Starting out
13 posts on starting out.
Online store launch checklist, in the order that matters
A store can look finished and still be unable to take money. The ordered checks before you go public, including the one nearly everyone skips.
Read articleCommon ecommerce mistakes share one root cause
Nearly every mistake new sellers make is the same one: choosing the work you control over the work that could tell you you were wrong.
Read articleHow long does it take to build an online store?
The build is a few hours. Opening takes one to three weeks, and almost all of it is decisions and product information rather than building.
Read articleHow much does it cost to start an online store?
The nine lines on the real bill, three worked scenarios with tables, and the forgotten cost: the first marketing spend that returns nothing.
Read articlePre-launch marketing: what to do before you open
Launch day is silent by default. A four-week plan for having a short list of people who actually want to hear that you have opened.
Read articleIs dropshipping worth it? Only as a test, not a plan
A clear position on dropshipping in 2026, the strongest argument against it stated fairly, and the order arithmetic you can redo with your own numbers.
Read articleHow to sell on social media: the working sequence
The order that actually works, platform by platform, and the honest point that social media creates discovery while your own store does the converting.
Read articleOnline store name ideas: how to pick one you can keep
Generating names is easy; choosing one you can own is the work. Availability, the spelling test, room to grow, and the trademark check people skip.
Read articleDo I need a custom domain for my store?
Yes, once you sell to strangers, run ads or send email. A free subdomain is fine only while you are testing demand.
Read articleWhat to sell online: how to test an idea cheaply
No software picks your product, including ours. Four filters that decide a good idea, a table matching what you have to what to sell, and five cheap tests.
Read articleHow to start a subscription box: the arithmetic first
Box cost, shipping, churn and the break-even subscriber count, worked through with illustrative figures, plus why month three kills most boxes.
Read articleChoosing an ecommerce platform for beginners
Not a feature matrix — the five decisions that actually matter for a first store, the ones that matter less than you think, and a table of picks.
Read articleHow to start an online store: the honest sequence
Six steps from deciding what to sell to the first ten customers, with what each one really costs in time and money.
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