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E-portfolio Term Project Paper: E-commerce Business

Diamond Le

Intro to Business 1010

Professor Daysi Hernandez

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As the world progresses and new technology emerges, new jobs are being presented to

us. The days of working a 9-5 or commuting to your jobs are not the only options of making a

living. What if I told you working from home and being your own boss is possible? With

advanced technology today, we can create or sell stuff online right from our own home. The

idea of working on your own schedule and being at the comfort of your home sounds like a

dream!

“ E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services via online.” (Zande) An

advantage to having an E-commerce business is that there are many things you could sell. You

are not limited to what you can sell. I buy many of my items from shops that are online. It is

convenient for someone like me who does not like to drive often and can just buy things with a

click of a button.

According to the website, “ The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience”

(T.F.C.E.E). There are different ways you could do business online. There are business to

consumer, business to business, direct to consumer, consumer to consumer, and consumer to

business. One way I would be doing my online business is direct to consumers which focus more

on selling directly to consumers while being on a social media platform like Instagram. Different

types of e-commerce include retail, dropshipping, digital products, wholesale, services,

subscriptions, and crowdfunding.

The idea of an online business and working for yourself sounds like a dream but it comes

with it’s own challenges. “Running an ecommerce store is not easy, especially if you do it on

your own. There is an abundance of tasks you need to do to make sure that everything runs

smoothly. There is the site you need to manage, customers to please, orders to fulfil, accounts to

keep and much more.” (Grabowski, 2013) Depending on what you are selling for your e-
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commerce business there are different things each seller does when they are managing their

business. According to Grabowski, these are some of the general things you should do as an

Ecommerce shop: Build traffic, customer service, stock management, site updates, monitoring

KPIs, and social media updates.

During an interview with Joann who runs an online crystal shop called, “Lavender and

Tower” I asked her what her responsibilities were and she said, “ This question is a bit hard to

answer because my life is kinda chaotic due to me working part-time and being a graduate

student so my day to day changes a lot based on what's coming up for me” Some of us can relate

to this because I am also a student and am currently working full time at a job. You have to make

time in your busy life for Ecommerce to be successful. There are always struggles before there is

success.

“From morning till about 4PM or 5PM - I am usually at work (part-time) or doing

school work (Masters program). Evening is when I would dedicate my time to my business which

can get kind of hard. Thankfully the sun sets a little later now so i still have 2-3 hours of sunlight

to take photos. When the sun used to set at 5PM it was a struggle. For my business - I am

constantly brainstorming ideas for photos / posts / and future IG Lives. “

“I am also researching crystals so that I may pass on information to others. With this

business, even though I have about 3-4 of my favorite go-to vendors, it is always a good idea to

be constantly looking for others because you never know what other suppliers may have yours

dont. So I am constantly building new relationships and seeing what new creative ideas I can

come out with for my products. “

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I am also trying to open a shop via Instagram and can see what kinds of things these

online crystal shops do. Countless hours go into researching vendors who are ethical and buying

products. To advertise crystals you must come up with ideas on how to showcase the crystals

you are selling the best way possible. Visuals are super important when you are selling to your

customers. The quality of the videos and pictures taken are crucial to get customers interested in

buying your products.

Most important of all is that you build a relationship with your consumers. The best way

you can do this is to communicate with people through comments, direct messages, and live

sales. I am currently in the process of building engagement for my crystal page on instagram. It

is important for me to have a loyal customer base before I start selling my crystals because I

know when I start selling some of the shops or people I've made a bond with will support my

shop also. Another way to increase engagement with your shop is to have people post and share

their package they got from you. This is one of the biggest ways to support a shop because it

shows the quality of the crystals through real life people and makes your shop look good.

You do not need a degree to start an Ecommerce business. Some people use Ecommerce

business to avoid going to school and become successful in a different way. Though an education

in college could help with Ecommerce. Getting a degree in business or marketing could be

beneficial to starting a business as it teaches you about how to run a business and market your

products/services.

According to University HQ, “A degree in E-Commerce prepares graduates for roles as

entrepreneurs in the electronic marketplace, web designers and developers, and more. Four

important areas for jobs are web design and development, marketing, data analytics, and

customer relations. A degree in E-Commerce opens careers in a field of sales and marketing that
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has global scope and a history of dynamic growth.” This tells us that going to college for a

degree could be beneficial to starting an ecommerce business, but it is not required because you

can also use the power of the internet to learn.

During an interview with Joann I asked her if she thinks that an education is required for

starting an ecommerce business. She answered,

“Yes and No, college allowed me to meet a diverse pool of people which meant I was

exposed to a lot of new experiences and new ideas. I would not know how to run a business if I

didn't see it modeled through my friends and peers. Even before I thought about opening a

business - i would still be involved with my friends business whether it be helping them with it,

just being there and listening to their experiences and knowledge I am a Psychology major and I

would say I also utilize my research skills and psychology knowledge when it comes to

marketing” Basically an education is not required, but it is beneficial with starting a business.

Even if it's not business related it could be a degree like communications to help communicate

with consumers or other businesses.

According to the website “Zip Recruiter”, the average salary for Ecommerce Business is

$61,681 per year. ($30/hour) This is calculated nationwide in the United states. Depending on

what you sell you could make over this amount. I have seen people post videos about

dropshipping and they live in a huge apartment that overlooks the beaches of Miami. I have also

seen crystal shops have a following of 20k on Instagram. According to ZipRecruiter they are also

seeing annual salaries that are as high as $128,000 to as low as $18,000. This all depends on the

success or size of your business.

