phone cases that exist, where
to get designs for phone cases, how to know which designs will
be popular and where you can sell phone cases.
If you’re interested in starting a business in a low cost, fast
paced, constantly evolving industry, then check out this article to learn more about
starting a phone case business.
Read More
Bonus: For more information about starting a
phone case business plus a free downloadable starter kit and
free photography,
check out this Shopify Burst Resource.
Learn How to Start
a Phone Case Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of Online
BusinessesClick To
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How to Start a Jewellery Making Business: The Ultimate Guide
If you’ve ever been one of those crafty people making
friendship bracelets or beaded necklaces when you were younger,
maybe you want to try your hand at creating a jewellery
business. It’s a booming industry with lots of niche markets
and room for businesses to lead by their brand, and this
article discusses exactly how you can do that for your own
jewellery making business.
To learn about jewellery design, inspiration, branding, product
design, materials, tools, education and more, this post
provides detailed explanations of each topic, an interview with
Corrine Anestopoulos (founder of online jewellery boutique,
Biko) and useful resources to help you source materials, tools
and further guidance. You’ll learn about different production
methods to create jewellery pieces (craft them yourself or
outsource to a manufacturer), why branding is an integral part
of a successful jewellery business, and different aspects of
the business side of a jewellery company (like safety, hiring,
and product photography).
The best part of a jewellery business is that you can most
definitely start small and scale your business to fit your
labour capacity and goals. You don’t need to be a metalsmith or
a gemologist, and you can still create quality pieces yourself
without having to outsource to a manufacturer. A jewellery
business can truly be as small or large as you want it to be.
To learn more about how you can turn a passion for jewellery
into a business, check out this article.
Read More
Bonus: For more information about specifically
selling bracelets online plus a free downloadable starter kit
and free photography,
check out this Shopify Burst Resource.
Learn How to Start
a Jewellery Making Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of
Online BusinessesClick To
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How to Start an Online Food Business: The Ultimate Guide
In many cases, starting a food business is a lot like starting
any other business. There are trends to be mindful of, niche
markets to be catered to and materials to be sourced (but in
this case, they are ingredients). There are, however, a few big
differences when it comes to starting up a food business.
You’ll have to be more mindful of your production space, rules
and regulations surrounding your product, as well as
perishability. It can be overwhelming to try and source all the
necessary information, especially if this is the first business
you’re starting up, so this article by Shopify has made the
effort to bring all that information into one streamlined place
to help you consider every aspect of what it takes to start a
food business.
This article goes into depth on topics such as food business
ideas, sourcing ingredients, food production, packaging,
branding labelling, pricing, inventory, food law, ethics and
more, plus it also includes interviews from food business
experts who share their experiences and tips.
The article acknowledges that food laws and regulations differ
around the world, but this article is a good starting point for
people who are new to the industry and just need some initial
information to guide them in the right direction. If you’re
interested in starting your own food business, maybe you’ve got
an awesome family recipe or a killer secret sauce, then
check out this article to help you get
started.
Read More
Bonus: For more information about specifically
starting an online coffee business plus a free downloadable
starter kit and free photography, check
out this Shopify Burst Resource.
Learn How to Start
an Online Food Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of Online
BusinessesClick To
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How to Sell Art Online: The Ultimate Guide
There’ll be no need to be a starving artist once you understand
the lesson that to succeed in art means you must also succeed
in business. At least, that’s how the author of this Shopify
post puts it, and we happen to agree. As an artist, someone who
is able to create compelling drawings, designs, illustrations,
graphics, paintings, sculptures, etc, you have so much creative
freedom and power that once you realize how to execute it
strategically, selling your art online can be possible and
profitable.
The article discusses the strategies behind selling art online.
It starts off describing the trade off between selling as a
side hustle versus full time, then moves into the discussion
between selling your own art versus selling art by other
artists. Then the discussion moves to the art itself: should
you be selling prints or originals, photographing or scanning
your artwork for product photos, open versus limited edition
artwork and how to create prints of your work. Finally, the
article discusses the logistical side of an artwork business:
gallery shows, pop-ups, offline events, working with galleries,
packing and shipping art, plagiarism and copyright.
This article strongly emphasizes that creators need to embrace
the non-artistic side of the business in order to achieve
success. It’s not about creating art and expecting it to sell
online, it’s about building an audience and then developing a
business strategy to suit your audience that happens to get
your artwork sold. This may mean selling your artwork via other
mediums than canvas or prints, such as clothing pieces,
homewares or even tech accessories, or it may mean adapting
your artwork to suit your audience.
