Get Into E-tail

Gerry Harvey famously said that online success was 50 years in the future and that: “Online people do not make any money. The whole world was conned with online retailing… it’s a con, a complete con.” That was in 2008, just 3 short years ago.

Since then a lot has changed. It could be said that the global financial crises was perfectly timed for ecommerce, as sales in bricks and mortar plummeted and credit companies crunched, e-tail has experienced great growth. Ebay saw 24% growth in the 12 months between the end of 2008 and 2009, that’s US$14.2 billion. Amazon had a 42% growth in the same period, AussieBum similarly grew its net profit by 40% in 2009.

The GFC created what Ed Butler, senior analyst at IBISWorld, calls “the perfect storm” for e-tailers – particularly in Australia. There was no real drop in earning power during the financial crisis, he points out. What fell was consumer confidence. Negative media coverage made people extremely concerned about their future earning power and, in turn, far more careful about where and how they spent their money.

2011 will be remembered as the year ecommerce went mainstream in Australia. Myer, David Jones and Harvey Norman have all gone online in the last 12 months and research from Swinburne University released in September has found that Australians are the world’s most frequent online shoppers, with 78% of Australians regularly shopping online.

In fact, a quarter of our population buys something online at least once a week and more than half buy something once a month. Facebook isn’t the biggest thing on the internet in this country – shopping is.

Welcome then, to the ecommerce revolution. If you’ve only recently joined, don’t worry you’re not far behind and you can take advantage of all the hard learning and expensive mistakes that others have gone through.

So how do you avoid the pitfalls of online selling and get the best head start possible? Paul Downs, co-founder and director of ecommerce consultancy Hitworks said it’s all down to the three most basic Ps in the marketing mix: product, price and promotion. The biggest mistake people can make is expecting to plug in an off-the-shelf shopping cart and turning over a million dollars in their first month.

Is it possible to build a brilliant online store on a budget?
Downs says yes in fact, the biggest and best online stores in the country probably cost an awful lot less than you might think and some of the best shopping cart solutions are actually the cheapest. BigCommerce, for example, starts at only $24.95 a month and there are dozens, if not hundreds of free solutions like osCommerce and Magento, which leave much more expensive systems for dead.
So put e-tail on your to do list for 2012.

Accounting

Peter Fowler

Peter Fowler Collins Hume

Collins Hume has over 12 years experience in finance and is a specialist in driving business forward while working smarter not harder. Awarded CPA Australia’s Top 40 Young Business Leaders 2012 he helps make things happen.

Name Email

Question

Here are Peter Fowler's Expert articles:

• Some Business Owners Get it. How Can You?Mar 22, 2013

Banking and Finance

Leo Senese

Leo Senese RBS morgans

Leo Senese, RBS Morgans, with 17 years of experience in the financial markets with Westpac, Goldman Sachs JB and RBS Morgans he is a specialist in income investments. His primary focus is to generate tax effective enhanced income solutions.

Name Email

Question

Here are Leo Senese's Expert articles:

• Get Global Commodity Exposure in the Australian Share MarketAug 30, 2011
• The Changing Face of Fixed InterestNov 30, 2011
• Are you prepared for Retirement?Mar 13, 2012
• Don't Pay More Tax Than You Have ToJun 14, 2012
• Working Your Cash HarderSep 03, 2012
• Getting the Best Yield for Your InvestmentNov 30, 2012
• Cash Rate Falls: Yield Remains King!Mar 22, 2013

Business Efficiency

Clayton Oates

Clayton Oates QA Business

Clayton Oates, QA Business, our Channel 7 business efficiency guru cuts through the red tape and helps you streamline your business to make things happen.

Name Email

Question

Here are Clayton Oates's Expert articles:

• Business Costs - Are They Adding Value?Aug 12, 2010
• Moments of TruthNov 16, 2010
• Is your Accountant Necessary?May 09, 2011
• Where Has Our “Disposable Time” Gone?Jun 07, 2011
• Using the Internet to Buy LocallyAug 30, 2011
• Is your head in the Cloud?Nov 30, 2011
• Do Apps – Add Up?Mar 13, 2012
• Future Shock – It’s Here AgainJun 14, 2012
• The Cloud - What’s Old is New AgainSep 03, 2012
• How Disruptive is your Business?Nov 30, 2012
• Clouds Have Different ShapesMar 22, 2013

Employment & Training

Meg Nichols

Meg Nichols EnviTE Inc

General Manager EnviTE Inc, providing advice on the Northern Rivers employment market, recruitment, industry trends and best practice.

Name Email

Question

Here are Meg Nichols's Expert articles:

• Employing People with Disability Makes Good Business SenseDec 04, 2012
• Employing Youth Expands Your Business OpportunitiesMar 22, 2013

Marketing

Moyra Burke-Smith

Moyra Burke-Smith AM Marketing

Moyra Burke-Smith, AM Marketing – with over 20 years of marketing experience for both small and large companies in Europe and Australia she is our expert at making your marketing work for your business. In her spare time she makes a mean mojito.

Name Email

Question

Here are Moyra Burke-Smith's Expert articles:

• Make Them HappyAug 12, 2010
• 7 Sins of MarketingNov 17, 2010
• Sins of Marketing part 2May 09, 2011
• Get HelpJun 07, 2011
• Promote Your Company WellAug 30, 2011
• Get Into E-tailNov 30, 2011
• Are You Loyal to Your Customers?Mar 13, 2012
• You Are Your BusinessJun 14, 2012
• Social Media - Making it Work for Your BusinessMar 22, 2013

Renewable Energy

Roly Barrett

Roly Barrett Green Up

Roly Barrett is a Sustainability Assessor & Solar Energy Advisor and Sales Manager of Greenup Australia, a Ballina solar and energy efficiency company. Roly spends a lot of time on roofs across the Northern Rivers assessing solar potential and in restaurants

Name Email

Question

Here are Roly Barrett's Expert articles:

• Small Business Tax Break for Solar PowerSep 03, 2012
• How to Avoid an Electric ShockNov 30, 2012
• The Future Looks Bright.. with LEDsMar 22, 2013

Telecommunications

Scott Hales

Scott Hales Barefoot Telecom

Barefoot Telecom has been in the telecommunications industry for 14 years, working in many different roles for a number of providers. He is passionate about providing exceptional customer service and building long standing relationships with his clientele.

Name Email

Question

Here are Scott Hales's Expert articles:

• Communicate The Way YOU Want ToMar 22, 2013

NRBM
T: 02 6685 4516
F: 02 6685 4518
W: Northern Rivers Business magazine
E: email Northern Rivers Business Magazine
P: PO Box 130 Suffolk Park NSW 2481

Northern Rivers Web Design - aguawebs

The Small Print:
Notice: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences, including any loss or damage arising from the reliance on information in this publication. The views expressed in Northern Rivers Business Magazine are not necessarily endorsed by the editor or publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, internet or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.