Consider this. You want to start an internet store and conduct "eCommerce." Therefore, you must acquire a new set of business principles and a new method of operation because doing business online is "different," am I correct?
Actually, not really, in this case. You still need to sell a good or service. To sell whatever it is you are selling, you still need customers to come into your store, which has a "window" online (your website).The only significant distinction is that, to continue the analogy, while your online business can be seen by everyone, your local store window can only be seen by a select few people. You may make your business "global" by using eCommerce.
This is a real benefit for many businesses and a fantastic opportunity.
However, not all businesses operate in that way, particularly those that sell tangible, physical goods. Because this will be a key component in determining whether your enterprise is a success or a failure, you should take some time to consider your product and precisely who your target market is when planning to go online.
Who will want to purchase what you intend to promote on your website with eCommerce capabilities? Some products won't be completely adapted to a global market by their very nature. For instance, foods made from pork, as well as wines, scotches, and beers, won't be well-liked in Muslim nations.In Iceland, Greenland, and the icy northern north, open-toed shoe sales would be underwhelming.
Second, carefully consider how you will deliver your goods to the customer. For instance, due to the high cost of shipping, it makes absolutely no sense to try to sell one or two laser toner cartridges at a time to a customer in the USA if you manufacture them in Asia (as one of my client companies does).
Selling outside of your immediate area may not be feasible if your product is large or heavy.
The actual duty to be paid varies from country to country, and such variations can (and will) result in disputes. While most countries use the same Standard International Trade Classification (S.I.T.C) codes to determine how much import duty to levy on a specific product. A shipment of toner cartridges that my client sold to a customer in Finland was delayed at customs for many weeks after it arrived in Helsinki due to a disagreement over the import duties that needed to be paid.
Despite the fact that neither my client nor his customer was at fault, the outcome was a disgruntled customer who, understandably, never returned.
Is it possible to give a service outside of your local area and yet make money if you intend to sell it online? Is it necessary to have a member of your own staff interact directly with the client (in which case you must remain local) or is it possible to easily outsource the task globally? Would it be simple to locate a local subcontractor that could provide the advertised service in a way that pleased both you and the client? What would the price of such a subcontractor be? If none of these questions can be answered positively, it might be more advantageous for you to focus on your local market rather than trying to expand too far.
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