Have you been wanting to start your own business but your intended capital would not suffice? Or maybe the thought of leaving your children at home prevents you? Well, that shipped has sailed when people from the Silicon Valley introduced the “Online Business”. Online business (OB) allow you to sell your product or service at the convenience of your own home and your own time.
Here are the other reasons why you should open your own OB now:
1. SPEND LOW COSTS ON THE START-UP
Once you settled the costs of the products or services that you are planning to sell, you can start opening an OB for S$15.48 or free! The S$15.48 only applies if you want your own website domain name. For example instead of having “myshopname.blogspot.com” you can have “myshopname.com” to appear more professional. Go Daddy sells the website’s domain name at S$15.48 for the first year.
2. WORK ON THE PROJECTS YOU LOVE
Not only do you get to explore your interests and hobbies when thinking of a business idea, you also get to work on something you are really passionate about. This will motivate you to improve your business even more.
3. GET BROADER NETWORK OF POTENTIAL CLIENTS
Since you are setting up a business in the Internet where anyone from anywhere can have an access, you gain a wider scope of clients. This will allow you to transact and ship worldwide.
Sold by the idea of an OB? Here is how you can start yours:
1. DO RESEARCH
Know what is available on the market today. See something that interests you? Incorporate that and add something unique. This will be your niche. Also, research on marketing ideas and budget plans by asking your family, colleagues, friends, or even Google.
2. DEVISE YOUR BUSINESS TYPE AND GOALS
Choose the business you would like to start by tapping into your interests, time availability, and accessible funds. Set goals not just for the business but also for your budget plans.
3. FINALIZE YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
There are a few products that you can sell at a low cost such as essence oils, Ebooks, and stationary. Given that you have sufficient knowledge of Web Designing, you can sell your services online and charge per project.
4. START OPENING YOUR STORE
If you want to set up an online store without spending a dollar, try selling your products and services on either tictail.com or carousell.com. Tictail.com, established in 2012, allows its users to run a nice online store in minutes. Carousell.com, on the otehr hand, allows its users to sell through its mobile App. Both are definitely free and easy to use! Say you are in need of new materials, you may save money by buying bargain items at these websites too.
5. PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS
To promote your business, you will need to have visibility in various social media websites such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The good news is that it is totally free to open your accounts in these websites. Also, you can set up a newsletter or a mailing list so people can receive regular updates when promotions or new items are coming up.
Image Credits: springwools via Flickr
As you can see, it is surprisingly cheap to set up your own online business! But, keeping it may take hard work. So, it is important to find a business that follows what your heart desires. 🙂
Are you a budding entrepreneur with a minimum budget looking for an affordable website to post your Ads in Singapore? Or, do you just want to buy pre-loved designer goods for a cheaper price? Lucky for you, Free Classified Ads online can serve you best!
Online Classifieds are a good choice as these are cost-effective, convenient to relay contact, visible to a large-scale of consumers, and the advertisers are able to edit a listing anytime.
Owned by the Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. (SPH), STClassifieds (previously called ST701 Shops) had been a favorite of many Singaporeans since 2007. It is a great online platform for buying and selling goods and services including baby items, cars, domestic services, electronics, appliances, properties, and more. You can view the price, seller’s photos, condition, seller’s name, category, and the contact information. If you think that it is a suspicious content, you can report it by clicking “report abuse” on that specific Ad or Listing. What’s more? It is free to upload unto 10 images so, you can really get the best angle of your product.
Renowned as Singapore’s Number 1 Free Classifieds Site, Gumtree Singapore is well known for providing good classified services with one of the largest visibility. They offer user-friendly functionalities that is both available online and on the mobile app. There are many categories to choose from such as Furniture, Fashion, Mobile, Property, Jobs, and Services. The Ad lets you show the description, photos, date listed, price, condition, address, and your contact information. You may view the Ad’s visibility by looking at the number of visits below. The best thing is that, you can post for free without having to make an account! Aside from Singapore, Gumtree has a widespread of reputation in other countries including United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Poland, and Hong Kong.
For a simplistic interface that does not require a tedious login process, SGADSONLINE, is the choice for you. It displays the Ad’s photos, price, visits, date of posting, Ad’s expiration date, description, and a choice to post the Ad on other social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
An even more simplistic website is one of the oldest classifieds portals in the world called Craigslist. Established in 1996, Craigslist provides services for more than 70 countries including sunny Singapore. With its easy to navigate website, a newbie can easily get the hang of posting an Ad within seconds! Furthermore, due to its simplicity, it loads faster than the other classifieds websites. Adding to the charm of a free posting, you can put as much as 24 images to your Ad and put it on organized categories namely: community, housing, personals, services, for sale, jobs, discussion forums, resumes, and gigs.
Image Credits: Alisha Vargas via Flickr
You can also consider website promotion service to get more visitors to your homepage.
