HeelsEmpire:
Now, for any budding e-commerce founder/owner, you all have probably read it all from the OP and other great contributors. This is no cake-walk!

NO! you won't get as BIG as the big J and K in one year. The earlier you wake up to that reality, the further we can get on with this contribution. Please do not open an online store just because everyone is doing it, or you think it's a cool idea or perhaps you think you'll be making lots of money.

Starting out an ecommerce requires lots of discipline, a douse of hard work and smart work. Lots of failures along the way too, but eventually after graduating from Persistence class and going through all that trouble to get your brand known, the rest becomes easy from there on out.

There are actually rules to owning/running an ecommerce site, in my humble opinion, these are some of the things we've learned over here at Heels Empire ;

1. Be honest with your customers from the jump. You would be offline before you even get started if you start off being dishonest to even a single customer. Bad news does travel really fast! In Nigeria, people refer other people whenever their needs have been properly met by a particular company or brand. Cultivate this goodwill.

Just like the OP mentioned, if that shoe you're about selling is made in China, but has a 60‰ quality rating, please let the customer know upfront. This saves you lots of headache.

2. Go crazy on your customer care/support. So you got a buyer to trust you enough to buy off you, but most businesses never check back with the customer to be sure they're enjoying their purchase. And those that do only do so only after a sale has been made. However, you should learn to check with the customer 2 months down the road. This also helps you as an e-commerce owner reaffirm the fact that your supplier(s) sells quality products, hence giving you a morale boost when trying to convince a customer to buy off you.

3. Relax on the paid advertisement. I know some seasoned vets here would choose to differ on this one, but we've learnt the hard way! Don't get me wrong though, I'm not telling you not to spend money advertising, all I'm saying is.. Don't start out throwing money you can't afford to loose on advertising. Paid advertising is a science that requires lots of metrics. Until you know where your potential customers hangout, please apply caution when paying to get traffic.

Websites like Nairaland and Facebook Ads offer the best cheapest ways to validate your paid ad campaigns and peoples perception about your product or brand. This point requires a long post all by itself!

4. Come correct with that website . Lol! Someone is probably wondering "what the heck is she talking about?!?". Here is what I mean.. Nigerians are getting into the e-commerce and online shopping frenzy. So budding e-commerce owners just want to jump online and make bank, hence they do so with a terribly built website. The truth is, the way your website looks does say a lot about those at the helm of affairs to customers. A shabby looking website isn't a good way to win customers trust.

If you can't afford a good web developer to give you that great-looking online presence, I'd advise you start out with platforms like Kaymu, Konga and Jumia. Heck, Gtbank also offers similar platforms for people to own their own stores without the web designers wahala. So make good use of those platforms!

I can go on and on about the things I've learned over here, but then again boring you all with these epistles surely isn't my intent. Lol!

Nice thread by the way, OP!

I have to run before my "Oga at the top" fires me for not getting stuff done.

This is a wonderful piece.

Many who be ecommerce startups get it wrong from the onset.

If you get your your research right you will succeed in ecommerce business.

Don't start ecommerce business with the sole aim of making money.

Research your product idea and make sure you have a market.

If you get your product right, you will sell without advert or any extra effort.

Also never let anyone who doesn't have online store teach you how to build one.

Each market have is own challenges and different techniques if applied correctly will boost your sales.

Taking of sales, abeg I will be back. Let me go fulfil this new order.

iMerchant:


It's called SMEMarketHub.

You have to have a business account or current account with GTBank before you can use the platform.

They give you a storefront with a payment gateway.

Regards

Thanks for the quick response. I will check it out.

Great post OP, we run one here in the Eastern Part of Nigeria, and the challenges are the same as listed by you.
It's called CSD Global Enterprises, an ICT products Sales and Services company, offering the most affordable of Laptops, Tablet PC and general computer merchandise.
We operate from Nsukka precisely and have done deals in almost every state of the country. we mostly use Facebook and WhatsApp advert and posters for the school communities which we service... so far its been a win-lose-win situation, but we keep pushing to make it better. Started 2012 and we have evolved but it can only get better.

