Mythbusting : The Truth About Starting an Online Business
If you’re an aspiring African entrepreneur, you may have bought into the myth that starting an online business is easy. After all, how hard could it be to sell products on the internet while working from the comfort of your own home?
As a business coach who has both started online businesses myself and guided dozens of others through the process, I’m here to debunk this misleading myth about online business simplicity. The truth is, while starting an online business has lower barriers to entry compared to traditional brick-and-mortar establishments, it still demands immense work and commitment to succeed.
Let’s explore some reasons why starting a profitable, sustainable online business is far from easy:
You Need Technical Expertise
To create a functioning ecommerce site or other online platform, you’ll either need web development skills yourself or the budget to pay someone to handle the technical side. Understanding basics like hosting, domain registration, site security, maintenance, and troubleshooting are imperative. Without web expertise, your online dreams will stall quickly.
Stiff Competition Exists
The internet has made digital entrepreneurship more accessible globally. But easy entry also leads to saturation in popular online spaces like retail sales, blogging, agencies and beyond. Standing out demands time invested in crafting unique value propositions, thoughtful branding and exceptional digital marketing. Many give up when they realize earning a profit means outcompeting fierce digital rivals.
Ongoing Hard Work Is Non-Negotiable
Lazy days don’t exist when starting an online business! From supply chain logistics to customer service and social media responsiveness, ecommerce stores especially require daily hard graft. Blogs must publish content consistently, consultants need to hustle for contracts constantly. Sitting back after launch is a recipe for certain failure without ongoing labor invested.
Scaling Up Takes Dedication
Assuming online customers or fans will automatically multiply once you open digital doors is foolish optimism. Spreading brand awareness, nurturing community relationships and devising growth marketing requires dedication for sustainable scaling. Those who think viral online fame alone generates profits learn quickly that strategic hustle behind-the-scenes is what transforms hobby sites into lucrative SMBs long-term.
Time Must Be Invested…Lots Of It!
Speaking of hustle, hands-down one of the scarcest resources needed to start an online business is time. You’ll spend countless hours not just setting up websites but handling administrative tasks, financial/tax paperwork, customer queries, order fulfillments, shipping logistics, vendor negotiations and a mile-long daily to-do list to keep operations running smoothly. Sweat equity pays off eventually but easy overnight online success stories are more unicorns than reality!
The Bottom Line If you recognize the immense effort involved, starting and sustaining an online small business or side-hustle is extremely rewarding. But if you bought into myths of simplicity in earning online income passively, then reconsider your mindset. With an entrepreneurial spirit and commitment embracing digital commerce challenges, African SMB success can thrive online!
I offer 1-on-1 digital business coaching for African entrepreneurs to map online success strategies uniquely tailored for your dreams. Want hands-on guidance identifying the right online model for you? Schedule a free discovery call!