The Challenges in Establishing an Online Glass Business-converted

1. The Challenges in Establishing an Online Glass Business The online shopping trend has made its way into the mainstream a long time ago. However, owing to the worldwide pandemic, online shopping is all the rage now. Everyone prefers shopping from their couch instead of going out and exposing themselves to the deadly virus. The online shopping trends are evolving on the double. The things that were once considered in- person-purchase-only are now easily available online. One such example is glass and mirror products. Online shopping for home and kitchen glass products is becoming the new normal. Glass suppliers and fabricators are setting up their online stores. Online glass companies are developing and unfolding new realms of online business. However, there are some challenges accompanied with setting up an optimum and affordable glass online business. You can avoid slips and errors by following the right approach to setting up a home glass business. We will guide you through it step-by-step. 1. Estimate your startup costs The first step in setting up any business, be it online or brick and mortar, is deciding the startup cost. Take some time to identify the cost value of the business and consider the business funds. Dedicate some resources to the business and decide how you are going to fund your business in the long run. Is sole proprietorship better for your home glass business or would partnership work for you? Take your time and think through the startup costs and how are you going to cover them.

2. 2. Create a solid business plan A proper business plan serves as the backbone of the online business. It helps put your online business to track and evaluate the progress of the business.

3. Put together a comprehensive business plan that includes your short-term goals and long-term aspirations. Include your target customer base, marketing strategy, and success metrics in the business plan. Track the business and sales metrics. Review and compare them to see if your business is on the right track. 3. Do some glass market research Market research holds primary importance in keeping the glass business on the beam. Make sure to spare some time to analyze the glass market. Start from your area and broaden your research to the global glass market. If you are in the USA, begin exploring the USA glass business and then gradually expand your search circle. Get an idea of the recent trends, discover the strategies of online glass companies, see how glass industries developed independently and determine your competitors. Only with a thorough knowledge of the USA market would you be able to make your mark in it. 4. Evaluate your unique selling points

4. With the surge in the online shopping trend, the online business competition has also taken a leap especially in the USA glass business. Every business is trying to top the chart with its products and deals. In this heavy competition, you have to come up with some unique selling points that bring your business to the clients’ attention and give your business a boost. It can be your product quality, price range, production standards, complementary installation services, or anything else that strikes your business presence over others in the industry. Analyze the competitors’ pricing lists and sales strategies to determine your unique selling points. 5. Choose your sourcing and fulfillment methods

5. Glass business is not like any other online clothing or shoes retail business. Glass products are usually delicate and need extra care and attention. You need to evaluate your sourcing, storage, and supplying methods before getting into the business. Survey the market, meet the peers, get recommendations and choose your suppliers carefully. Make sure that the suppliers are authentic and provide timely fulfillment. Then think about your inventory storage space. Get a storage space according to your inventory. Stacking the products on top of one another won’t work as the glass products are fragile so you need to be extra careful about your storage space. There should be enough space for the products. Go on and consider the delivery options after that. Spend proper time on finding the right fulfillment options. Make sure to deliver the orders on time to your customers and pledge product safety. 6. Set up your online store

6. With a solid business plan in hand and proper sourcing and fulfillment methods underway, you are now ready to launch your official online store. But first, choose a business name for your venture. Don’t be too cheesy with the name. Try to demonstrate your services through your name. Keep it short, relevant, and simple but make it a point to choose a unique business name. Now that you are done with choosing your business name it’s time to work on your official business website. You can either launch your business on a third-party platform or an e- commerce marketplace to get a good start or just build your own e-commerce website. If you are up for building your own website make sure to put some effort into it. An online website is as important for a business as the brick and mortar of the company so make sure to invest in it. Buy a domain, hire a web developer and design your online store aesthetically as the web design will make the right impression on your customers. Make sure that the Website is mobile friendly and its browsing speed is good. Don’t forget to add the payment methods and make sure to secure the customers’ information. Another way of getting your business a good start is by setting up your online store on e- commerce marketplaces. Glass genius is a glass-specific online marketplace. It’s a one-of-its-kind niche-specific marketplace that provides a platform to the top-notch glass fabricators, suppliers, and distributors from all over the world to offer their premium services to the customers. Glass Genius has huge online traffic so you can give a boost to your business by setting up your online store on this marketplace. It connects you with thousands of online glass companies and allows you to market your online business. Glass Genius allows you to reach a global customer base and make your mark in the online glass business industry. 7. Taking care of all the legal matters Setting up an online business is not just about building a website and offering your services to the prospects, there are some rules and regulations for online businesses as well. Read up online business regulations and register your business. Set up your company’s legal structure and learn about your tax obligations. You can also hire a lawyer to take care of the legal matters for you.

7. 8. Market your business Now that your business site is up and running, it’s time to market your online business. Glass business marketing is Important to attract customers. Dedicate special funds to market your online business. Offers special Deals and discounts to draw some leads. Feature your product on popular online glass companies and get shootouts. Highlight your unique selling points. Leverage social media for your glass business marketing. Start campaigns to market your online

8. business and create a buzz around your brand name. It’s all about drawing the attention of the clientele so make sure to do it right! All things considered! Just like other industries, the glass industry has to evolve in order to stay on the top. The online shopping trend has revolutionized the glass industry so it’s the perfect time for you to step up and start your online glass business. Set up the business website. Market your online business strategically and start your online store today!