Plz where can I get authentic wrist watches at wholesale prices in abuja, does anybody has an idea, cos all the markets I visited sell replica watches without boxes...

HeelsEmpire:
Hi SpeakdaTruth,

No doubt, you seem to know quite a bit about the Nigerian e-commerce space. But, I felt the need to chime in on your claims below about these companies being in debt.

Not sure what kind of deal the big "K" (you should know who.. Lol) has with it's investors, but the last time I checked, they got $25 million in funding. That's a whole lot of money to spend out here in Nigeria. I really don't want to go into details, but except their burn rates and churn rates are somewhere around 20% quarterly, I think they're doing just fine. Like you already know, the big "K" and "J" aren't stocking up on most of their inventory, that's why you see an approximate 7days delivery time on most products on their website. But, Hey! I just might be wrong. The biggest cash flow hog for any ecommerce store is usually holding stock.

If they're aren't holding 60% of their inventory, I believe they'll be just fine. Or I think they're doing great! Else they need to start looking for a competent CFO.

Now, moving on to the big "J". They got pretty deep pockets. Go read up on them! Last time I read, the parent company giving the big "J" the financial clout to dominate the Nigerian/African markets has in excess of $500 million in funding. With Nigeria being a frontliner in Africa's growing economic power play and Africa being the new emerging frontier, how much do you think a smart company will put out here? Right! They'll throw in quite a lot!

I'm sorry for the lenghty tirade, just thought I'd debunk your claim about these companies being in debt... Yet!

Now for every other company I know that has taken investors monies, yep, they definitely would be feeling the pressure to survive/succeed in order to make the investors happy.

I'll get back to the subject matter below

from ur profile u're in already n I think u must be kipin tabs on d bigwigs which is cool. I co-own an online. store, one which u knw I must say n d way we operate as concerning funds puts investors at ease since it's a long term partnership. mind u wen u're a brand u auto-attract buyers n dats why d big K can still survive. it's about d louder d noise dat u can make. if I'm to own half d executive shares of any, I wud rather go for d big D wit genuine n loyal buyers. d big J to me is like a celebrity dat laughs on TV but wen she gets home her husband is still going to punch her face. wot makes u really big is d conversion rates n one of dem is doing it right

Meanwhile, a copy of thank you note ( handwritten with a calligraphy pen ) by the CEO himself grin was included in the package to build an informal relationship beyond seller-buyer relationship. This will make customers to feel free and give any question or suggestions they feel may benefit both parties. ( I get a copy of the letter in case you wan see as the package be cheesy )

nice write up OP. I will also add

The issue of trust is a big one but one thing i will always do is to continue in what ever you are doing. As long as you sell genuine stuffs people will always patronize you. I have noticed that customers like good stuffs but most of them will want to pay a cheap amount for it. all you need to do is convince them and make them understand why the price is like that.

@speakdatruth and @HeelsEmpire,
Your posts are really great and I as an individual is really learning from it. It's good keeping an eye on the bigwigs. These pieces will get one prepared of challenges and developments lying ahead. While we keep a tab on the big names, it's necessary to also work with the would be big names too

I'll share more of my experience today, but I have to respond to correspondence before I continue where I left. Thank you so much for coming here.

Nice analogy about the celebrity and the punch in the face. I hope you don't beat women though?

Glad you're having a perfect marriage with your investors. Good luck!