One of my all-time favorite beauty products is mascara. Perfectly good mascara can highlight and enlarge how your eyes look. The mascara’s wand is bigger than others but you will find it easier to maneuver. The staying power is good in both warm and cold weather. The Essence I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara gives your lashes length, thickness, and darkness to increase its volume. Best of all? It retails for only S$5.50! Good quality at an affordable price – count me in! If you are more comfortable with a smaller wand then, browse to Essence’s wide range of mascaras. See the before and after application by nouveaucheap below:
Image Credits: nouveaucheap.blogspot.sg
2. NYX EYE SHADOW BASE
S$14 at Sephora outlets
Imagine spending countless minutes just to get the perfect winged eyes with shimmer eye shadow. With Singapore’s tropical weather, it will be gone right away once you step out of your house. To prevent this, NYX introduced its eye shadow base. This eye shadow base is basically a good alternative for an expensive eye primer. It will work even more for people with dry skin. Use it to boost the longevity and strength of your eye shadow and eyeliner. There are 3 colors to choose from namely: white, white pearl, and skin tone.
Aside from their youthful clothing pieces, Topshop also offers a good selection of cosmetics. The Mono Eyeshadows come in four shimmering colors namely: Explorer (reddish satin), Interstellar (taupe/cool brown), Galaxy (warm chocolate brown), and Lunar (brownish purple). These eye shadows are raved for its beautiful pigmentation and even application. Its powder has shimmer that gives a velvet finish. Truly, you’d stand out with its vibrant and smooth colors.
With a huge public demand in United Kingdom, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer finally made its way to Singapore. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer has conceals blemishes and flaws for up to 16 hours. So, a little application of this creamy tube can go a long way. It comes in four colors namely: light, fair, medium, and dark.
Looking for eyeliner for a dramatic makeover or special occasions? With its thick and dark felt tip liner, BOURJOIS Mega Liner Dark Black is the perfect budget-friendly choice! Its mega angled felt tip allows you to make both thick and thin lines with high precision. It is also suitable for sensitive skin. Worry not if you are partying the whole day, as BOURJOIS Mega Liner Dark Black will hold for 24 hours!
Investing on organic produce that is GMO-free and freshly grown with fewer pesticides sounds like a good yet pricey idea. Not anymore. Nowadays, you can get organic vegetables and fruits in local grocery stores or online for affordable prices. Prices are decreased to suit Singapore’s needs.
1. BESTORGANICFOOD
BestOrganicFood, established in 2010, is one of Singapore’s leading distributor and retailer of organically grown produce. Dishing over 60 varieties of organic vegetables and fruits that are grown locally or overseas, BestOrganicFood is a green paradise for those who want to change their lifestyle without breaking the bank.
Here are some of their products:
a. Organic Australia Beet Root (600 grams), Price: S$5
b. Organic Baby Bitter Gourd (400 grams), Price: S$3
c. Local Organic Bai Cai (500 grams), Price: S$5
Free delivery for orders above S$35! Visit BestOrganicFood at Blk 681, Hougang Avenue 8, #01-865 Singapore 530681 or at bestorganicfood.sg.
2. GREEN CIRCLE ECO FARM
A place with luscious greenery and farm animals, Green Circle Eco Farm not only welcomes educational tours for the public and schools but it also sells food without artificial chemicals and pesticides. These produce are mostly locally grown.
Here are some of their products:
a. Kang Kong (300g), Price: S$2.50
b. Lettuce (200g), Price: S$3
c. Lemon grass and Pandan (100g), Price: S$1
There is a minimum amount of S$30 for home deliveries of products listed on their vegetables, fruit, herbs, and condiments tabs. Delivery fee of S$5, is one of the lowest delivery service among other organic groceries in Singapore.
Visit Green Circle Eco Farm at 41 Neo Tiew Road Singapore 719028 or at greencircle.com.sg.
3. QUAN FA ORGANIC FARM
Much like Green Circle Eco Farm, Quan Fa Organic Farm abstains from the use of pesticides and harmful fertilizers. Since 1999, Singapore has been enjoying their nutritious and healthy produce. They offer about 40 varieties of hard vegetables, herbs, leafy greens, and fruits that are from our local roots. Aside from Asian produce, they also sell imported organic produce from Malaysia, Australia, and Thailand.
Here are some of their products:
a. French Bean (200g), Price: S$2.50
b. Romaine Lettuce (300g), Price: S$3.50
c. Cauliflower (100g), Price: S$1.50
Quan Fa’s products are at available at Sheng Siong outlets. Visit Quan Fa Organic Farm at 35 Murai Farmway Singapore 709145 or at quanfaorganic.com.sg.
4. BONUS: PASAR ORGANIC BY FAIRPRICE FINEST
A brainchild of FairPrice, Pasar Organic products are available at the “Just Organic” section at FairPrice Finest. There are over 800 varieties of organic products including vegetables, fruits, canned goods, beverages, condiments, snacks, and infant food. What’s more? FairPrice Finest offers the best prices for organic pasta, noodles, and sauces.
Visit them at the FairPrice Finest outlets or at fairprice.com.sg.
