Checklist ... is a comprehensive list of important and relevant actions, or steps to be taken in a specific order.

I will be outlining my checklist for setting up and running a successful Ecommerce business in Nigeria, though in no specific order. Because they will be addressed as they come to mind.

The idea behind this thread is to assist in decision making, both for those who are new and those who are already into Ecommerce.

For each item stated on the checklist, there will be notes stating why it is important, relevant information, steps taken etc

Suggestions, comments, questions are welcome

1. Get Facts to Support Move from Offline to Online Business

Years back, running a shop from the same building with my home, there was certainly lots of ideas and great expectations of achieving so much. Unfortunately, the atmosphere wasn't so friendly.

Had to handle local government officials who came with the slightest excuse to extort money from me - lock up permit, banner permit, radio and TV license, business center/ cafe permit etc. Then we had the NEPA officials always threatening to disconnect me cause one tenant was owing. And then we had the landlord to pay our yearly rent.

All these had to be paid for irrespective of the business' revenue. And we certainly weren't getting finance from any institution. These paint a picture of what to expect when running a business in Nigeria. Though a number of entrepreneurs have being able rise up t these challenges and excel in their endeavours.

Having my business online means that the local government authorities don't get to bill me for using space, or LASAA for putting up advertisement banner. These are statutory obligations and as such every well meaning citizen is expected to comply with the relevant government authorities.

The fact is that running an online business means I have to consider the virtual space ie where my business will be hosted, marketing strategy, branding, customer retainership, size of market, cost of day-to-day running of the business. At the end of the day, an online business runs at a fraction of what is required for offline. My market is spread through geographic regions, and reaching them doesn't require substantial spending in advertising.

Checklist #2

Get the relevant skills

Coming from a background of computer engineering and networking with a knack for research, I realized that much more was needed to be successful in online business. Getting the relevant skills then seemed a very vital item that had to be checked on my checklist.

You see, if all you want todo online is to sell your products, then your aim should be knowing the best products to sell, understanding the market and the segment you intend to service, and best of all knowing how, when and where to source your products at the best price.

Ecommerce runs basically on the web, and going higher in the value chain means that you'll one day own your own online store. Possibly designed by you, or by a team put together by you. The store also needs dedicated administrator(s) depending on the scale it is. There is logistics - storage, delivery, packaging, invoicing etc.

For the technical aspect, skills like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, ASP.net, MSQL should be on your list. As the operations scale, additional hands would be required, and thats where your managerial skill comes into play. For logistics, there are a number of short courses, and if you're a fast learner, you should grab the fundamentals in 3 days.

Most importantly, getting the right people on your team will guarantee how far your business can go. That's what differentiate the average players from the exceptional ones.

Hello dealfinder, i read your post of 2016 about how to start a logistics company and you need an efficient company to help execute your large volume of deliveries

I am in the process of starting the company and need jobs from you and referals. I can be reached via whatsapp on, 08137624253. Hope to hear from you soon.

Godswill