Speakdatruth:
from ur profile u're in already n I think u must be kipin tabs on d bigwigs which is cool. I co-own an online. store, one which u knw I must say n d way we operate as concerning funds puts investors at ease since it's a long term partnership. mind u wen u're a brand u auto-attract buyers n dats why d big K can still survive. it's about d louder d noise dat u can make. if I'm to own half d executive shares of any, I wud rather go for d big D wit genuine n loyal buyers. d big J to me is like a celebrity dat laughs on TV but wen she gets home her husband is still going to punch her face. wot makes u really big is d conversion rates n one of dem is doing it right

debbydee:
Meanwhile, a copy of thank you note ( handwritten with a calligraphy pen ) by the CEO himself grin was included in the package to build an informal relationship beyond seller-buyer relationship. This will make customers to feel free and give any question or suggestions they feel may benefit both parties. ( I get a copy of the letter in case you wan see as the package be cheesy )

nice write up OP. I will also add

The issue of trust is a big one but one thing i will always do is to continue in what ever you are doing. As long as you sell genuine stuffs people will always patronize you. I have noticed that customers like good stuffs but most of them will want to pay a cheap amount for it. all you need to do is convince them and make them understand why the price is like that.

Big Boss, I hail thee.

nov19:
Plz where can I get authentic wrist watches at wholesale prices in abuja, does anybody has an idea, cos all the markets I visited sell replica watches without boxes...

I can supply you watch boxes..

nov19:
Doing a nice job bro.... Am learning a lot from you as I plan to start selling online... Too

Keep it up....

But if I may ask, how do u package wristwatches for delivery that did not come with a branded Box - cos I waz told by a wholesaler that I may hav to buy wristwatch boxes to pacKage my wristwatches...

What do u advice ... Pls...

I can supply you watch boxes

nov19:
Plz where can I get authentic wrist watches at wholesale prices in abuja, does anybody has an idea, cos all the markets I visited sell replica watches without boxes...

I guess you prefer to deal with products of quality standard, which is really good for your business.

I am located in South West, Nigeria (Abeokuta and Lagos) but I can deliver goods to anywhere in Nigeria and even beyond.

It depends on the type of watches you would like to buy at wholesales price and the brand.
I am open to business. You can check my signature for my contact or visit my page to see some of my goods. If it's what you like,then let's deal.

Do have a profitable day!

iMerchant:


Boss, am loyal.

You are doing a good job.

You will not know the impact of sharing your experience until total stranger start calling you to thank you for showing them the way.

It is a wonderful experience.

Before I end my ecommerce thread on Nairaland, at least I can count 3 people that move from product idea to marketplace.

There are several people who will learn directly or indirectly from your experience. The joy is, you are showing people that ecommerce works.

Anyway, I am glad that the following entrepreneur move their idea to marketplace because I shared my experience:

Konga .com/234mart
Konga .com/ord-fashion-store
Konga .com/quic-top-store

Abeg go patronise them.

When you use your candle to light other candles, we make the marketplace online a better place. The internet have close the gap on ignorance.

Ignorance is no longer an excuse. Anybody can succeed in his/her choosing field of undertaking.

Nigeria is a huge market so few merchants or ecommerce startups can't do it all. Other people also need to participate in meeting peoples need. We have a population of over 170 million people, I only want to sell to 10 million people, which still leaves over 160 million people unattended to. Who is going to sell or meet the need of the other 160 million people.

That's food for thought for people who are yet to start.


Anyway, to all the Bosses in the house, I hail thee and remain loyal.

Back to student mode. Make I go collect extra sheet plus Biro to jot down lessons.

Bro, I tell you the model I use in gaining knowlegde is sharing it with other people. There is a big potential for e-commerce growth in Nigeria, only if we tackle the challenges together as stakeholders and we get some support from the government. Later today, I will be sharing more on the challenges I have faced and how I have tackled some and how I intend to manage/tackle some.

HeelsEmpire:
Nice analogy about the celebrity and the punch in the face. I hope you don't beat women though?

Glad you're having a perfect marriage with your investors. Good luck!

lol. I'm a lovely man. thanks

phonesNgadgets:
@speakdatruth and @HeelsEmpire,
Your posts are really great and I as an individual is really learning from it. It's good keeping an eye on the bigwigs. These pieces will get one prepared of challenges and developments lying ahead. While we keep a tab on the big names, it's necessary to also work with the would be big names too

I'll share more of my experience today, but I have to respond to correspondence before I continue where I left. Thank you so much for coming here.

