How To Start An Online Business In Australia: Kelvin’s First-Hand Experience
Almost every person wondering how to start an online business in Australia, or Bulgaria, or Canada – or any other country, for that matter – eventually discovers the dropshipping business model. Is it a good choice? Where can this ecommerce model take you? Let’s talk to Kelvin, a newcomer to dropshipping business, and ask about his unique personal experience!
Disclaimer: all the success stories published in AliDropship blog are the results of interviews conducted in the written form. Even though the editors may make some minor changes to the grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation, the respondents’ writing styles, views, opinions, stores screenshots and personal photos are left unchanged.
Hi, please, introduce yourself!
Hello, I am Kelvin, a first generation immigrant from China relocated to Australia to experience my life. I’m an accountant by profession – and since recently, an online entrepreneur.
Why and how did you start an online business in Australia? What’s your background?
Actually, I had an earlier experience of launching and running an ecommerce startup and working for an online gaming company.
When Melbourne went in lockdown due to the pandemic, I suddenly found myself with much more free time and thought I could invest it in building a side business. This is how I started looking for the options and doing a website building up.
Among all the online business models trending now, I found dropshipping to be the winning one. It’s relatively easy to create and is free. I thought I need to try it out!
What were your first business steps?
I was using YouTube to learn more about setting up and running an online business, and discovered AliDropship and the several opportunities it offers to start an online store.
I would say that AliDropship gave me the initial knowledge and taught me how dropshipping works. It gave me the chance to learn further myself and grow my business the way I see fit.
How is your business performing now?
I keep running my only store, and I keep it synchronized with eBay. This strategy proves to be risky, but promising. My first sale happened in a week after I opened a eBay account.
And it felt great! I felt excited and understood that it could actually work.
There was a month when I processed 150 orders with the total count of about AUD 3K.
Even though I encountered a lot of issues while providing after-sales services and doing product listing, I believe this business model has a good potential.
These days, I have 5-10 orders per day on average, and I believe their number will start growing soon. I have much more confidence in this business model now!
How to start an online business in Australia from the legal point of view? What can you say about the management part?
To do trading in Australia, you simply need an ABN (Australian Business Number). As long as you have an ABN, you, as an individual, are legitimate as a business owner.
And speaking about managing the business in general, I can say that it takes me 3-4 hours every day to keep the store running. I spend this time to search for new products, do product listings and process orders, provide post-purchase support and of course, promote the store.
Studying my competitors, researching products and evaluating suppliers takes most of my time. Customer service can also be challenging as customers are quite demanding and often ask for a lower price. But sometimes, their requests help me see what I can improve in my business practice! So, with good service and politeness, I can change their mind and learn something valuable for my business.
And yes, I’m still learning! I hired a freelancer to assist me, and I’m experimenting with the business a lot.
What’s your general impression of running this kind of business in Australia?
I wouldn’t say my life has changed much already: the business is still very young. But, I know it has potential, and I intend to work harder! I think it’s a brilliant business idea, and it requires long-term persistence – and the ability to change your strategy quickly along your journey if it’s necessary.
What can you advise our readers – those who wonder how to start an online business in Australia or elsewhere, and those who already run their stores?
Like I said, it is a long but promising journey. As long as you learn lots of stuff, keep going and trying, and adapt to changes and challenges, you’re going to be fine!
You must be ready to view this business as a long-term commitment. It is not a get-quick-rich scheme. But it has a great potential as well if you find out the road and walk it persistently. I’m in the process of learning myself!
Kelvin’s dedication and passion are amazing. Now what can you do as a total newbie in 2024? How do you get an online business?
Start a business with AliDropship
What is AliDropship?
AliDropship is a cutting-edge ecommerce platform designed to assist entrepreneurs in launching and growing their online businesses effortlessly. It’s tailored to remove many of the usual hurdles faced in ecommerce, making it a top choice for those looking to start a business without heavy investments.
- Hassle-free: Share your business preferences and vision with us, and our team will craft a top-tier, ready-to-launch online store tailored to start generating sales from day one.
- $100 store upgrade voucher: Enhance your store with a $100 voucher. Whether you want exclusive products or to utilize some of our automation tools, it’s yours to spend as you see fit.
- Extensive product selection: Choose from wide range of high-quality products across various categories. Select the ideal items for your store and see your sales take off.
- Fast shipping: Slow delivery is a common challenge in ecommerce. AliDropship tackles this with fast shipping from our fulfillment centers, ensuring your customers receive their purchases promptly – keeping them happy and more likely to return.
- User-friendly platform: Everything you need to manage orders, add products, and interact with customers is available on one straightforward platform. We’ve eliminated complicated jargon and unnecessary complexities to make your experience as smooth as possible.
- Automated order fulfillment: AliDropship’s automated system takes care of inventory management and shipping whenever a customer places an order, allowing you to focus more on growing your business and less on logistical stress.
- No upfront costs: Start your online store with AliDropship without any initial financial burden. There’s no need to invest in stock, warehouse space, or shipping materials upfront.
- 24/7 dedicated customer support: Our customer support team is available around the clock to help you with any issues or questions you might have about running your online business. With AliDropship, you’re supported every step of the way.
That’s the spirit! We are thankful to Kelvin for his kind and detailed insight into his journey, and hope that his experience is inspirational for our readers! If you’d like to be like him, get a free turnkey online store and start the journey of your dreams.
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