Ecommerce is definitely a long term career because it is the future. With so many

different shops and services online I don't see it going out of business any time soon. Many
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things are taking place digitally instead of in person now. I can buy basically anything I want

online. I hardly carry cash with me and later on we may not even need cards because we can scan

our phone to a card scanner now.

“E-commerce has skyrocketed in growth, with total revenue reaching $3.5 billion in

2019. And with the world on lockdown from the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers drastically

rose within the first month. As of mid-April, online retailers in the U.S. had seen revenue growth

of 68%. The pandemic has undoubtedly pushed the public to mostly rely on online services, from

shopping and banking to the rapid increase of work from home set-ups. “ (Shaw, 2020)

Since the pandemic, it has put many people out of jobs and at home. People are looking

for new ways to make money and Ecommerce provides that. According to Shaw it has increased

demand for workers, expanded the job market, has technology that provides workers with

upperhand, and omnichannel sales and recruitment.

With any job there are always advantages and disadvantages. “Businesses need to look

beyond the hype and develop their own perspectives on the value of e-commerce. How does it

help businesses and why do consumers love online shopping? It's important to explore both

perspectives because advantages for consumers might end up becoming a disadvantage for e-

commerce businesses.” (Khurana, 2019) Advantages include the need for physical stores and

allows businesses to expand their customer base. The need to pay rent for physical stores is not

needed when you have an online store. Shopping online is easier and there is no need to

commute anywhere. Consumers can buy things with a click of a button. Disadvantages include

security and credit card fraud. Some customers enjoy personal touch and would like to go to a

shop. Some customers want instant gratification when they buy something and not have to wait

for it in the mail. There are taxes and regulations that come with opening an ecommerce site.
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I had the chance to interview an online crystal shop called “Lavender and Tower”. I talk

to many crystal shops on Instagram. Her name is Joann and she is 24 years old. I asked her,

“When did you start getting into crystals?”

“ I would say it started as a kid. My elementary school used to take us to the Science

Center in Los Angeles every year and I would spend hours in the crystal section of the gift shop

and loved learning fun facts about Earth”

“What inspired you to start a shop on Instagram and when did you start?”

“Starting a business was always something that seemed “out of reach” for me -

especially as a first generation child that live(d) in poverty - but something that I definitely

wanted to do. I always like to throw random business ideas to my boyfriend. I have recently

begun to change my limiting beliefs and wanted to see how far I could take my success. You

could say - my therapist inspired me to pursue my dreams.”

“What do you enjoy about having a shop online ?”

“What I enjoy is being able to consistently meet new people and staying connected with
them. I find it so hard to call my “customers'' customers - because I personally set out to make
connections with everyone. I hope that people don't see buying crystals from me as just making a
purchase - but making a CONNECTION with not only mother nature’s creation, but with the
community and myself. “

“What do you find hard about having a business online?”

“I would say getting exposure and then the mental battle you do with yourself of not
comparing yourself to other shops. IG algorithms are not built for small businesses and it’s hard
to go “viral” when you’re selling products. Also, as with social media, you're constantly on the
phone scrolling recommendation and other people’s pictures. It’s hard not to compare yourself
to the success of others.”

I find shops like hers so inspirational and encourage me to take that next step to start

selling crystals too. A couple years ago I was a different person. I always looked down on myself
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and still do on occasions. I wanted to go on a spiritual journey to find my true self. On my

spiritual journey decided that I wanted to visit a metaphysical shop. I knew nothing of it before

this. When I was in the store I came upon a stone called Amethyst and fell in love with the deep

purple color and the energies it gave me.

After that moment, I kept collecting more crystals and now I have a huge collection. I

believe that crystals actually made an improvement on my life and how I feel about myself. After

learning that there is a whole crystal community on instagram I felt like I finally belonged

somewhere. I saw that I could buy crystals on instagram and was excited. I found some unique

pieces online compared to my local stores. It gave me the inspiration to want to start an online

crystal shop selling on Instagram or on a site.

Owning a physical store did not really appeal to me but an online store did. Especially

since I can work on my own schedule and work at home. At times I find working at this stable

hourly paid job repetitive and draining. This is why I want to start an ecommerce business and

have more freedom in my life.

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Citations

● Ecommerce business annual salary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Ecommerce-Business-Salary

● E-commerce degrees & schools guide. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from

https://universityhq.org/degrees/e-commerce-programs/#:~:text=Typical%20E

%2DCommerce%20Degree%20Requirements,internet%20access%2C%20and

%20mobile%20devices.

● J. (2021, April 18). Ecommerce Interview [Telephone interview].

● Khurana, A. (n.d.). Is e-commerce right for your business? Retrieved April 19, 2021,

from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/ecommerce-pros-and-cons-1141609

● What is e-commerce? Examples, benefits, stats, strategies. (2021, March 16). Retrieved

April 19, 2021, from https://www.the-future-of-commerce.com/2020/01/19/what-is-e-

commerce-definition-examples/

● Shaw, N. (2020, June 16). Future of e-commerce & employment opportunities. Retrieved

April 19, 2021, from https://www.vault.com/blogs/job-search/what-the-future-of-e-

commerce-means-for-employment-opportunities

● 27, E. (2013, May 17). 6 must do daily actions in ecommerce. Retrieved April 19, 2021,

from https://ecommerceinsiders.com/6-daily-actions-ecommerce-898/