I think we kip learning, just as I've spread my mat here since yesterday
I saw u mentioned logistics, one could easily have said he's gone pass d stage but u realized dat some things do reoccur. some times plans fail n u work with plan b or c, some delivery could be emergency (with additional cash though) meeting up earns us more trust. u see some big buyers, crossed his legs in his office n say he needs an item tomorrow morning of course u gat to meet up. it's part of shifting grounds. dos 3/7 day delivery period is not for everyone at least not big or regular buyers. maybe dis d first I'm opening up as I'm here always here to fool around
pls share more of your experience.

coolluk:
its funny cos its not about a celebrity and some nairaland bullshit, thats why this thread has low comment counts

That is just it..Nairaland is no more like before...its all about gossip now!!!

SPG4U:
[size=20pt] I own an e-commerce store too

Initially it was a great challenge, almost all the challenges the OP stated, but I was smart enough to create a website for my store and also went ahead to set adverts..yes I paid for advert placements and today my e commerce store is a success story


I now sit back and make money easily

OP I will follow this thread and together we can swim around in pool of knowledge and wealth,


U can also c my signature [/size]

how can i contact you.

Hello readers and contributors, thank you for keeping an eye on this thread. I am glad to see that old followers are coming back for feedback and new followers are not just passing by, they are dropping excellent posts. It really shows entrepreneurial spirit of the Nigerian youths.

Okay, let's get to work today. I was discussing the challenges I have faced and those I am still facing as an e-store owner, and these challenges are not peculiar to my e-store alone ( as I could read from posters here ). So the story continues here..

MORE CHALLENGES

Literacy & Orientation level

In as much as e-commerce requires basic level of education, computer literacy and understating; e-retail will continue to suffer setback in this part of the world. It is not necessary to hold PhD to use the internet or get along with world as a global village, but basic communication skills in the official language and our major local languages ( Yes, I mean it, our major local languages including pidgin English ) will go along way in getting people along. yet it's heart saddening to discover that that a very large percentage of working force are either uneducated or undereducated.
Note: Having studied in the four walls of classroom does not automatically mean being educated Ooo Please don't be deceived. Anyway, let me save the argument till another day.

Frankly speaking, we are still losing business deals and customers to the open market, because we have great customers who have purchasing powers and need our goods, but they lack the basic knowledge of using the internet. Even if our prices are lesser with higher quality and value compared to what they will get in the open market, they will still patronize the open market; not because they don't like to shop online, but they obviously don't know how to do it.

Literacy rate is different from orientation level in this context. It will amaze you how some so called educated people engage on the social media. some are educated, but are not so conversant with the online world. We have other category of people who are educated, but they are 'know it all' they won't accept that they need to learn new things in life. They will feel too big to ask for help on how to use the internet, so when they get online, they turn everything upside down. anyway, na dem sabi, they may learn there lessons as they continue exploring the internet world. I only pray they learn the easier way.

Dear reader, have you ever received comments/posts on your e-store on social media or other platform where potential buyer will ask for your shop location? A potential buyer nearly change am for me on top this matter Ooo. On another photo post ( A designer wristwatch ), I included necessary details from price, brand name, specifications, mode of payment and delivery; then the question a customer asked is: Shey the watch go tell us when Jesus dey come ? The truth is that majority of these people are educated ( at least basic reading and writing skills ). Yet, they lack proper orientation of how to converse and express themselves on the internet.

Okay, how do we handle these people and this palaver? Whenever I get calls or comments from customers asking me where my shop/store is, I try as much as possible to be friendly with them while enlightening them what e-store is.

For instance when Mr. January asked: where is your store located?

