Your Next Skill: How to Run a Small Online Business
Resources which may help you learn to run a small online business/store.
Project Click!
Project Click! is a grant-funded program offered by Wayne County Public Library (wcpl.org) that aims to boost the local economy and support to aspiring business owners in Wayne County. Project Click! responds to the opportunity for Wayne residents to develop online income sources that can grow even as the need for social distancing continues.
Project Click! offers photography equipment to help business owners transition to or grow their online sales, entrepreneurial mindset training through the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program, and marketing webinars in partnership with the Small Business Center. The Project will also provide access to the Jobs and Career Accelerator database for valuable assistance in continued job success. Two library locations will house photography equipment and editing software that participants can use to capture professional images of their products.
Photography Equipment for Selling Products Online
Selling goods online most effectively requires well-edited photos with good lighting.
With Project Click! users have free access to:
- a DSLR camera (Canon EOS Rebel 17)
- a light box for capturing well-lit images of products
- jewelry forms for use in photographing necklaces and scarves
- Ring forms
- Earring forms
- necklace forms
- bracelet form
- large necklace form
- photo editing software
- books
- “Etsy” by George Pain
- “Homemade for Sale” by Lisa Kivirist & John D. Ivanko
- “The Purpose is Profit” by Ed “Skip” Mc Laughlin, Wyn Lydecker, Paul McLaughlin
- “The Secrets to Selling on Amazon” by Beau Crabill
- “The $100 Startup” By Chris Guillebeau
- “Start Your Own Ebay Business” by The Staff of EntreprenuerMedia
- “Starting a Business Quick Start Guide” by Ken Colwell PhD
- Starting Your Own Business” By Adam Toren and Matthew Toren
Email Library.Reference2@waynegov.com or call (919) 735-1824 to make an appointment.
The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook: converting online conversations to offline sales by Annie Tsai
"The small business marketing experts at Demandforce help owners kick off their online strategy. Small business owners are exceptional at delivering on their product or service. Many, however, don't know where to start when it comes to online marketing. The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook will show you how to effectively leverage email, social, online, and network marketing to get new customers and keep existing customers coming back. Author Annie Tsai shows you how to refocus just a small percentage of an offline marketing budget and create exponential return for your business. Author Annie Tsai is a popular blogger and Chief Customer Officer for Demandforce, an automated Internet marketing and communication company specializing in small- to medium-sized businesses, recently acquired by Intuit Features spot interviews and "do this now" advice from resident experts at Demandforce, including the founders With the proliferation of social media and the consumer voice on the web, small business owners need to take a deliberate approach to leveraging this new marketing channel to effectively convert online conversations into offline sales. The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook shows you how."
Format: Book - 2013
The Women’s Small Business Start-Up Kit: a step-by-step legal guide by NOLO
This book is a guide for women interested in starting or running a small business. It covers how to: draft a business plan; raise start-up money, including through crowdfunding; choose a legal structure and hire employees; manage finances and taxes; qualify for special certification programs and contracts for women-owned businesses; and market and brand a business online and off. This book also contains interviews with successful women business owners, and has tips for maintaining work-life balance
Format: Book - 2020
Sewing to Sell: how to sell locally & online: the beginner’s guide to starting a craft business by Virginia Lindsay
You love to sew. Don't you wish you could make a living from your sewing? You can, with the help of this practical guide from professional sewer and pattern designer Virginia Lindsay. Everything you need to know to start sewing for profit is here, from finding your personal sewing style to creating a product line, identifying customers, equipping your studio, pricing and selling your work, marketing yourself, designing your own patterns, and handling the business and legal side of sewing. And that's not all! You also get 16 projects that you can start sewing and selling right now.
Format: Book - 2014
Start Your Own Etsy Business: your step-by-step guide to handmade success by Entrepreneur Media, Inc.
Whether you're a master crafter, a carpenter, a jewelry designer, or have become passionate about making the best home décor in town, now is the time to go from hobby to full-time business owner. And with million shoppers ready to discover your unique offerings it only makes sense to join the largest, most successful online community of creative entrepreneurs on Etsy®. Our experts have teamed up with successful shop owners to provide you with Start Your Own Etsy® Business, an easy-to-understand, comprehensive blueprint that takes you through setting up, branding, marketing, and managing your store.
Format: Book - 2017