Pots, vases and the like are ages-old decorative and practical devices. If you have a passion for them, you may want to look into learning how to sell pottery & ceramics online, a business venture that could have you quitting your day job in less than a year. Don’t be intimidated; you won’t need to learn how to code or design. All you’ll need is the will to succeed.

When the economy took a hit, ecommerce actually continued to grow. Now is primetime to get involved in the world of online retail. Today’s technology makes it easy to learn how to sell pottery & ceramics online.

You’ll need a plan to break into the business. Here are five questions that you must answer before you get started.

1. What kind of products do you want to sell?

First thing’s first. What exactly do you plan to sell? Flower pots? Ceramics for dining rooms? You have plenty of options here. The more specific you get, the better the chance that you’ll be able to speak effectively to your potential customers.

For instance, it’s easier to specialize in dining room goods and build up an audience here before you move on.

2. Where will you get them?

Once you know where to specialize, the next question to answer as you learn how to sell pottery & ceramics online is where you’ll get the goods. If you’re making them yourself, you’ll have to find a place to buy inexpensive supplies. But if you’re getting the goods from a distributor, you should find a wholesaler that will give you a good margin for profit.

3. How will you get your website set up?

Next, find the shopping cart software that makes the most sense for your business. You’ll want a software vendor with a long reputation for reliability. Look up customer reviews and read about your company’s history.

Because you’re just learning how to sell pottery & ceramics online, it’s important to have simple ways to access the organization’s support team.

4. Why do you need a good marketing plan?

Before you launch, you want to get the word out. In order to this, you’ll need to build a strong marketing plan. You should have access to marketing tools through your ecommerce suite. Explore how they work and make them a part of your plan. Try to engage potential customers over social media like ceramics forums and Twitter.

5. When will you launch?

When you have your store designed and ready to go, it’s time to get ready for launch. You should set a flexible date in advance so you can time any promotions to coincide with the launch.