Let me say upfront, that I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. Having said that, I have been selling online for over 10 years now. I love the freedom it gives me and has given me for years.
I made the leap to working fulltime for myself when I got made redundant. I gave myself 8 months, from May when I became redundant to January.
I told myself that if it wasn't earning me a decent wage by then I would get another job. That's a great incentive, especially in the winter, when it's wonderful to not have to go out in the cold, the rain, snow and whatever else winter throws at us.
This is literally the basic bare bones to get you started. Which is still more than I had when I started. If I can do it, so can you!
How to get started!
Nowadays the internet is a big part of our lives and most of us are fairly internet savvy.
I knew nothing and had to learn it from the ground up. I hadn't even been on any social media sites at that point, so it was a big learning curve.
It was easiest to start on a selling platform for me. It is a good way to get started. It wasn't a thing then but now, many start on Facebook and some sell only on Facebook. Whether you sell on there or not, it is a good idea to have a business page anyway.
A shop
Wherever you sell from, you need good detailed descriptions and good quality photographs.
WHY?
Because that is the only way your customer will get to know what it is like before buying. Photos show them and the description obviously describes it in more detail. This is what will sell your goods.
You will be charged a small amount to list each item and generally the listing will last for 3 months.
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Any selling platform now tends to have clear set up instructions and videos to show you step by step.
You will learn to tag your items with terms that people search for and including such words in your description and Title. This is called SEO or Search Engine Optimisation.
My Shops: Etsy & NOTHS
A website
You can build your own website which is easy enough to do. I know because I managed it several years back. I had it up and running in less than a week just spending a little time here and there when I could.
Many of the platforms that host websites will have a free basic starter site you can sign up for.
Many crafters I knew just stayed with the free version, especially if they linked it back to their shop for selling.
My Website
Social Media
If you want to have your own business selling goods or services, you need people to find you. That is where social media comes in.
You get business pages on each platform, all free, and start to build each one. Logo, business name a little bit about you and a link to your shop or website. You can usually only add one link. 
That is where a website is useful as you can add a button for any shops or social media.
Which Ones!
The main and important social media platforms are probably ones you use all the time; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
There are others but don't overload yourself at the start as you need to use them regularly and interact with others to gain followers.
The more followers you have, the more people that will get to see what you have to offer as your followers comment and share your posts.
What else?
If you are making goods, keep making. In quiet times, yes there will always be times where you sell less than other times. Design new products, get on social media and get busy gaining followers. The more you do towards building those followers the more your business and goods will get seen.
TAX: Get registered with your local tax office. Even if you don't make much at first, it is very important to ensure your business is legitimate. I have heard about people being caught and fined because tax offices look online for those that haven't registered.
Yes there are a lot of new businesses springing up and there were lots before the Pandemic brought more. So is it overcrowded?
With 4.6 BILLION people using the internet worldwide as of November 2020 (more now) I don't think we need to worry too much.
The Internet is a growing business market, so get in there and get started.
Now is the time! A ditty!
Time to take the leap?
Most people are fed with working for someone else and having their working hours dictated by someone else.
You know what they say about a J.O.B.? Just Over Broke!
I'm not interested in watching Television, so the evening is a great time for me to work. My daytime hours are decided by family and what else I have to do.
In normal times I travel to stay with family at least 3 times a month, then my working hours change accordingly.
Yes it's hard work but it's for YOU!
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I hope you enjoyed this post on the basics of starting a business.
Sometimes basics are all you need. It can be very easy to get caught up in research on what to do and never actually make the start.
When I began over 10 years ago, I had no idea what online selling entailed. I decided and went for it, built it up alongside a job, home and family.
I LOVE every minute of it!!
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Thank you for visiting, hope you enjoyed the post.
Questions and comments welcome.