To get a full understanding of how to sell art online, check out this article.
Read More
Learn How to Sell
Art Online Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of Online
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How to Make Enamel Pins: The Ultimate Guide to Selling Enamel
Lapel Pins Online
Enamel pins are a small accessory that’s managed to stand the
test of time. Due to their playful appearance and ability to
personalize an outfit, enamel pins are an appealing accessory
to wear for many people. They’re typically worn on jackets,
bags or backpacks and are often found to be paired in groups of
two or more pins for added individuality. Enamel pins are also
an excellent business idea for new entrepreneurs interested in
a low cost, low risk business venture as the size of the
business can really be scaled to fit the business owner’s
preference.
In this article, Shopify discusses the enamel pin business from
how to turn designs into enamel pins, how to make pins that
people will actually want to buy, how to find the right
customers and how to sell enamel pins online. The article walks
you through how to find a niche market, what resources you can
utilize to make designs or find a designer, how to manufacture
your pins, the difference between soft enamel pins and hard
enamel pins, the factors that influence pricing, manufacturing
specifications and more, so you’ll know the general enamel pin
making process from start to finish once you’re finished with
this article.
If you’re interested in starting a business at the beginner
level or have artwork or designs you’re interested in turning
into tangible products, this may be an appealing business
option to pursue. For more information on how to start an
enamel pin business, check out the Shopify article.
Read More
Bonus: For more information about starting an
enamel pin business plus a free downloadable starter kit and
free photography,
check out this Shopify Burst Resource.
Learn How to Start
an Enamel Pin Making Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of
Online BusinessesClick To
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How to Sell Vintage Clothing Online: The Ultimate Guide
Selling vintage clothing online is a popular business idea,
however it certainly isn’t for everyone. Selling vintage
clothing takes a lot of time, patience and curation in order to
be successful and it’s best kept to those who are passionate
about vintage and the process of finding and reviving vintage
pieces. In this article, Shopify discusses what it takes to
sell vintage clothing online.
First of all, what’s your angle? How are you going to take the
massive industry that is vintage clothing and bring it down to
a bite-sized morsel your audience can digest? Next, the article
discusses sourcing: how you’re going to get your hands on the
vintage clothing itself. Then it discusses the care and keeping
of the clothes: how to store it, manage the inventory, cleaning
and repairing it. Finally we move into the logistics of a
vintage clothing business: how to take product photos of the
items, how to curate collections, make product pages, answer
FAQs, figure out pricing and marketing to your audience.
As the article is quick to point out, selling vintage clothing
online has a lot to do with the personal taste of the buyer,
curating the products into a meaningful selection and marketing
the pieces in an appealing way in order to operate a successful
vintage clothing business. If vintage clothing is your passion
and you think you have a knack for sussing out great finds,
check out this article to learn more about
how to turn it into a business.
Read More
Learn How to Sell
Vintage Clothing Online Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of Online
BusinessesClick To
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How to Make a Terrarium: Turning Tiny Ecosystems into a
Blooming Business
Terrariums are a trendy home decor item that have proved to be
very popular in the last few years as they’re compact,
aesthetically pleasing and easy to take care of. They’re
typically small plants that are planted into glass jars, bowls
or bottles, and they’re generally used in the same way that
houseplants are used: for decoration and adding a touch of
greenery to an indoor space.
They’re an ideal product to sell both online and in person as
they’re low maintenance and low cost. Depending on what you use
to build a terrarium, such as the plants, housing, and
additional materials you use, you can control the cost of each
terrarium. Their small size makes them portable which is
advantageous for shipping and selling at markets, building them
yourself is relatively easy, you don’t have to be super crafty
or have a green thumb, and they’re also completely
customizable, as long as you include the core basic elements
you can add whatever else you want.
This article will teach you all you need to know about
terrariums: the different types, the best plants to use, how to
construct them, how to market them and how to sell them
offline. If you’re interested in selling a low cost, low
maintenance, trending product to people looking to add an
element of greenery to their space, check out this article.
Read More
Learn How to Start
an Online Terrarium Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of
Online BusinessesClick To
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How to Make Bath Bombs: Build a Retail Beauty Business From
Scratch
Bath bombs are a tried-and-true product that have stood the
test of time. While many well-known retailers sell their own
versions of these bath products, they’re also relatively easy
to make from scratch using conventional kitchen tools and
common ingredients. They’re also a fun product that’s easy to
customize into different scents and shapes that customers of
all ages and interests can get a kick out of. Depending on the
ingredients used to make them, they can also help combat a host
of skin ailments as they’re known for being soothing, hydrating
and relaxing.
