Apples and Oranges

Okay I'm going to be completely honest by saying that I had no idea there were soooo many decisions to be made when starting a business. I mean I understood there was a lot...I just didn't understand what A LOT actually meant! And with all of these decisions comes many options to choose from. So let's just say that if you're an indecisive person, this isn't your field of work!!

Something we talked a lot about in class this week was wholesale distributors (basically person or company who sells stuff at a low price in large quantities to retailers). These are a vital part of starting not all but many online business and of course, there are many wholesale distributors out there! The important thing is not picking the best one out there because the internet tells you it's the best, but rather doing your own research and digging around to find the best one out there for YOU and YOUR product! Understanding things like the wholesaler's distribution channel, policy on returns, location, pricing and so much more is vital to being successful. But the biggest thing I learned was to not be afraid to make mistakes...because many will be made and that's okay! That's how we learn and grow and become better and more successful in the business world!

Now if you think that is the end of decision making you'd be wrong...it's only the beginning!! Another hot topic for this week was affiliate marketing verses drop shipping. You're probably asking which one is better and why? Well that's a great question and unfortunately there isn't a black and white answer (I wish though!!). What I can say is this: there are pros and cons on both sides and so much to look at when choosing how to best run your business. Biggest takeaway from the week's discussion on this topic was to understand your product and you goals as a business. What do you want to achieve?? When you can answer this, it makes picking an option a lot less of like choosing between "apples and oranges" and more like choosing between "right and wrong." 

Figure out what path you're wanting to take and stick with it. There will be bumps in the road and difficult things that'll give you a headache. But all those headaches and long hours of effort will be worth it when you look back on that road and see how far you've come!!