This Is How Ecommerce Can Help You Build Real Wealth Diversifying your income is beneficial for several reasons, and it's not as difficult as you might think.
By JR Ridinger Edited by Amanda Breen
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Most financial pros tell you not to put all your eggs in one basket. In other words, you need to diversify your investment portfolio. This way, if one investment crashes and burns, you still have enough under you to keep standing. When you establish more than one income stream, you're doing the same thing. By diversifying what can generate money for you, you turn a roaring fire of risk into a matchstick and have insurance for your personal economy.
Diversification with income is a strength. Achieving it, though, goes hand in hand with identifying emerging trends, markets and technologies that might be in demand and profitable over the long haul. There's no shortage of niches here, but as people get more and more comfortable with digital business, ecommerce is an increasingly attractive and smart way to build the multiple income streams you need for real wealth.
Related: How to Create Multiple Streams of Income from Home
The benefits of going digital
Today's internet and ecommerce systems are naturally incredibly adaptive and reactive. You can get information and make informed decisions at lightning speed. That makes it easier to manage risks and serve your customers well so that they keep coming back.
Digital storefronts also let you bring in income without many of the excessive overhead costs or fees that traditional stores have. Depending on what you offer, you might be able to meet the needs of your customers from anywhere, and you can reach people who are well outside of your geographical region.
Building your own options
As with a regular store, creating an ecommerce business that can serve as an income stream starts with just figuring out which products or services to sell. One mistake to avoid here is not relying as heavily on market research as you would with brick and mortar. Online doesn't mean "not serious" or "light," and you've still got to evaluate your idea, create a full business plan and follow legal procedures — such as registering your business name.
As you think about your options for different ecommerce ventures, remember that in times of difficulty, people care about the basics. They don't do a lot of frivolous spending; instead, they try to make their dollar stretch the furthest for items they know their family will need and use. Wants can become needs under the right circumstances, but try to think about what people really can't do without. Be able to identify exactly how your product or service helps.
Lastly, don't think you have to do all of the heavy lifting on your own. There are plenty of turnkey systems out there now that allow entrepreneurs of every stripe to complete jobs without starting from scratch. You don't need to know how to code to launch a website anymore, for example, and you can connect all kinds of systems together too. Be clear about your vision and what you want people to be able to achieve or see in each online store. That will let you pick the right systems and link them in a way that really works for you and your buyers.
Related: 4 Ways an Entrepreneur Should Diversify Their Income
The economy of today tells you a lot about the economy of tomorrow. Right now, with inflation looming (or, in some cases, even booming), people who are on fixed incomes have a greater need than ever to set themselves up to thrive in the future. Multiple income streams can help you do that, and ecommerce is an especially promising environment in which to sell. Take advantage of the benefits of digital and build your own online stores to enjoy the stability, empowerment and freedom you want.