This article discusses the different types of bath bombs, such
as basic spherical bath bombs, jeweled bath bombs, glitter bath
bombs and shaped/themed bath bombs and it also discusses how to
make bath bombs, the necessary ingredients and supplies, how to
sell bath bombs online and how to sell them offline.
Your own bath bomb business can be an easy-entry business to
start as it can be low cost, easy to source ingredients, easy
to market and just requires a little time and crafty-ness.
Since it’s a fairly well saturated market you’ll need to focus
on what your angle will be and how you’ll tap into your niche
market. Why will your customers buy from you rather than well
known retailers who have the ability to sell many different
types and variations of bath bombs?
If you’re interested in getting to know more about a bath bomb
business, how to make them, what sort of ingredients you’ll
need to use and more about marketing, selling online and
offline, check out this article.
Read More
Bonus: For more information about starting a
bath bomb business plus a free downloadable starter kit and
free photography,
check out this Shopify Burst Resource.
Learn How to Start
an Online Bath Bomb Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of
Online BusinessesClick To
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How To Start An Online T-Shirt Business: The Ultimate Guide
One of the most accessible entry level businesses for new
entrepreneurs to start is a t-shirt business. There are so many
services and resources anyone can use to make their t-shirt
business low cost, automated and low maintenance while still
being high quality. Using the right resources you can have a
t-shirt business up and running in a very short amount of time.
This comprehensive article shares all the right resources to
use. When it comes to designing, branding, printing, and
shipping, this article details all the best services to use to
bring your ideas to life. Beyond that it also discusses the
four critical elements of any t-shirt business (niche, design,
quality and brand), as well as the pros and cons of different
t-shirt printing methods, how to create your t-shirt designs,
how to validate and mockup designs, and which t-shirt drop
shippers you can use to source and sell your t-shirts.
Everyone is capable of creating their own t-shirt business, all
it takes is a little information and knowing which resources to
trust. This article shares all the pertinent information and
includes links to suppliers, other detailed blog posts, online
courses, design resources and more so you know exactly where to
look for what you need. For all the information on starting
your own t-shirt business, check out this article.
Read More
Learn How to Start
an Online T-Shirt Business Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of
Online BusinessesClick To
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How to Sell Photos Online and Profit From Your Pictures
Do you have a passion for photography? Have you considered
turning it into a business? This article shares all the
information you’ll need to know about turning your passion for
photography into a revenue stream where you can share, sell,
licence and get credit for your work. Why keep your images to
yourself if they’re good enough to share?
This article starts by covering all the technical licensing
jargon so you’ll be on the same page with everyone else in the
professional photography industry when it comes to things like
commercial use, retail use, editorial use, public domain,
royalty free, etc. This is really helpful for you when you
start to sell your images as each of these technical terms
describes a specific way in which your images are able to be
used by the people who purchase it. The article immediately
then jumps into what to do when someone else steals your photos
either without paying for them or for breaching the limits of
the license they purchased. Unfortunately this is a common
problem in this and other creative industries, and one you’ll
want to be fully aware of how to deal with before you jump into
creating your own photography business.
The article also discusses how to sell your photos online by
defining a niche and building an audience, how to integrate
ecommerce into your portfolio, websites you can license your
images as stock photos through, different physical items you
can get your images printed onto and finally how to sell your
photography skills as a service.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to turn your
passion for photography into a business then check out this article.
Read More
Learn How to Sell
Photography Online Step-by-Step and 10 Other Types of Online
BusinessesClick To
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Conclusion
There you have it, eleven articles about industry-specific
businesses you could potentially turn into a business yourself
if you feel it’s worth pursuing. While the best way to start a
business is to just start one and learn as you go, these
articles are filled with ideas, tips, information and
interviews that will help guide you on your journey, and
probably help you avoid some mistakes along the way. Each of
these industries are so different from one another that while
the main approach of setting up the business side of things is
generally the same, it’s the small details that each of these
articles delves into that is useful information for those
wanting to specifically pursue these industries. If you’ve ever
thought about pursuing one of these specific businesses, make
sure to check out the corresponding article to get a deeper
look into requirements, rules, regulations and just general
knowledge. You may be surprised at what you learn. Happy
reading!