I replied: Welcome to Phones&Gadgets. We are e-store ( Pls not the emphasis ) based in Abeokuta, but we deliver nationwide. We deliver free of charge within Abeokuta. Our storage facility/warehouse is also in Abeokuta, which means we ship from Abeokuta. If you would like to buy any of our products, please let us know the specific products or quote the product name/number, then we shall quote the price for you, then you can place your order if you agree with the pricing. Thank you.


Have you ever been asked a very annoying and embarrassing question on your business page? Mate, this is what I experience on a regular basis. Despite the fact I include necessary details of the product + specifications, delivery, mode of payment etc and I sometimes go as long as making videos. Some online users will still come and ask questions that are not related nor relevant to what you display or do online.

Another example of the embarrassing moment on e-store page: On my business fan page, the user asked how much an office shirt costs in the market now? ( He didn't even ask if we sell office shirt or how much we sell shirts, he directly asked how much they sell it in the open market ) when I actually posted photos of phone accessories on that specific page.

I won't blame such users, I will rather blame it on the system and the stake holders ( me and you ). This challenge will continue to persist till the literacy rate and orientation level increases to a significant level. But that doesn't stop us from mitigating such issue, if it's too huge for us to tackle. From my own perspective, I am thinking of some ways to manage this challenge.

I earlier mentioned that lack of basic communication skills in the country's official language and even our major languages is hindering internet usage in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Since we cannot enroll everybody to language skill, we have to converse to them in the easiest way. For me and my business, I have been working on how to inculcate the habit of using pidgin English and also one of our major local languages ( Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa ) on my pages, but as time goes on, I will apply other major local languages. I am very optimistic that it will work, and if not, at least I have tried new thing

Nothing is as frustrating as engaging on the social media with a so called educated fellow who believes education is confined to the four walls of the classroom alone. These set of users are worse than stack illiterates who admit that they are not educated. These set of users need proper orientation about the internet and social media engagement. Na style you go take teach this kain people Ooo, if you no wan lose customer. so, how do we handle such users? okay, to lessen the stress of educating them on e-commerce and internet usage, I sometimes take my time out to write about online business and their mode of operations on my website. I also write my e-commerce experience on my social media page. On my business page, I try to orientate followers and fans on online shopping and the advantages.

This challenge is really huge, individual and businesses alone cannot tackle it, even government itself sees it as a herculean task. All we can do at this time is manage it.

I am sorry, I've got to attend to some notifications and mails. I gotta be back soon. Please keep abreast with this thread.

Quite informative. Thanks Op

Godsgal:
Quite informative. Thanks Op

Thanks

Innunique:
Great post OP, I run one here in the Eastern Part of Nigeria, and the challenges are the same as listed by you.
It's called CS& Enterprises, an ICT products Sales and Services company, offering the most affordable of Laptops, Tablet PC and general computer merchandise.
I operate from Nsukka precisely from UNN and have done deals as far as Niger state. I mostly use Facebook and WhatsApp advert and posters for the school communities which I service... so far its been a win-lose-win situation, but we keep pushing to make it better. Started 2012 and we have evolved but it can only get better.

Thank you for sparing your time to share little of our e-commerce experience. I hope you take your time to follow new trends in the industry and how to leverage them. One is connecting with other colleagues in the sector. As mentioned by one of the posters here, don't see your competitors as enemy, rather see them as fire lighters who spark your light to bring out the best in you. Keep soaring bro.

debbydee:
Meanwhile, a copy of thank you note ( handwritten with a calligraphy pen ) by the CEO himself grin was included in the package to build an informal relationship beyond seller-buyer relationship. This will make customers to feel free and give any question or suggestions they feel may benefit both parties. ( I get a copy of the letter in case you wan see as the package be cheesy )

nice write up OP. I will also add

The issue of trust is a big one but one thing i will always do is to continue in what ever you are doing. As long as you sell genuine stuffs people will always patronize you. I have noticed that customers like good stuffs but most of them will want to pay a cheap amount for it. all you need to do is convince them and make them understand why the price is like that.

I concur.

