EP 005: Listener Questions Answered – How to know what to sell, starting a business while in another country, and more

In this episode, I answer questions sent in by my fantastic listeners and readers. I asked you what the main thing was that's holding you back from starting your own online store, and you sent me some great questions.

Here's a rundown of this episode:

0:53 - New podcasting schedule: new episodes will be published every Saturday morning

 1:50 - Quick Tip: LastPass.com

3:10 - Question 1: Alfonso asked about how to know what to sell. He has experience with building and managing ecommerce sites for clients, but he asked for some help in deciding on what to sell himself. I discuss the 2 main challenges you face when trying to choose a niche, and how to approach those challenges.

12:30 - Question 2: Tom asked about how to set up an online store targeting customers in the US, while he is from Belgium. We discuss the issues involved, including how to accept payments, whether or not he needs a US bank account and LLC, and whether or not it's a good idea to just sell your products on Amazon.

17:38 - Question 3: John asked about how to make his website look professional without hiring a designer. He's using a Shopify theme, but is having a hard time making it look like the theme demo. I discuss 3 tips for bootstrappers to help make your site look more professional.

23:33 - Question 4: Barb asked about how to make her marketing emails more interesting for her subscribers. We discuss 3 strategies for effective email marketing.

Links referenced during the show:

How I chose the niche for my new online store

LastPass.com

Sites to use for brainstorming niche ideas:

BarnesandNoble.com

Amazon.com

Craigslist.com

eBay.com

SBA.gov's page on setting up a US business as a foreign national

Shopify Theme Store

Practical eCommerce: How to Take Gorgeous Product Photos

Quote of the week:

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

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