Speakdatruth:
I think we kip learning, just as I've spread my mat here since yesterday
I saw u mentioned logistics, one could easily have said he's gone pass d stage but u realized dat some things do reoccur. some times plans fail n u work with plan b or c, some delivery could be emergency (with additional cash though) meeting up earns us more trust. u see some big buyers, crossed his legs in his office n say he needs an item tomorrow morning of course u gat to meet up. it's part of shifting grounds. dos 3/7 day delivery period is not for everyone at least not big or regular buyers. maybe dis d first I'm opening up as I'm here always here to fool around
pls share more of your experience.

I am with you 100% on the issue of shifting ground on some order deliveries and on having back up plans.

That's why I have being negotiation with several courier firms and I still do this research everyday. Just like u mentioned, some big buyers sometimes desire to have their orders delivered within a couple of hours and you just have to be smart in delivery, so as not to lose the big deal.

I really appreciate PhonesNgadets, hippinnacle, Speakdatruth and others for their insightful and encouraging words in their comments to my post. I also would like to go ahead to ask, Supposing one opens an online shop, you get an order and the items are also available, how do you ship them in Nigeria here in such a way that the shipping cost does not discourage your buyers. Thank you. Expecting like before your generous answers.

=Speakdatruth post=37066434]to help a little more, jumia never had d products dey posted on their website, they never had a store also until d one they're building now.
1) every manufacturer wants quick sale, so dey visit dem, check on d products, strike a quantity deal, dey put dem on web as though dey have it (indirectly dey do) bombard d air wit advert, people order and it's a win win
2) run affiliates if u gat huge prospects (put some people on d run for ur online store)
hope dat add up[/quote]

heelsempire, your store is beautiful, the layout, design and color combination is really cute (how many millions went into designing? )

Do you have other stores or you just wanna concentrate on fashion stuff?
I would like to run an e-store but something more general

anuforo:
I really appreciate PhonesNgadets, hippinnacle, Speakdatruth and others for their insightful and encouraging words in their comments to my post. I also would like to go ahead to ask, Supposing one opens an online shop, you get an order and the items are also available, how do you ship them in Nigeria here in such a way that the shipping cost does not discourage your buyers. Thank you. Expecting like before your generous answers.

=Speakdatruth post=37066434]to help a little more, jumia never had d products dey posted on their website, they never had a store also until d one they're building now.
1) every manufacturer wants quick sale, so dey visit dem, check on d products, strike a quantity deal, dey put dem on web as though dey have it (indirectly dey do) bombard d air wit advert, people order and it's a win win
2) run affiliates if u gat huge prospects (put some people on d run for ur online store)
hope dat add up

I think PhonesNgadets wud answer beta
left for me, b4 we became 'big' we couldn't afford courier fees considering our No Shipping Fee stamp on products. i must say dat attracted lots of buyers to us from oda competitors. so how did we push tru?
2 tins did it for us.
1. for dos buyers within reach, I turned my car to a delivery cab/van or whatever name. at a time d logo was printed on it sef. lol
2. for dos buyers out of reach, I struck a deal with motor park drivers going to does states. den I had 5 faithful drivers, dey collect little fee depending on item, I made friends wit dem n we were like brodas at sum point. so early in d morning I go 2d park, find out which one of dem is loading or about to load, give him (dey are always careful, dey know d deal already) with address n dats all while I track both d buyer n driver tru phone. dat was d zero beginning but now, there are 2 courier companies on standby for shipping either 24hrs or 3day

Hehehe @NnamdiN

Thanks for the kind words!

Yes, I remember when the tech team was piecing the platform together. The project definitely took a while to get done right.

I fell off my chair after reading your question about "how many millions went into designing" . I really don't have that detail.

But, our customers love the site's ease of use too. There seem to be more work going on though. So the store might look a little different when the tech folks are done. So it's still work in progress.

I know one of the tech guys calls up customers to inquire about their shopping experience on our website. It has been a bit of mixed feedback.

Now, this brings us back to the conversation off this thread. I hope "Oga" does not fire me if he reads these inputs

Customers' feedback have been mixed due to one major factor -- e-commerce is still relatively new to most people in Nigeria, hence most people struggle when trying to place an order online.

Like @PhonesNgadets rightly pointed out in his previous entries, quite a lot has to get factored in by Nigerian ecommerce website owners when trying to court the average newbish Nigerian online shoppers.

So, I guess it's imperative you try as much as possible to UN-complicate things for them when building out your ecommerce website. Make the website as simple and straightforward as possible. It's also important you have a phone number displayed almost throughout your online store for those customers who just prefer speaking to a sales person. I have had to help lots of customers place their orders on our website by telling them what to do over the phone.

@NnamdiN if you plan on starting out an e-store, like Nike always insists "Just do it!". There is enough room for lots more e-stores in Nigeria. But I'll advice you pick your market vertical properly though. And obviously make sure you've carried out your market feasibility study too. But most importantly, trust in yourself and follow that burning desire to jump right in.

I really don't think it's that hard. Like I was told, the requirements are as follows :

1. THINK about your market demographic
2. REGISTER a domain name
3. CHOOSE your ecommerce platform or custom build yours (the latter is expensive and not advisable)
4. FIND a web developer to design and code out your store.
5. ADD your products to the online store
6. MARKET and advertise the online store till you pass out, then wake up again and continue marketing. Hehehe

Goodluck!

NnamdiN:
heelsempire, your store is beautiful, the layout, design and color combination is really cute (how many millions went into designing? )

Do you have other stores or you just wanna concentrate on fashion stuff?
I would like to run an e-store but something more general

Cool

Morning

Speakdatruth:
I think PhonesNgadets wud answer beta
left for me, b4 we became 'big' we couldn't afford courier fees considering our No Shipping Fee stamp on products. i must say dat attracted lots of buyers to us from oda competitors. so how did we push tru?
2 tins did it for us.
1. for dos buyers within reach, I turned my car to a delivery cab/van or whatever name. at a time d logo was printed on it sef. lol
2. for dos buyers out of reach, I struck a deal with motor park drivers going to does states. den I had 5 faithful drivers, dey collect little fee depending on item, I made friends wit dem n we were like brodas at sum point. so early in d morning I go 2d park, find out which one of dem is loading or about to load, give him (dey are always careful, dey know d deal already) with address n dats all while I track both d buyer n driver tru phone. dat was d zero beginning but now, there are 2 courier companies on standby for shipping either 24hrs or 3day

I couldn't agree more to your model. It's just similar to how I handle delivery. In my case, I offer payment on delivery and free delivery for buyers within my reach ( my locality and city ). I have considered the shipping cost while working on my pricing.

For buyers outside my reach ( other cities and states ) I offer 2 options, depending on the convenience of the buyer.

1. I quote the price of my good to you and also quote the shipping fee, depending on your location. If you agree to pay the shipping fee, I will encourage you by giving a sort of discount on the good ( mostly if you are making more than one order )

2. I give buyers outside my city a fixed price, which is greater than the price quoted for buyers in my city and this quoted price will automatically include shipping/delivery charges. (it's more feasible if buyer is making more than one order )


But Boss, I would like to know about your store, if you would like to share I wanna learn more from you oo.

Cool

nov19:
Doing a nice job bro.... Am learning a lot from you as I plan to start selling online... Too

Keep it up....

But if I may ask, how do u package wristwatches for delivery that did not come with a branded Box - cos I waz told by a wholesaler that I may hav to buy wristwatch boxes to pacKage my wristwatches...

What do u advice ... Pls...

Not all watches come with a box. It mostly depends on the price of the watch. For luxury watches though, the box is a must! They usually come with a branded box, anyway.


For the inexpensive watches, you can use a good bubble wrap so it won't get damaged in transit. There are also inexpensive watch boxes (unbranded).